Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens

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THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION

The Assistant Chief of Psychiatry Service provides administrative, clinical, and programmatic leadership to ensure achievement of the Medical Center's clinical and educational goals related to Psychiatry Service at all sites of care within the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center (BCVAMC) Health Care Delivery System; serves as a key clinical resource for the Medical Center Director and the Chief of Staff.

Provides administrative and clinical support to the department and agency; working with leadership and other champions to improve processes to meet the performance measure goals and improve utilization management; serving as a liaison to outside facilities when to coordinate inpatient discharges and share MH care; supervising a wide variety of professional staff; serving on a broad spectrum of Medical Center committees and working groups; providing hands-on clinical work; and providing oversight and administration of all aspects of patient care including any guidance and training for residents and other trainees. The incumbent is directly accountable to the Chief of Psychiatry Service and Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health (ACOS-MH) for clinical program activities and overall compliance. This includes, but is not limited to the following, along with other duties as assigned:

Clinical Work: Provides direct patient care on a rotational basis and clinical oversight in:

• Mental Health Clinics, Residential units, and Inpatient Mental Health
• Other specialty areas where qualified to provide clinical patient care, including but not limited to SUD-C and PCT clinical areas.

Service Administration:

• Plans the provision of services with a patient-centered vision (in alignment with VHA guidelines and policies) to enhance patient education and shared decision making.
• Establishes a customer-oriented culture and promotes the hiring of persons who demonstrate the VA's ICARE values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence.

Quality Improvement

• Serves as a Mental Health leader for quality improvement initiatives and utilization management related to Psychiatry Service.
• Plans, coordinates and ensures high quality care through utilization of multiple quality measurement tools.
• Improves patient outcomes through the implantation of strategies such as clinical practice guidelines and critical pathways, health risk assessments, provider profiling, use of electronic medical records and clinical reminders, and case management.

Research and Education

• Encourages continuing education for all personnel and ensures compliance with performance standards.
• Creates a climate where continuous learning and professional development is valued.

Budget and Fiscal Management

• Under the direction of the Chief of Psychiatry Service, collaborates with the service Program Managers in the development and execution of the department's strategic and business plan.
• Collaborates with other Medical Center leaders to develop initiatives and programs in order to ensure coordination of service, reduction of redundancies, and enhancement of cost effectiveness, efficiency and overall productivity.

Organizational Stewardship

• Manages relationships with academic affiliates and supporting services to maximize efficiency and drive highly reliable operations.
• Provides a clear vision of the future and leads the services through necessary changes.
• Demonstrates core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. Is guided by accountability and transparency.

Team Building

• Develops a team that is technically competent and understand the interrelationships of all the Medical Center services in achieving the mission.

Human Resources Management

• Responsible for assuring appropriate action in such matters as promotion, selections, rewards and recognition, training, and problem resolution.
• Responsible for development and implementation of competencies, providing opportunities for continuing education, peer review, career development and professional enrichment for subordinate employees.

Communications

• Demonstrates leadership in addressing ethical issues that impact clients and staff in/or beyond the organization/local health care community.
• Develops a network of communication systems to ensure the availability of consultative or technical advice to meet the needs of the organization.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).

Qualifications

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.

Preferred Experience: Board certification is preferred.

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

Physical Requirements: Physical qualifications required the ability to stand, walk, bend, and move freely. Must be able to utilize good body mechanics in lifting or restraining patients. Must have good hearing, eyesight, and physical dexterity. Must be clean and neat in appearance. Must be emotional stable and cooperative. Work is accomplished predominantly in an administrative setting. The clinical surroundings involve working with the acute and chronically physically and mentally ill patients, which may cause discomfort related to negative verbal and physical activities from these patients. Position requires periodic travel from the Medical Center its four Community Based Outreach Centers. Position also may require minimal travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who provide assistance and support to the facility and its Veterans. This position requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as, preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and/or fingers. Work involves regular and recurring exposure to infection and contagious diseases. Infection Control Standard Precautions are required as safety precautions, such as hand hygiene, gloves, gowns or masks, which may be required for personal protective equipment and to promote a safe environment.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other 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.

Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.