Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.

Videos

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package.

The program director has been granted 50 percent of protected time for Physician Assistant Mental Health Residency Program (PA MHR) administrative duties. The PA MHR program director is responsible for providing a learning experience that expands upon basic mental health training of PAs. Incumbent will organize, supervise, and teach entry level PA students for MH clinical rotations. They must provide education that broadens the depth and breadth of knowledge in the specialty of mental health while complying with OAA and facility policies and meets the national accreditation standards for PA MHR.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide subject matter knowledge and expertise to identify competencies and skillsets required by the PA in the specialty of psychiatry.
• Define and apply Physician Assistant Mental Health Residency Program (PA MHR) goals and objectives that align with Veterans Affairs (VA), VAMC Chillicothe, the national accreditation body, and OAA's mission, vision, and core values.
• Sustain collaborative relationships within and outside the facility to ensure PA trainees advance and gain clinical experience and responsibility in accordance with Physician Assistant Mental Health Rehabilitation (PA MHR) goals and objectives.
• Regularly assess training to determine quality of educational experience and to review available resources to achieve maximal benefit from all components of the program.
• Collaborates with PA MHR medical director to determine and conduct mental health topics for PA didactics.
• Organize training strategies that contain content blueprint information as established by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Certificate of Added Qualification in Psychiatry.
• Recruit PA's for the Physician Assistant Mental Health Rehabilitation (PA MHR) by collaborating with local and national entry-level PA programs and through other avenues when available.
• Select candidates in accordance to the PA MHR goals and objectives that meet or exceed VA and OAA requirements for Stipend trainees.
• Assess PA trainee performance by evaluating attainment of necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes throughout the training period on a regular basis and by methods described and established at the beginning of training.
• Conduct remediation of problematic performance that follows the residency's due process and grievance procedures and policies which are provided to the residents at the start of the residency.
• Initiate and supervise the on-boarding and off-boarding of trainees in accordance with OAA, Academic Affairs and Human Resources procedures
• Attend all facility Graduate Medical Education committee and Affiliation Partnership Committee meetings.
• Assist the PA in finding employment opportunities within the VHA system after training completion by available means such as national health recruiter, USAJobs, or announcements on the VHA PA Forum or direct hire at the facility.
• Align V (PA MHR) goals and objectives to meet postgraduate accreditation standards established by an accreditation body such as Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.
• Provide documentation that verifies the PA completed all medical education training at the end of program year.
• Educate PA trainees in telehealth services as authorized by VHA and facility.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Telework: Ad-hoc telework available as determined by the need of the agency.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorize.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
.Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Conditions of employment

• All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Physician Assistant Basic Requirements

• Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~
• Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~
• Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia.

Preferred Experience: Experience as a PA in the specialty of psychiatry; conducts mental health topics for PA didactics. Supervision of associated health trainees, with a focus on supervision from the educational perspective.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Experience: PA Residency Program Directors require five years of experience, which include educational assignments, such as proctoring PAs or medical students, setting up continuing medical education for local VHA PAs or participating in community health events; serving as a PA director or assistant in a VHA residency program or stipend program; or serving as a member or staff of an academic PA program.
PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-IV:

• Ability to develop and update VA PA clinical rotation guidelines within each clinical specialty to ensure students and preceptors understand the responsibilities prior to and upon completion of each clinical rotation.
• Skills to maintain student evaluations and oversee changes that facilitate continuous enhancements and improvements of PA trainee clinical experiences.
• Ability to give quality systematic feedback to the practitioner within a broad range of medical and surgical experiences that meets ARC-PA and affiliated institutional standards.
• Ability to support trainees to allow open and ongoing feedback regarding collaborating practitioner, the training program, and VA site as a method of continuous improvement.
• Skill to properly record and maintain established affiliation agreements and subsequent supporting documents required for VA clinical training programs.
• Skill to maintain close relationships and open and ongoing communication with academic affiliates PA program directors and clinical coordinators participating in the PA trainee program.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-8 Physician Assistant Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

The full performance level of this vacancy is IV. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is IV.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to perform administrative work. However, other position duties include physical requirements which include but not limited to, moderate periods of walking; standing; bending; crouching, reaching and lifting of a variety of moderately heavy items, carrying of light items such as papers, books, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.