Summary

This Physician Assistant - Program Manager (BHIP South) position is part of the Mental Health Service at the VA Maine Healthcare Systems, located in Portland or Lewiston, ME. This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week.

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series and therefore CVs will continue to be required and accepted.

Duties

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The incumbent practices in Mental Health (MH) Service as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) to provide a full range of services emphasizing quality, timeliness, and the advancement of the VA mission. The PMHNP provides advanced clinical practice, consultation, and management. The PMHNP practices to the full extent of their education, training, and certification. Core functions are outlined in the clinical privileges that correspond with this position. The PMHNP has prescriptive authority as indicated by their position.

NOTE: This multi-discipline recruitment that will result in the hiring of one of the following disciplines: Social Worker; Psychologist; Psychiatrist; Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant



Psychologist Posting: CBTD- 12995263-26-MK



Nurse Practitioner Posting: CBTD-12996847-26-CC

Duties included but not limited to:

• Maintain overall responsibility for the BHIP teams and the delivery of outpatient general mental healthcare. Report directly to the Chief of MHS.
• Supervise staff members on BHIP.
• Educate and assist teams in the implementation of various initiatives that impact BHIP.
• Review daily the # of consults in the BHIP Teams - this is looked at in MH Operations Huddle daily. Data gathered by program specialists daily for this meeting include (a) VISTA "SH Report" that identifies scheduling, pending, and active consults (b) pending consults waiting to be received greater than 2, 5, and 7 days (c) consults that are still in active status at 30, 50, 70, and 90 days (d) encounters greater than 2 days
• Work with Ambulatory Care Business Operations (ACBO) Leadership to ensure consults are scheduled and encounters are closed. This is done through informal communication via Teams and email as well as formal meetings (daily Encounter's meeting).
• Receive or pull daily information about open encounters on the team and share with BHIP Team Leads.
• Pull every 3-6 months encounters, unique, and productivity for all staff in BHIP and share data with staff and MH leadership.
• Receive information from leadership daily about call outs for the team and work with team to help patients be seen or rescheduled.
• Manage interpersonal dynamics as they arise.
• Provide education to Veterans and their families about their medications, illnesses, and treatment.
• Provide mental health triage, screening, consultation, and/or intervention for veterans referred to the Mental Health Service. Conduct mental health assessments with appropriate documentation in the electronic medical record.
• Develop treatment plans in collaboration with the patient and appropriate interdisciplinary staff.
• Collaborate with the patient/family to establish physical, mental, cultural and environmental factors that facilitate or impede realistic goals and activities.
• Formulate diagnoses compatible with DSM-V.
• Evaluate outpatients and manage acute and chronic mental illnesses according to the usual scope of care to include attention to maintenance of stable mental health conditions and preventive mental health care.
• Order and/or interpret laboratory tests, electrocardiograms and diagnostic exams as appropriate to psychotropic medication management and psychiatric assessment.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Physician Assistant Basic Requirements

• Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~
• Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~
• Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.

Grade Determinations:

Physician Assistants hired at all grade levels must meet the basic requirements for employment as a VHA physician assistant. These requirements apply to all PAs employed in the VN/AD 603 series appointed under 38 U.S.C 7401(1) or 38 U.S. C. 7405 in VHA.

In addition to the basic requirements, the following qualification criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates:

1. Experience: PA clinical leaders/administrative leaders require five years of experience which included leadership assignments that involved formulating program objectives and priorities, implementing plans and practices, and interpreting regulatory and organizational guidance to develop and implement policies and/or procedures.
2. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-IV:
   
   1. Ability to assess information and make recommendations that may significantly affect the content, interpretation, or development of programs concerning critical matters or key issues within the health care system.
   2. Ability to schedule and supervise staff, students, or ancillary personnel, to include conducting performance evaluations.
   3. Skill in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling an integrated program.
   4. Skill in design, management of budget, and cost benefit analysis to ensure optimal stewardship of resources.
   5. Ability to analyze complex medical care, organizational processes and/or systems, and develop and implement solutions that improve outcomes at the program or service level.
   6. Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies or procedures to justify program goals and motivate assigned personnel.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is PA IV. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is PA IV.

Physical Requirements: This work is mostly sedentary and requires some standing, bending and carrying light items. The incumbent must have the ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time to interact with the patients and other services.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.