Psychiatrist

Veterans Health Administration • Bronx, NY

26d

About The Position

The Psychiatrist provides outpatient psychiatric care to veterans through the Outpatient Mental Health Section. The role involves evaluating and diagnosing mental health conditions, developing and monitoring individualized treatment plans, managing psychiatric medications, and providing crisis intervention. The Psychiatrist works with a multidisciplinary Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team and participates in team meetings and case conferences. The position also includes educating patients and families, supervising and mentoring medical residents, and maintaining accurate clinical documentation in accordance with VA policies and regulatory standards. On-call coverage is required as needed for urgent mental health needs outside regular clinic hours.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is available on an ad-hoc basis. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to program eligibility and approval; the maximum award is $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years.

The VA offers competitive salary, annual performance bonuses, regular salary increases, 50–55 days of paid time off per year, federal retirement benefits, federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance, possible CME reimbursement, and free malpractice liability protection with tail coverage. There is no Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or an 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 eligibility for board certification, or an applicable alternative training and independent-practice pathway described in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
• Selected applicants must complete required onboarding and background/security investigation and pass the pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• Must meet the announcement's application and documentation requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as an outpatient psychiatrist treating patients with serious mental illness (SMI), PTSD, and substance abuse.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychiatric evaluations and assessments to diagnose mental health conditions in veterans.
• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized treatment plans, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.
• Provide medication management, including prescribing, monitoring, and adjusting psychiatric medications.
• Provide crisis intervention and immediate care for veterans experiencing acute psychiatric crises.
• Collaborate with psychologists, social workers, nurses, and primary care providers on the multidisciplinary BHIP team.
• Participate in team meetings and case conferences to discuss patient care plans and progress.
• Educate and support patients and their families regarding mental health conditions, treatments, and coping strategies.
• Serve as a clinical educator for medical residents, providing supervision, mentorship, and instructional sessions.
• Maintain accurate and timely medical records, including evaluations, treatment plans, progress notes, and medication management documentation.
• Ensure compliance with VA policies, procedures, and regulatory standards.
• Provide outpatient psychiatric care consistent with the operational hours of the Outpatient Mental Health Section.
• Participate in on-call coverage as required to address urgent mental health needs outside regular clinic hours.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program, with potential award 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 VA contributions up to 5%.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Possible $1,000 per year CME reimbursement for full-time, board-certified physicians.
• Free malpractice 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