Psychiatrist

Quick Facts

• Role: Psychiatrist (core member of a multidisciplinary mental health team)
• Setting: Inpatient and outpatient mental health programs
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–4:30 pm (subject to change)

Description

The Psychiatrist provides comprehensive psychiatric services to Veterans, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and coordination of care across acute, chronic, and complex mental health conditions in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Responsibilities include conducting psychiatric evaluations, delivering pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments, managing psychiatric emergencies, and facilitating transitions of care. The role also requires timely, accurate clinical documentation in the electronic health record and collaboration with an interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and develop diagnostic assessments and treatment plans
• Provide ongoing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment, including stabilization of complex presentations
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, case conferences, and care coordination
• Prescribe for assigned Veterans and collaborate with psychologists, social workers, nurses, peer support specialists, pharmacists, and other professionals
• Assess and manage psychiatric emergencies (e.g., suicide risk, homicide risk, behavioral disturbances)
• Facilitate inpatient-to-outpatient transitions of care with follow-up planning and medication reconciliation
• Document care in the electronic health record per VA policy and professional standards
• Provide clinical consultation to mental health and other medical teams as needed
• Support measurement-based care, population health initiatives, and performance improvement activities

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship (non-citizens only if qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy)
• Full, unrestricted license to practice medicine
• Completion of approved residency training leading to board certification eligibility (or other VA-approved pathways)
• Proficiency in written and spoken English
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Meet VA employment conditions, including required onboarding and pre-employment physical evaluation
• Selective Service registration for eligible males
• Ability to perform essential functions physically and mentally (with or without reasonable accommodation)

Benefits

• Competitive salary and annual performance bonus, plus regular salary increases
• Paid time off: 50–55 days/year (annual leave, sick leave, federal holidays, and possible CME-related paid absence)
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K (up to 5% employer contribution)
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care
• Malpractice coverage with tail coverage provided
• CME reimbursement possible (up to $1,000/year; requires full-time work and board certification)
• Incentives: Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) may be available; sign-on/relocation incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates
• Contract: no physician employment contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting