Physician- Psychiatrist- Mental Health Program Coordinator

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.

Welcome to Salt Lake City, where the serenity of a mountain getaway meets metropolitan energy. Forget what you think you know; adventure here isn't just on the slopes. Explore art, breweries, music and a vibrant culinary scene, all nestled against breathtaking landscapes. It's a city that challenges expectations, offering a unique blend of wild beauty and urban discovery. Frequently referred to as the "Crossroads of the West," its location is also ideal for longer road trips north to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and south to Utah's Mighty 5.

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

EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for 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 your start date. 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. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact Joshua Titensor at joshua.titensor@va.gov, or 720-723-4819.

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

The VITAL Program Manager is a psychiatry position located within Mental Health Service(MHS) at the George E. Wahlen VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. The Veterans Integration Academic Leadership (VITAL) initiative's mission is to provide world class healthcare for Veterans, support them in making a successful integration into college and university campuses, and aid them in reaching their academic goals. The VITAL Program Manager provides leadership within the healthcare and academic communities, working directly for the Deputy Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health. The duties and responsibilities involve supervision and broad program management of the VITAL Program, an important VASLCHCS-wide service that significantly impacts the health care provided to student Veterans in both "bricks and mortar" and virtual institutions.

Essential Program Management Responsibilities

• As VITAL Program Manager, the incumbent has full and direct responsibility for program management and administrative supervisory responsibilities for the day-to-day functions and activities of the VITAL Program and staff. Decisions made by the Program Manager affect staff and other resources associated with the program and are made while exercising wide latitude and independent judgment.
• The incumbent has responsibility for development of staff competencies and performance plans, as well as promotion of working relationships and an effective treatment team environment. Responsibilities include first line authority/supervision of assigned staff, clinical consultation and guidance, day-to-day program management, and administrative functions that are complex in scope and that constitute a significant programmatic element of the MHS. The VITAL Program employees supervised by the incumbent may include psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors, and peer mentors.
• Provides leadership in facilitating and coordinating the provision of services for student Veterans throughout and beyond the VASLCHCS catchment area. The VITAL program serves as a consultation resource for, and collaborates with, clinical services and programs across the VASLCHCS, including Primary Care, Occupational Therapy, M2VA, Speech and Language, Polytrauma Clinic, Mental Health Service programs, and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics for all concerns related to student Veterans.
• Responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high-quality services to meet the needs of Veterans served.
• Plan, develop, and implement short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with the program's strategic plan.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm

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.

Additional Requirement: The incumbent must be a board-certified or board-eligible Psychiatrist

Preferred Experience:

1. Current or Prior Supervisory Psychiatry Administrative experience within the past 2 years.
2. Works well as a member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team.
3. Demonstrates a high level of practice using evidence-based medicine principles involving patients with complex illness.
4. Excellent customer service skills (internal and external customers).

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

Physical Requirements: This position requires a pre-employment physical. Requires lifting 15-44 pounds; pushing (approx. 2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers and both hands; walking and standing from 3-5 hours and kneeling. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4. Far visions correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other. Must have depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors. Hearing aid is 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.