Physician (MD/DO) - Assistant Chief of Psychiatry & Mental Health

Summary

The Assistant Chief of Psychiatry within the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service is responsible for assisting with clinical and administrative functions of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service. The incumbent is responsible for participation in and oversight of appropriate performance improvement and system redesign activities, as well as for advancing the principles of appropriate management/standards of care applicable to our Veteran patients in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Duties

• Assistant Chief of Psychiatry & Mental Health The Assistant Chief reports directly to the Chief of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service. Assistant Chief: (50% Administrative Time) Attends to administrative assignments per the Service Chief, as the Assistant/Deputy Service Chief, primarily including or related to the duties below. Assistant Chief physician works collaboratively with the Service Chief and performs a variety of administrative duties for sections management and the development, administration, coordination and implementation of departmental policies and procedures. Serves as the Psychiatry/Psychiatrist Discipline Lead for the Service (or "Lead Psychiatrist"). Ensures clinical privileges and scope of practice for all psychiatric/physician providers meet VHA and all relevant statutory and licensure requirements; Provides discipline input into competencies and FPPE/OPPE (focused and ongoing profession practice evaluations) for these physicians, as well as the advanced practice nurses, and physician assistants, in compliance with State, and Federal / VHA requirements/directives. May also serve as primary supervisor for staff and sections as assigned by the Service Chief. Attend all relevant VA institutional committee meetings as assigned by the Chief of Psychiatry. Works with Psychiatry & Mental Health Service section leads (supervisors, unit managers, medical directors/section chiefs) to regularly assess Psychiatry Service Performance metrics and address identified deficiencies via gap analysis and creation of corrective action plans. Manages all the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service Physician, NP, PA, and Psychologist credentialing and works with the Credentialing Service to keep all required OPPE/FPPE up-to-date for any credentialed providers. Meets regularly with VA Utilization Management staff to understand and review relevant Psychiatry & Mental Health Service Inpatient bed utilization performance measures, and develop gap analyses and performance improvement plans where indicated. Additionally, the Assistant Chief assumes full responsibility for all Service Chief duties during their absence. Psychiatrist / Physician (50% - Clinical Time) Responsible for the oversight of all aspects of psychiatric care delivered to patients under his/her care, in the area of their primary assignment at the R.L. Roudebush V.A. Medical Center. Provide or assist residents and/or nurse practitioners in the process of evaluation and treatment of the patient under his/her care in the area of their primary assignment. Evaluate patients at the area of their primary assignment to assess changes in the physical and mental status during their care. Perform inpatient psychiatric evaluations and treatment for the patients admitted to the area of their primary assignment if applicable. Participate in Treatment Team meetings, and patient care discussions, to guide appropriate psychiatric care in the area of their primary assignment. Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification) Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting Work Schedule: Full time, 8:00am to 4:30pm. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Margaret Bordner, [email protected] , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.) in accordance with section38 U.S.C. § 7402(c). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). 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, OR 2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must confirm that the medical school meets (or met) Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated. NOTE: The Under Secretary for 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. Licensure/Registration. Physicians must possess a 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. The Physician must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure. 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: 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 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 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. Board Certification: Physicians are generally not required to be board certified for employment in VA; however, three circumstances in VA require Physician board certification: If the position being filled is required to be a supervisor for medical students or Physician residents (including fellows), the LCME, ACGME, or AOA standards requiring a particular board certification credential will apply. If the position being filled will have faculty status with an affiliated medical school (for example, in joint recruitments with affiliated medical schools), then a medical school requirement for board certification will apply to the jointly recruited position. If the position being filled is required to be board certified by virtue of specific VHA policy (for example, as director of a cardiac catheterization laboratory or Director of Clinical Laboratory Medicine), then VHA policy requiring board certification will apply. NOTE: Board certification must be maintained for the duration of time that the employee is serving in a position that meets the circumstances listed above. Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all basic requirements for the occupation. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Physicians appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7402(d) and 7407(d). Preferred Experience: Assisting with the clinical and administrative functions of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. FORMER VA HANDBOOK REFERENCE: PART II APPENDIX G2 EFFECTIVE DATE: APRIL 28, 2026

Requirements

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. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. 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.

Education

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible.

How to apply

To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. To apply for this position online, complete steps 1 and 2 above by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/24/2026 to receive consideration. Please note, this announcement may close prior to the closing date indicated if the position is filled through other means. If you are unable to apply online before the closing date click here and include the CBSR-13065010-26-RBW in the Notes field. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.