The Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health Service (ACOS, MHS) is administratively and clinically responsible for all mental health staff and programs, and for service delivery provided throughout the Mental Health Service Line at VAPSHCS, which has major facilities in Seattle and at American Lake (Tacoma), as well as multiple community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs).
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 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 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), 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. 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 or fee-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. Proficiency in spoken and written English. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Preferred Experience: Clinical Leadership experience Board certified Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds; use of fingers; mental and emotional stability. Environmental Factors: Working closely with others; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work.
The Mental Health Service at VAPSHCS is an integrated care line with over 350 employees, including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and a variety of ancillary therapists. Acute inpatient and Emergency Department mental health services are located at the Seattle Division, and mental health residential treatment services are located at the American Lake Division. Both divisions have a continuum of outpatient mental health care including general mental health clinics, specialty PTSD treatment, addictions treatment, tele-mental health services, primary care mental health, care for Veterans with chronic medical illness, and vocational rehabilitation services. Functions/Responsibilities: Responsibility for the daily clinical operations of Mental Health Service. Responsibility for assessing the needs of the veteran population and setting the direction of the clinical programming within the service line. Use of data and analysis to make clinical programming and resource decisions. Responsibility for ensuring supervision of all clinical staff within the service line. Managing issues with performance or conduct through progressive disciplinary action. Determining provider time in clinic and productivity expectations. Ensuring on an ongoing basis that resources have been maximized and reallocated when necessary, and that DSS mapping and clinic grids match and are accurate. Ability to engage effectively with other disciplines and have strong communication and/or team-building skills. Development, implementation, and oversight of operational policies and procedures for the Service Line. Organizes and runs Service Line Executive meetings, Steering Committee meetings, and all Service meetings in order to facilitate implementation and coordination of policies and effective standards of care. Monitors provider-specific workload reports to team members and ensures provider adherence to workload standards. Monitors compliance of Service Line members with VA performance measures and effectively shapes provider practice patterns to improve standing on performance measures. Participates in the hiring of new staff members for the team. Clinical Duties: The incumbent will provide patient care in one or more designated MHS clinical programs. Appropriate, timely documentation of care in CPRS is an essential component of the incumbent's duties. Patient care activities will include, but are not limited to: Conducting appropriate history, physical evaluations, and mental status examinations on assigned patients. Completing intake assessments and developing DSM V diagnostic formulations. Developing treatment plans (in coordination with the multidisciplinary treatment team when appropriate). Ordering, monitoring, and responding to all necessary laboratory and radiological assessments. Initiating consults and referrals as indicated. Pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy as indicated for assigned patients. Coordination of overall mental health care for patients for whom they are the assigned Mental Health Treatment Coordinator. Consultation to other providers about clinical issues with their patients. Management of patients in crisis. Completing all appropriate clinical reminders. Triage and admitting to inpatient psychiatric wards. Provide outpatient psychiatric services to Veterans at remote sites utilizing real time video conferencing technology. May provide evening and weekend on-call coverage as assigned, including as needed: Consultation with Emergency Department providers and PES staff, supervision of on- call psychiatry residents, evaluation of all mental health inpatients on weekends and holidays; coming to the medical center for patient care when clinically needed. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30PM. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified applicants. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. 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 VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.