Clarification from the agency

Must be a U.S. citizen. Candidates should read the entire announcement to ensure they meet all requirements. Candidates may reapply one year after their most recent date of application submission for the same position. Candidates may not apply if a U.S. State Department Suitability Review Panel denied suitability in the last two years for any position, (except if the denial was for a DS Special Agent (SA) candidate whose denial was based solely on the unique requirements for SAs).

The Bureau of Medical Services (MED) in the Department of State safeguards and promotes the health and well-being of the United States' diplomatic community, which consists of employees and their accompanying family members who represent United States government agencies abroad. The Department assigns Foreign Service Medical Specialists Regional Medical Officer Psychiatrists (RMOPs) to selected posts overseas. Many of these posts have significant health risks and local medical care that is inadequate by U.S. standards.

A Regional Medical Officer Psychiatrist (RMOP) works either independently or as a member of a team of Foreign Service Medical Specialists to provide medical and mental health support for USG employees and their Eligible Family Members (EFMs).

An RMOP is considered essential personnel and is expected to be available on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All Medical Specialists working with the Bureau of Medical Services must provide primary care services and counseling to all patients regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, language, disease, disability, or religion.
RMOP duties include but are not limited to:

Clinical Responsibilities
•    Administers mental health care to U.S. embassy personnel, their spouses, and children.
•    Helps employees and family members, including children, with adjustment to post lifestyle and culture.
•    Provides basic child/adolescent outpatient care (percentage is dependent on post).
•    Performs telephone and telehealth video consultations.
•    Arranges 24-hour care.
•    Responds to crises at the home post or regional posts.
•    Advises on mental health prevention strategies.
•    Maintains awareness regarding alcohol and drug abuse at post and provides educational and treatment services.
•    Renders clinical consultations and responds to allegations of domestic violence, child abuse, and child neglect.
•    Provides consultation to other medical staff.
•    Teaches mental health crisis management.
•    Trains locally hired nurses and health unit staff on screening for psychiatric conditions and stress management.
•    Assesses morale at overseas embassies and consulates.
•    Inspects and evaluates medical capabilities of local hospitals, clinics, and clinicians in hazardous or difficult-to-access environments.
•    Provides triage and mental health care remotely using electronic communication methods (telephone, radio, and email).
•    Develops, coordinates, and administers mental health care delivery programs, including interventions for prevention of mental illness, diagnosis and monitoring of psychiatric patients, and treatment services delivered individually and through distant health care providers.
•    Organizes and provides clinical consultation to diverse health care providers with varying levels of expertise, education, and English language proficiency.
•    Cares for patient populations ranging from 40 to 1,000 individuals and works independently as a one-person health unit or with a large multi-disciplinary staff.

Administrative Responsibilities
•    Communicates regularly with the mission community.
•    Maintains medical record documentation on clinical patient care.
•    Uses computer software to provide services.
•    Evaluates local mental health care providers and mental health facilities at posts overseas.
•    Evaluates the availability of local psychiatric medications.
•    Maintains or advises on Health Unit (HU) inventory of medications and oversees controlled substances.
•    Ensures personal continuing medical education.
•    Serves as consultant to embassy post management teams on issues relating to post morale and provides medical input on diplomatic issues as part of the U.S. Mission team.

Embassy or Department-Specific Responsibilities
•    Travels regionally at least 75% of the time to provide mental health support and managerial/leadership consultation for embassies and consulates.
•    Works with non-Department of State agencies.
•    Arranges medical evacuations.
•    Assists the consular section.
•    Liaises with other RMOPs.
•    Ensures emergency preparedness.
•    Advises embassy leadership.
•    Consults at the American (or international) schools.
•    Addresses problems in the embassy workplace.
•    Assists with medical clearances.
•    Engages with local health care officials.
•    Communicates with medical headquarters in Washington.

Conditions of employment

• Be a U.S. citizen and accept assignments based on the needs of the FS.*
• Be able to obtain/maintain a Top-Secret Security Clearance.
• Be able to meet the minimum medical qualification standard.
• Be able to obtain a favorable Suitability Review Panel determination.**
• Be at least 20 years old at application and 21 years old to be appointed.
• Be appointed prior to age 60 (preference eligible veterans excepted).***

Essential Physical Requirements

The most important physical requirements of the job are speaking, hearing, vision, mental endurance, tolerance for extreme environmental conditions, physical endurance, dexterity, and mobility.

RMOPs may need to perform essential functions effectively in environments that pose physical or other occupational challenges. These duties may include:

• Provision of direct patient care that may require heavy lifting, pulling, stooping, bending, and twisting in tight and limited spaces.
• Travelling independently to posts utilizing commercial air carriers or other transportation types and facilities that may be difficult to access.
• Provision of emergency care in any location following an accident, natural disaster, or attack in potentially hostile or physically challenging environments, such as in buildings without elevators or in areas with irregular spaces that require kneeling, bending, stooping, lifting, walking, and running over uneven terrain.
• Transportation of self or patients via small aircraft, helicopters, ambulances, or other non-standard modes of transportation with small entrances and high floors, such as high-axle armored vehicles.
• Assistance with evacuation via land, sea, or air in the event of political unrest.

Qualifications

At the time of application, the candidate must possess education, licensure and board certifications, and specialized experience as indicated in this vacancy announcement.

Licensure and Certification

The candidate must have a current board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). American Board certification and re-certification, state medical licensure, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration must be maintained for the duration of employment. Once hired, the candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a District of Columbia license.

Additional Certifications Upon Hire and During Duration of Career

Valid American Red Cross or American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) certification are required 90 days after hire and must be maintained throughout employment with the Department. If a candidate does not have BLS and ALS certification at the time of hire, MED will provide the course and certification after onboarding.

Specialized Experience

The candidate must have at least three (3) of the last eight (8) years of experience in post-residency adult and/or child and adolescent psychiatry, with at least 50 percent of that time involving direct patient care. Time spent in a psychiatric fellowship following completion of residency will count as post-residency work. If applicable, a psychiatric fellowship certificate must be included when documents are requested.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The Department has conducted extensive job analysis research to determine Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) and other attributes conducive to successful performance in this position. A candidate's education level, work experience, and other qualifications will be considered as part of the hiring decision-making process based on these KSA criteria.

Education, work experience, and other qualifications are evaluated for evidence of the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and other requirements identified as important to successful job performance as a Regional Medical Officer Psychiatrist. Not all attributes need to be met by a candidate; the attributes will be used as a set to evaluate candidates.

Specific medical knowledge areas required by the job include: general psychiatry, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, autism and related disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, other learning disorders, sleep disorders, eating disorders, alcoholism and drug abuse, psychotic disorders, suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder, basic understanding of mental health problems of children/adolescents, violence directed at women/children/elderly, clinical psycho-pharmacology, laboratory medicine, medical aspects of terrorism, health-related environmental factors, basic concepts in organizational psychology, and health insurance.

Specific medical skills required by the job include interviewing, history taking, triage, stress counseling, prescription treatment, providing critical feedback, couples therapy, organizing others, mentoring, medical communication, using medical software, dealing with different cultures, and working with limited resources.

Personal skills required by the job include reading comprehension, active listening, active learning, oral and written communication, public speaking, complex problem identification, critical thinking, judgment and decision making, social perceptiveness, interpersonal skills, persuasion, service orientation, instructing, time management, monitoring, coordination, and process operation and control.

Management skills required by the job include supervision, leadership, teaching others, managing personnel and financial resources, contingency planning and crisis management, organizing and managing events/programs/projects, time management, collaborating, working with limited resources, acclimating to different cultures, and computer use.

Other attributes required by the job include compassion, composure under pressure, self-confidence, firm convictions, independence integrated with the Department, interest in continuous learning and change, interest in Foreign Service work, tolerance of on-call and emergency demands, tolerance of travel, worldwide availability, and tolerance of living away from family. Willingness to deploy to high-threat environments to provide care and consultation to persons under Chief of Mission Authority. Ability to consult with senior leaders, officers, and family members with tact, recognizing the limited role of the physician in a non-medical organizational environment. Ability to work effectively with colleagues from other cultures. Ability to create supportive and effective relationships in overseas environments through successful self-management.

The candidate must be able to integrate clinical, administrative, and management skills to effectively meet the mental health needs of U.S. Foreign Service employees and their eligible family members assigned overseas. Regional Medical Officer Psychiatrists must be skilled and experienced clinicians able to gain the confidence of their patients, co-workers, and supervisors, and capable of working independently in complex and difficult situations.

The candidate must be a skilled and experienced practitioner with excellent interpersonal skills, able to function well within a complex organization, and have experience working in a high-stress environment. The candidate must be able to recognize and treat a wide range of mental health disorders and manage the special challenges of providing care to a diverse population scattered over a large geographical area where local medical and mental health resources may be limited or non-existent. Clinical experience in child/adolescent psychiatry, marital/family therapy, cross-cultural psychiatry, crisis intervention, and substance abuse is desirable. On-the-job training will be provided for some of the skill sets outlined above.

The candidate must be able to provide expert consultation and guidance to Foreign Service Medical Specialists (FSMS) and other medical personnel with varying backgrounds and levels of training.

Candidates with experience in team building, leadership, and management in a multidisciplinary setting are preferred. The candidate must have effective written and oral communication skills and the ability to present findings in a clear and concise manner to both medical and non-medical personnel. Public speaking skills as well as knowledge and hands-on familiarity with computer systems and software are also desirable qualities.

The RMOP's patient population is unique because of background and lifestyle as part of a diplomatic community overseas and includes adult and pediatric patients. This population also differs in terms of clinical and administrative needs and the national security concerns inherent in their employment. Previous experience working in an occupational setting and/or in an overseas setting is advantageous. The successful candidate will understand the challenges of consulting in a non-medical environment.

The candidate must demonstrate a strong command of the English language, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Foreign Service Specialists must meet a consistently high standard for English, both written (overall structure as well as grammar, spelling, and punctuation) and spoken (overall structure as well as delivery, clarity, and succinctness).

Openness to an international career: accepting assignments based on the needs of the Foreign Service and experiencing frequent global travel.

How you will be evaluated

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

The Department of State will evaluate candidates on their total background including experience, education, awards, training, and self-development as it relates to the position. The Department of State will select only from among candidates possessing the best qualifications for this position. Part-time work experience will be prorated.

The Department of State prohibits candidates from plagiarizing any portion of their employment application materials, including responses to questions in which candidates must provide a narrative response. Candidates must create their own responses originally and not copy or adapt them from other sources. The Department analyzes candidate submissions for plagiarism and will discontinue any individual's candidacy if found to have violated this plagiarism policy.

While the Department of State encourages candidates to create their narratives with great care, including correct use of grammar and style, candidates are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence (AI) tool, including but not limited to ChatGPT, to aid in their written responses. The Department will discontinue any individual's candidacy if found to have violated this prohibition on use of AI tools in the application process.

The Department of State reserves the right to cancel and/or disqualify any application or to withhold test results when, in its judgment, a testing irregularity occurs. Testing irregularities include, but are not limited to, candidate misconduct, plagiarism as mentioned above, and/or misrepresentation of material fact, including in narrative descriptions of accomplishments. The Department may verify content provided by candidates by contacting references. It also conducts extensive background checks of work and education history of candidates offered employment.

Candidates are subject to a credential verification process conducted by the Quality Management Staff Unit of the Bureau of Medical Services. This process includes query of the National Practitioner Data Bank and independent verification of state licenses and national certifications. Once hired, medical personnel are indemnified for official duties only through the U.S. Federal Tort Claims Act, so long as they are acting within their scope of work.

Active Bureau of Medical Services clinical privileges, specific to the position, are a condition of employment for all Foreign Service Medical Specialists.