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 to apply.
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. Additional Requirement: Must be board certified or board eligible. Preferred Experience: Three years of experience as a section chief, deputy chief of chief of a service line. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position may involve standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and turning. The work may involve going up and down flights of stairs.
The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. The Deputy Chief Behavioral Health Service Line provides care in several psychiatric settings: inpatient units, ambulatory programs for general and specialty mental health care, residential program for substance abuse, Specialized Inpatient PTSD Unit, Emergency department, medical-surgical ward psychiatric consultation and geriatrics with extended programs. The mission of the BHSL is to provide exemplary and compassionate recovery-oriented mental health care to Veterans across all service areas with interdisciplinary clinical programs that provide for infrastructure and advancement of training and research. The BHSL provides extensive outpatient services for Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome, Military sexual trauma, Substance use disorders, Traumatic brain injury, and the Seriously mentally ill through medication management, evidence-based and cognitive-based therapies, couples therapy, neuropsychology, peer specialist support, suicide prevention, primary care-mental health integration, and specialty services as Telehome and TeleMH. BHSL includes an acute inpatient psychiatric unit, mental health intensive care management, and psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery center (PRRC); compensated work therapy including transitional and supportive employment programs; as well as health promotion disease prevention, homeless Veterans programs, geriatric services and community outreach. The primary purpose and responsibility of the Deputy Chief is to assist and support the Behavioral Health Service Chief in the execution and implementation of the mission and vision of the BHSL and its organizational units, including the planning, development, administration, implementation, oversight, and advancement of Fayetteville NC VA CHCS mental health programs. The incumbent provides direct supervision of program coordinators and, as a partner in the leadership team, provides oversight of mutually agreed upon programs and services, and services and technical counsel necessary to meet clinical, procedural, legal and administrative requirements related to the care and treatment of both inpatients and outpatients. The incumbent assists in coordinating clinical and support program development with other Service Lines and serves as a change agent promoting change to facilitate high quality, cost-effective, and patient-centered mental health care. The incumbent is responsible for responding to the needs of Medical Center management and facilitating the needs of the Fayetteville staff and its mission. The incumbent also acts in the absence of Behavioral Health Service Chief and serves on the management team of the BHSL. Duties also include: establishment of guidelines and performance expectations for staff, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system; observation of employee performance; resolution of informal complaints and grievances; development of work improvement plans and personnel actions as necessary; advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters; disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in this area; review and approval/disapproval of leave requests; assure that subordinates are trained and fully compliant with the provisions of safety regulations; adjust staffing levels or work procedures to accommodate resource allocation decisions made at higher echelons. The Deputy Chief reports and is directly responsible to the Chief, BHSL. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator, Cheryl Lahair, at cheryl.lahair@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more. 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: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM