Chief Physician Mental Health

Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, 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. Responsibilities This is an open continuous announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. Applications will remain on file until September 30, 2026. The Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) of Mental Health is responsible for defining the mission and vision of the Mental Health program, developing the scope of practice for employees assigned, designing plan of care, and assuring implementation of quality improvement measures. The incumbent is responsible for developing, planning, clarifying, administering, and managing the Mental Health Service Line at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System (RHJVAHCS). The ACOS of Mental Health designates service priorities and objectives, supervises programs including (Inpatient, Outpatient, Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs, and Mental Health in the Community Based Outpatient Clinics) and supervises and evaluates performance of staff assigned to those programs. The ACOS of Mental Health makes independent, professional decisions and recommendations with infrequent recourse to supervisory guidance. Maintain interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals. Service Chiefs coordinate and negotiate resolutions to complex problems. Ensure policies or issues have been fully coordinated, vetted, and staffed. Advise leadership entities, including Executive Leadership, on policy implications, key issues, and relationships to both internal and external interest groups, and recommend courses of action. Responsible for all professional, management, and administrative aspects of the service. Supervision and resource management involve major decisions, and work activities and supervision significantly affect the ability of staff to provide comprehensive services to Veterans. Represents Mental Health Service Line on decision-making committees at the medical center. Represents the medical center at professional/program community groups/events and committees. Responsible for coordination of a mental health response in the event of critical occurrences of violence at the facility, disasters, and/or mass casualty occurrences. Develops responses to controlled correspondence at the Medical Center, VISN, and VACO levels, inclusive of responding to elected representatives and the OIG Hotline concerning patient care and other matters of public interest. Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs using data-driven quality assurance processes Authority for resource allocations within the area of responsibility and ensures the efficient operation of the organizational unit. Possess broad and overall responsibility for the service-level department and full responsibility for clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management and supervision for the service, as appropriate. Provide leadership with objective, independent assessments and recommendations for policy, operational and administrative issues and initiatives requiring decision and action. Autonomously manage substantive parts of specialized, complex, professional services which significantly impact the care provided to Veterans. Consults with and serves as a resource for other service lines and facility leadership concerning the need for the development of mental health services. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more. 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: Monday- Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm (Subject to change based on agency needs). Requirements 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. 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 (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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the

Created: 2025-12-05