Summary

This Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) position is located at the Garner VA. The incumbent provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care to Veterans.

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
• Additional Requirement: Preferred Experience: Experience in PCMHI
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires mostly periods of continued walking - standing - stooping - sitting - bending - pulling - and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients/residents who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on stakeholder needs.

Duties

• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package
• VHA Physician Total Rewards
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• 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 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Duties: This Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) psychiatrist position is administratively assigned to the Mental & Behavioral Health Service Line
• PCMHI is a component of the interdisciplinary Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)
• The PCMHI psychiatrist functions as a consultant supporting Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and other PACT colleagues to address the mental health needs of the primary care population in an outpatient setting
• Collaborative communication with PCPs and allied PACT colleagues routinely occurs regarding differential diagnosis (psychiatric and medical) - medication management - brief interventions - medical management of Veterans with psychiatric disorders - and referral/liaison with specialty mental health services
• PCMHI psychiatrists may make recommendation to the PCP or initiate treatment and ensure an adequate response
• The PCMHI psychiatrist utilizes a Population-Based Care and Public Health approach - recognizing the PCP as the overall leader of the treatment team and maximizing the reach of services to as many Veterans as possible
• Duties of the PCMHI psychiatrist include (but are not limited to) the following: Collaborates with PCPs and PACT team to support high quality - effective - and coordinated service delivery at the patient and programmatic levels Maintains daily open access slots and encourages same-day warm handoffs within PACT Completes most individual appointments (e.g. - 75%) within 30 minutes Utilizes Measurement Based Care (MBC) in accordance with national PCMHI guidelines Conducts brief (e.g. - 30 minutes or less) - functionally-oriented psychiatric assessments that are targeted to the reason(s) for referral and less extensive than traditional psychiatric evaluations Supports Stepped-Care principles to facilitate \"on-time - on target\" services to Veterans - matching the intensity of services with the level of clinical need Refers Veterans with severe/complex needs to an appropriate mental health program - providing liaison services and/or time-limited care to bridge transitions - if required Shares on-call duties as assigned by service line leadership and maintains readiness to assist with psychiatric emergencies that may arise in the primary care setting Ensures quality of care by successfully completing the national VA PCMHI Competency Training Program (or approved equivalent) and associated ongoing education modules Writes clear - concise - and timely notes optimized for collaboration within PACT (e.g. - MBC - curbside consultation/team care discussion - liaison with specialty care providers) as appropriate Through ongoing consultation - education - and co-management - builds capacity of PACT and PCPs to effectively address mental health needs that can be managed as part of routine primary care - with emphasis on prevention - early identification - and early treatment efforts Provides clinical oversight and consultation as a required component of PCMHI Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) - dedicating appropriate time each week (one to three hours per care manager) for case discussion - panel review/monitoring - and recommendations for collaborative management with the PCP (e.g. - needed laboratory testing - medication adjustment - referral - behavioral intervention - etc.) Maintains readiness to assist with urgent/emergent situations that may develop within PCMHI CoCM or other PACT workflow Tolerates interruptions - demonstrates flexibility and adaptability - and maintains availability for ad hoc team discussion - curbside consults - or warm hand offs - as needed Engages in PACT huddles and meetings to cultivate optimal team functioning and serve as a subject matter expert for psychiatric considerations - biological bases of behavior - and the interplay of mental and medical conditions Works collaboratively with other team members in PCMHI to ensure high quality - effective - Veteran-centered services at the patient and programmatic levels