Psychiatrist - Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRPT) Program Manager

Summary The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System is seeking a highly experienced Psychiatrist Program Coordinator to serve as the Behavioral Health Program Manager for the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH-RRTP). The incumbents will serve as either the Manager or Assistant Manager providing clinical leadership, administrative oversight and operational management for Veterans with serious mental illness, SUDs, PTSD, and other behavioral health conditions. Learn more about this agency Duties VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be 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 The Behavioral Health Program Manager provides clinical leadership, administrative oversight, and operational management of the MH-RRTP. The Program Manager collaborates with the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health (ACOS/MH), service line leadership, and interdisciplinary teams to ensure delivery of high-quality, Veteran-centered, recovery-oriented care consistent with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) national priorities.The position requires strong leadership skills, operational management expertise, and experience supervising interdisciplinary staff in a complex healthcare environment. Major duties include but are not limited to: Program Leadership: Provides leadership and oversight for assigned Behavioral Health programs to ensure alignment with: VHA Mental Health policies and directives VISN operational priorities Joint Commission accreditation standards Whole Health and recovery-oriented care principles Leads program development, strategic planning, and implementation of initiatives that improve Veteran outcomes and access to care. Supervisory Responsibilities: Provides leadership and supervision to interdisciplinary staff including: Registered Nurses Social Workers Psychologists Nurse Practitioners Psychiatrists Other behavioral health staff Responsibilities include: staff scheduling and coverage planning mentoring and professional development participation in recruitment and onboarding performance management and evaluation input Promotes a collaborative, interdisciplinary culture focused on Veteran-centered care. Operational Oversight Monitors program performance and ensures compliance with VHA policies, regulatory requirements, and accreditation standards. Responsibilities include oversight of: access to care metrics clinic utilization and productivity workload capture and labor mapping patient safety and incident review staffing models and operational efficiency Coordinates with service line leadership to address operational challenges and implement improvements. Interdisciplinary Collaboration Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders including: Behavioral Health Service Line leadership Medical Service leadership Primary Care Mental Health Integration programs Community partners and referral sources VISN-level program leaders Ensures effective coordination of care across services and supports continuity of care of Veterans. Crisis Response and Operational Support Provides leadership support during operational challenges including: emergent patient safety events staffing shortages or coverage issues incident investigations and corrective actions Assists Mental Health leadership in maintaining safe and effective program operations. Quality Management and Performance Improvement: Leads quality improvement initiatives to enhance clinical outcomes and patient experience. Responsibilities include: monitoring quality indicators and performance metrics supporting accreditation readiness implementing corrective action plans when necessary participating in facility quality and safety committees Promotes a culture of continuous improvements and patient safety. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Requirements Conditions of employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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. Preferred Experience: Experience in Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (RRTP) or other 24/7 residential or inpatient behavioral health settings. Demonstrated experience providing supervisory or lead-level oversight of interdisciplinary staff in a mental health program. Experience with high-acuity populations, including Veterans with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, PTSD, and co-occurring conditions. Working knowledge of VHA Mental Health Services, residential care requirements, and Joint Commission Behavioral Health standards. Experience supporting staff scheduling, workload management, and coverage planning in a 24/7 environment. Familiarity with workload capture, productivity principles, and labor mapping. Experience with quality management, performance improvement, and accreditation readiness. Ability to respond to emergent operational and patient safety issues and support incident follow-up. Experience collaborating with Program Managers, Service Chiefs, HR and interdisciplinary teams. Measurement-based care and evidence-based mental health treatment. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15lbs), light carrying (under 15lbs), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, walking (1hr), standing (1hr), repeatedly bending (1hr), operation of crane, truck tractor or motor vehicle, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, depth perception, and hearing (aid permitted). Workload Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. Education Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.] NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area. Additional information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.