Physician (Assistant Chief of Mental Health Acute Services)

Physician (Assistant Chief of Mental Health Acute Services)

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Johnson City, Tennessee

Salary Range: $300000 - $315000 Per Year

Job Summary: The Assistant Chief of MH Acute Services plans, implements, directs, and provides clinical and administrative oversight to MH Acute Services/Inpatient activities, including requirements for staff, budget, equipment, supplies, and the full range of psychiatric services offered to a diverse Veteran population. The incumbent reports directly to the Chief of Acute Services in the Mental Health Service.

Major Duties:

• Duties include, but are not limited to: Plans, implements, and provides clinical and administrative oversight to Inpatient and other Mental Health Service activities, including requirements for staff, budget, equipment, and supplies. Has direct or indirect (through subordinate supervision) administrative, professional, and/or clinical supervision of subordinates. Has programmatic oversight shared responsibility for Acute Service Section within larger Mental Health (MH) Service. Directly responsible for distinct programs within Acute Services/Mental Health, including: Inpatient Mental Health Unit, Consultation and Liaison Service for the Medical Center, Community Living Center Services, and the Emergency Department. Has line and staff authority for resource allocations within the Mental Health Service. Monitors and oversees Fund Control Points, as assigned. Seeks additional resources as warranted, with use of data-driven criteria in support of all requests. Ensures efficient operation for Acute MH Service Programs. Responsibilities include supervision of staff, program management, and administrative responsibilities that are complex in scope and cover a significant portion of the medical center. Scope of service includes: Inpatient Mental Health Unit, Consultation and Liaison Service for the Medical Center, Community Living Center Psychiatric Services, Emergency Department. Specifically, the incumbent has the supervisory responsibilities noted above, with additional responsibilities that include: Management of Human Resource aspects of assigned Acute Services operations, including hiring and disciplinary action, Labor/Management relations, performance appraisals, and professional boarding procedures for psychologists. Decisions are made exercising wide latitude and independent judgment. The incumbent reports to the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health, but largely operates on a day-to-day basis in an independent manner, with full responsibility to keep the supervisor apprised of activities and any issues in need of close collaboration. Responsible for all professional, management, and administrative aspects of the service or organizational entity. May prepare special reports and responses, Congressional responses, briefing papers, issue briefs, and decision papers for the medical center leadership, which may be highly sensitive, confidential, and of a complex nature. Develop policies and procedures and may develop performance standards, position descriptions and functional statements. Monitor the clinical performance of staff, conduct performance appraisals, and perform other clinical and administrative responsibilities to ensure that the mission of the service and the medical center has been satisfied. Other duties as assigned. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Learn more. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN9HREDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance 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 7:45am - 16:30pm or as needed. May require call/weekends/holidays.

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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

How to Apply: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. To apply for this position online, complete steps 1 and 2 above by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/09/2026 to receive consideration. Please note, this announcement may close prior to the closing date indicated if the position is filled through other means. If you are unable to apply online before the closing date click here and include the CBTG-12899953-26-TW in the Notes field. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-09