Physician (Psychiatrist) Medical Director, MH - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive/EDRP Authorized

A full-time, permanent position is available for Medical Director of the Fort Worth Mental Health Clinic in the VA North Texas Health Care System Mental Health Service (VANTHCS MHS) in Fort Worth, TX. This is an in-person position.

This position is also announced as a Podiatrist. Podiatrists should apply to announcement CAZM-12960563-26-RV

The Medical Director of the Fort Worth Mental Health Clinic duties include but are not limited to:

Core responsibilities include leading and coordinating the operations of a multidisciplinary outpatient team with a focus on uninterrupted high-quality care to Veterans. Incumbent monitors and ensures compliance with VANTHCS and mental health policies, regulations, executive orders and management directives. Incumbent will collaborate with other teams and team leaders to improve communication and to ensure ongoing continuity of care for Veterans.

In conjunction with the Clinical Directors and Nurse Manager of this Mental Health Team, the incumbent plans, organizes, and directs administrative, operational, patient and personnel activities for the team. Duties include coordinating interdisciplinary staffing, work assignments, resource allocation as well as direct patient care.

Incumbent should be skilled in providing comprehensive psychiatric medical care (assessment, consultation, treatment). They must be skilled in general outpatient psychiatry, including diagnostic evaluations, pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. They should be competent in the management of individuals with a broad range of clinical problems, including but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder, mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders, substance use disorders and psychiatric disorders in the elderly Veteran population. The incumbent will serve as a collaborative member of a multidisciplinary mental health team. They will provide clinical supervision for health care professionals such as Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialists. They may act as formal collaborating physician for Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners. They will also provide shared administrative supervision for Social Workers, Psychologists, Peer Support, and Nursing staff. Preferred leadership experience of a multi-disciplinary team.

VANTHCS MHS provides a full range of mental health services including general adult psychiatry, geriatrics, psychosomatic medicine, substance abuse sub-specialty services, trauma services, psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery programs, comprehensive homeless programs, peer support services, opiate replacement programs, Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (ICMHR), vocational rehabilitation programs, domiciliary based programs and inpatient services. There is ongoing active research in addiction psychiatry, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, mood disorders, and homelessness. Clinical training programs exist for medical students, psychiatry residents and fellows, clinical psychologists, social workers and nurses. VA North Texas Health Care System has an active relationship with multiple academic affiliates. Staff are encouraged to be involved in Health Profession Trainee education.

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

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified individual.
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): 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. Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

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)
Paid Parental Leave: 12 weeks of paid time off for birth of child, foster care, adoption after required minimum length of service
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)
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 - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

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.

Preferred Experience:

• ABPN or AOBNP board certified or eligible or anticipated eligibility
• Buprenorphine treatment experience
• Significant VA experience
• Administrative psychiatry experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The position requires compliance with VA Handbook and VASTHCS Policy related to physical requirements. Heavy lifting 45 pounds and over, Heavy carrying 45 pounds and over, Straight pulling for 1 hour, Pulling hand over hand for 5 hours, Pushing for 6 hours, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking 6 hours, Standing for 6 hours, Crawling for 1 hour, Kneeling for 1 hour, Repeated bending for 1 hour, Climbing, legs only for 1 hour, Both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Near vision at 13 to 16" Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Both eyes required, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted).

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.