Physician Psychiatrist

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive approved.

This is an Open Continuous Announcement to close by September 30, 2026, or sooner when filled, whichever happens first.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

We currently have two (2) openings to include Inpatient and General Outpatient. The Staff Psychiatrist positions are located in the Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences Service (MHBSS) of the VA Providence Healthcare System (VAPHCS).

Major Duties & Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide comprehensive psychiatric medical care (assessment, consultation, treatment) for a broad range of clinical problems, including but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder, mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders, substance use disorders and other psychiatric disorders found in the Veteran population.
• Provide weekend/evening coverage of the inpatient unit on an infrequent basis.
• Perform psychiatric evaluations for a wide population of patients with mental health symptoms and complex psychosocial issues.
• Participate effectively in team meetings and treatment planning conferences and collaborate with multidisciplinary team members which enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care.
• Ensure that the practice of psychiatric medicine is consistent with Joint Commission, CARF, VA policies and procedures, clinical practice psychiatric guidelines, VISN standards, national statutes and regulations, medical record documentation, mandatory continuing education, and HIPPA policies.
• Conduct history and physical examinations to include mental status examinations, intake assessments, substance use disorders assessments, and suicide risk evaluations.
• Be skilled in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology; The psychiatrist must be able to provide a comprehensive clinical/psychiatric evaluation and summary.
• Deliver care in a variety of modalities to include in-person and virtual care.
• Document patient care in the patient chart via the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS); Training regarding the use of the Computerized Record System will be provided by VAPHCS. All documentation will be completed in accordance with VA policy and procedures.
• Adhere to all quality management performance measures; The psychiatrist will complete clinical reminders and encounters.
• Engage collaboratively with Psychologists, Social Workers, Nurse Practitioners, and other Providers.
• Participates in the training and supervision of Psychiatry Residents, Medical Students, and other Allied Health Professional Trainees.
• Participate in performance improvement activities, physician peer review, and committees as assigned.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized for a Highly Qualified Candidate
CME: Possible $1,100 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): A student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Contact VHA EDRP Program Support VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov
Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus up to $15,000 per year, 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
Telework: Authorized as determined by the agency policy
Travel Required: Not required
Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (standard tour but is negotiable).

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.

Preferred requirement: Board Certified or Board Eligible Psychiatrist

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: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Physical Requirements: Evaluation and treatment of patients with mental health disorders. Working alone. See VA Handbook and Directive 5019.

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.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate 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.