Psychiatrist
About The Position
The Contract Psychiatrist provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services to eligible veterans receiving care through the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) and affiliated Community‑Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). The provider supplements VA Mental Health staff by ensuring timely access to psychiatric care, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, continuity of care, and compliance with VA wait‑time standards. The Contract Psychiatrist shall conduct psychiatric evaluations and diagnostic assessments, develop individualized treatment plans, provide medication management, perform risk and suicide assessments, admit and manage inpatient psychiatric patients, coordinate discharge planning and follow‑up care, see new referrals within VA access standards, provide care to severely mentally ill patients, conduct E‑consult reviews, and provide post‑discharge follow‑up. They are expected to maintain timely documentation in VA EHR (CPRS) with an expected daily workload of approximately 6 – 6.5 bookable clinical hours per day (~6 one‑hour visits or 12 half‑hour visits). Additionally, the provider will interpret diagnostic test results, communicate findings per VHA Directive 1088, provide discharge education, coordinate interdisciplinary care, participate in peer review of selected cases, and participate in mental health emergency scheduling.
Requirements
- Be Board Certified or Board Eligible by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
- Current license to practice medicine in any U.S. State, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia
- Maintain Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Maintain Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or equivalency
- Meet VA credentialing & privileging requirements
- Demonstrate technical proficiency in English
- Maintain CME requirements
Responsibilities
- Conduct psychiatric evaluations and diagnostic assessments
- Develop individualized treatment plans
- Provide medication management
- Perform risk and suicide assessments
- Admit and manage inpatient psychiatric patients
- Coordinate discharge planning and follow‑up care
- See new referrals within VA access standards
- Provide care to severely mentally ill patients
- Conduct E‑consult reviews
- Provide post‑discharge follow‑up
- Maintain timely documentation in VA EHR (CPRS)
- Interpret diagnostic test results
- Communicate findings per VHA Directive 1088
- Provide discharge education
- Coordinate interdisciplinary care
- Participate in peer review of selected cases
- Participate in mental health emergency scheduling
- Attend weekly staff meetings
- Attend monthly Town Hall meetings
- Participate in Quality Improvement initiatives
- Participate in FPPE / OPPE evaluations
- Complete QA / QI documentation
- Report patient safety incidents within 24 hours
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
Number of Employees
101-250 employees
