The Assistant Chief of Mental Health Service is directly responsible for the management, functioning, and coordination of patient care services throughout all areas of the medical center where Mental Health Service (MHS) staff are assigned. They work collaboratively with the Chief, MHS and other service line administrative personnel to develop, evaluate and maintain effective mental health services and programming throughout the medical center and in selected community-based settings.

Duties

Duties and Responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to the following: Provides leadership, guidance, and coordination of multidisciplinary staff to ensure the provision of comprehensive and quality services to meet the needs of Veterans served. Develops, implements, and evaluates operational policies, clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services. Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional staff concerning the need for the development of mental health services. Oversees all operational aspects of the Mental Health Service including hiring, business operations, strategic planning, development and implementation of policies and procedures, and budget management, and exercises a very wide latitude of independent judgment in these duties. Develops and maintains close liaison with other service chiefs and facility Executive Leadership. Serves as Coordinator of the MHS Performance Improvement Program. In this capacity, the incumbent works closely with the medical center's Quality Management (QM) Manager and functions as the liaison between the QM Office and MHS. Provides information and direction to MHS staff regarding performance improvement and accreditation (Joint Commission and CARF) issues, assists in MHS preparation for accreditation visits, and provides timely, thorough, and accurate performance improvement reports to the MHS Chief. Provides information and direction to MHS staff regarding performance improvement and accreditation (Joint Commission and CARF) issues, assists in MHS preparation for accreditation visits, and provides timely, thorough, and accurate performance improvement reports to the MHS Chief. Uses VHA data (SAIL, EPRP, Power Bi, etc.) to inform decisions for treatment programming. Provides leadership in hiring of new staff members for each program, which may include constructing job announcement(s), preparing functional statements or position descriptions, rating applications, interviewing, and selecting final job candidates. Deploys resources within programs, based on a data-driven decision-making process with consideration given to the overall needs of the organization and Service Line (e.g., productivity, clinic utilization, staffing needs, barriers to access, etc.).Serves on decision-making committees and task forces at the medical center. Represents the medical center and VISN 6 at professional and community events and committees, in conferences and meetings with higher-ranking managers, supervisors, and staff from other disciplines or work units, and with representatives of local public interest groups, congressional district offices, and employees of State and local governments. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) 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 Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30AM-4:00PM Telework: Ad-hoc; at discretion of Service Chief Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The approving official may authorize a waiver of the requirement for ACEN or CCNE accreditation of any degree in nursing provided the college or university has regional accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the Department of Education at the time of the candidate's graduation and the composite qualifications of the applicant warrant such consideration. In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6) OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Nurse IV - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 4-5 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and appropriate basic or advanced certification desired, and approximately 3-4 years of nursing practice/experience. Nurse V - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN (or a Bachelor's degree in a related field) and approximately 5-6 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree (preferred) in nursing or related field and appropriate basic or advanced certification desired, and approximately 4-5 years of nursing practice/experience. Note regarding MSN degrees: If your MSN was obtained via a Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration, a BSN is not required. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: In accordance with VA Handbook 5019, Part II, Paragraph 3, II-1, 1(a), A pre-placement physical examination to determine the physical, cognitive and emotional fitness of candidates for appointment in VA is required, and shall be completed prior to appointment, for all full-time individuals appointed under 38 U.S.C., Chapter 73, for Title 38

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Road Asheville, NC 28805 US
• Name: Angela Setzer
• Phone: 828-318-9844
• Email: [email protected]