The Psychiatry Section Chief is responsible for administrative and clinical aspects of services delivered by the prescribers in the mental health service. The incumbent will perform general psychiatric assessment and treatment in a multi-disciplinary setting composed of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, nurse practitioners and psychopharmacologists. The psychiatrist will be a key participant in the implementation of the principles of Advanced Clinic Access in mental health. Many of these patients suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, experience and competence in treating this condition is desirable. Responsibilities are complex in scope and involve organization of service delivery, management of multiple programs across the healthcare system, coordination and supervision of staff, program evaluation, performance improvement and budget management. Major functions or scope of assigned dutiesinclude, but are not limited to: Administrative Responsibilities

• Has direct administrative and professional supervision of staff: Psychiatrists, Physician Assistants, Medical Students, Residents, and Nurse Practitioners
• Has programmatic oversight and shared responsibility for the Psychiatry Section staff assigned duties within Mental Health Service programs.
• Manages Human Resource aspects of Psychiatry section operations, including hiring and disciplinary action, Labor/ Management relations, performance appraisals, and professional boarding procedures for various disciplines.
• Monitors and reports to facility and VISN leadership regarding status of Mental Health Performance Measures for the Medical Center, with preparation and implementation oversight for any corrective actions necessary.
• Oversees survey readiness for all programs in their respective section, in collaboration with Mental Health Leadership and the performance improvement staff.
• Has staff authority for resource allocations within Psychiatry Section of the Mental Health Service.
• Consults with and serves as a resource for other service lines and facility leadership concerning the need for the development of mental health services.
• Assists the Chief, Mental Health in coordinating a mental health response in the event of critical occurrences of violence at the facility, disasters, and/or mass casualty occurrences.
• Supervise and manage a large group of professional staff.
• Assess qualifications and abilities of current and prospective employees.
• Develop appropriate productivity standards across program areas and professional disciplines.
• Skill in interpersonal relationships, including conflict resolution and the ability to work collaboratively with supervisors from other service lines and departments.
• Deal effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view.
• Knowledge of the goals and objectives of the medical center and VISN and ability to communicate these to subordinates.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Provides treatment for beneficiaries with general psychiatric disorders in a variety of treatment settings and modalities, including tele-mental health.
• Must be skilled in Psychopharmacology. Must be able to provide a comprehensive psychiatric summary.
• Psychiatry physicians may be active participants in the supervision of medical students and psychiatric residents as assigned, and the supervising psychiatrist is responsible for all patient care delivered by trainees.
• Adheres to all quality management performance measures which will be reviewed through peer and pertinence reviews.

Work Schedule: FT, Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, however, on call may be required after 4:30 and on weekends and holidays. Requirements Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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.
• 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 To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation. Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are:
  • (1) Those approved by the accrediting bodies for graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA), in the list published for the year the residency, or fellowship if applicable, was completed; OR
  • (2) One year of post medical school training (internship, first year of residency, or transitional year residency) approved by ACGME or AOA followed by two years of post-training independent practice (performing under a full and unrestricted license) in the United States; OR
  • (3) Non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of three years of verified independent practice in the United States (performing under a full and unrestricted license) performing duties related to the position they are applying for (United States fellowships would be creditable towards this requirement), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the Physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences.
  • Exceptions:
    • Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
    • In rare and unusual circumstances, the Facility Director can submit a memo to the VISN Director through the VISN Chief Medical Officer, who may approve requests for reasonable exceptions to the residency training requirement for Physicians whose composite record of experience, accomplishments, performance, and qualifications warrant such action.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Board Certification:The position being filled is required to be a supervisor for medical or Physician residents (including fellows). The LCME, ACGME, or AOA standards requiring a particular board certification credential apply.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Majority of work is completed in an office setting. The work of this position of primarily sedentary with occasional walking of short distances. No heavy lifting required. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. This position requires emotional stability; mental stability; working closely with others and working alone. Education Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted.
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, confirmation must be made that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirement for year graduated.

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area. Additional information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.