Physician - Psychiatrist (Sign-On Bonus Eligible)

Veterans Health Administration • Fairfield, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The VA Northern California Health Care System is recruiting full-time, board-eligible or board-certified psychiatrists for its Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary (BHIP) teams at locations across northern California. This is an on-site position; remote or routine telework options are not available. The role is intended for value-driven, recovery-oriented physicians with energy, compassion, and a commitment to excellence.

The BHIP Psychiatrist works with a multidisciplinary team to review medical histories, conduct physical and mental status examinations, complete assessments, formulate diagnoses, develop treatment plans, and order laboratory or radiological assessments for a wide variety of mental disorders. The psychiatrist manages medications as indicated in treatment plans, facilitates medication support groups, provides medical clearance for patients who may require psychiatric hospitalization, and assesses and intervenes with patients in crisis.

The position includes weeknight and weekend telephone and on-site or virtual on-call duties for the Behavioral Health Intensive Care Unit at the Sacramento VA Medical Center. On-call rotations last one week, usually Friday through Thursday, may be conducted from home, and include weekends and holidays. Duties may include discussing potential inpatient psychiatric admissions, evaluating patients requiring seclusion or restraint and emergent psychiatric consults on medical or surgical units, and rounding on the inpatient psychiatric unit during weekends and holidays. Psychiatrists are generally on call three to five times per year.

The position is full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with on-call responsibilities as described. Recruitment or relocation incentives are authorized for eligible candidates, and a student loan repayment program may provide up to $200,000, subject to program eligibility and approval. The announcement is open continuously until December 21, 2026; eligible applications are initially referred beginning October 26, 2026, with subsequent referral cutoffs every five days. A contract buyout program may be available only for the Redding Outpatient Clinic location, subject to eligibility and an obligated service period.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from an appropriately approved or accredited institution.
• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Completion of residency training in an approved accredited core specialty training program leading to board-certification eligibility, or an applicable qualifying alternative pathway described in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy.
• Complete required pre-placement TB testing and immunization evaluations.
• Meet applicable onboarding, background/security investigation, and other pre-employment requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Board eligibility or board certification in psychiatry.

Responsibilities

• Review patients' medical histories and conduct physical and mental status examinations.
• Complete assessments and formulate diagnoses for a wide variety of mental disorders.
• Develop treatment plans and order laboratory and/or radiological assessments.
• Manage patients' medications as indicated in their treatment plans.
• Facilitate medication support groups.
• Evaluate patients presenting to the clinic who may need psychiatric hospitalization and provide medical clearance.
• Assess and intervene with patients presenting in crisis.
• Participate in weeknight and weekend on-call rotations for the Behavioral Health Intensive Care Unit.
• Discuss potential admissions to the inpatient psychiatric unit.
• Evaluate patients requiring seclusion or restraint and evaluate emergent psychiatric consults on medical or surgical units.
• Round on the inpatient psychiatric unit during weekends and holidays.

Benefits

• Recruitment/relocation incentive (sign-on bonus) may be authorized for eligible candidates.
• Education Debt Reduction Program student loan reimbursement of up to $200,000, subject to eligibility and approval.
• Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, and regular salary increases.
• 50–55 days of paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, federal holidays, and possible paid CME absence.
• Traditional federal pension and federal 401(k), with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Possible CME reimbursement of up to $1,000 per year for full-time physicians with board certification.
• Free liability protection with tail coverage.
• No physician employment contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree