Behavioral Health Consult & Liaison Psychiatrist

Summary

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.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact , 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) 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 Work Schedule: To be determined by your supervisor. The Behavioral Health Consult and Liaison Psychiatrist provides consultative care to medical inpatients, emergency department patients and other populations as needed. In addition to patient care, the psychiatrist may have responsibilities in other areas, such as administration, education, research and providing cross coverage to 2E inpatient psychiatric service and LVR3 residential service when needed. Major functions of this position include: Administrative duties for all staff psychiatrists: Physicians are expected to participate in assuring compliance with clinical practice guidelines and to work collaboratively with others, to create a system to promote state-of-the-art acute, chronic and preventative mental health care and to keep abreast of changes as appropriate. Psychiatrist is expected to attend and participate in staff meetings, the peer review process, as well as maintain VA training requirements and completion of documentation and upkeep of credentials required for privileging. Staff who are involved in teaching programs and research are responsible to provide an environment supportive of education, training and research. Clinical Duties: The primary role of the Consult and Liaison Psychiatrist is to provide consultative care on the medical floor and emergency room. The incumbent should have expertise in direct patient care and academic teaching. Primary practice areas range from delirium, medically induced psychiatric symptoms to primary psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, PTSD, schizophrenia and substance abuse. The position may include patient care in the following areas: 1. Medical/Surgical Inpatient 2. Mental Health Inpatient 3. LVR3 4. Emergency room 5. Palliative care service 6. Other areas as clinically indicated The Consultation and Liaison Psychiatrist advises the prescribing medical providers on appropriate medication and other treatment strategies, also providing the care team with educational support and diagnosis and managing behavioral health conditions. The Consultation and Liaison Psychiatrist works with an interdisciplinary team and inter- professional team, including medical providers, nursing, pharmacy, care managers/coordinators, behavioral health clinicians (social work, psychology, etc.). The incumbent also provides supervision to rotating residents and medical students from affiliated programs. The consultation and liaison psychiatrist works closely with 2E Inpatient service team to facilitate transfers from the Medical floor/ER to inpatient service. The Consultation and Liaison Psychiatrist provides cross-coverage for 2E and LVR3 programs as needed.

Requirements

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. 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 identification 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Education

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: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for the year in which the degree was granted. 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.