This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. The Primary Care Mental Health Integration Physician Assistant is a co-located, collaborative care behavioral health provider who serves as a member of the primary care clinic's multi-disciplinary health care teams, and delivers direct care and consultation-based services to Veterans, primary care providers, and allied Patient Aligned Care Team members to manage the overall health of the enrolled population. Duties include but are not limited to: Clinical/Practice Management: Applies principles of population-based care (e.g., early identification and intervention, evidence-based treatment, measurement-based care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and coordination) and stepped care (i.e., delivery of most effective, least resource intensive treatment appropriate for patients' individual needs, preferences, and resources). Accepts warm handoffs and referrals from PACT members, and triages, assesses, and refers to specialty behavioral health care services appropriately and efficiently. Conducts functional assessments and provides time-limited, problem-focused interventions targeting functional outcomes for a broad range of behavioral health and behavioral medicine concerns. These include initiation and short-term maintenance of medication management, as well as evidence-based behavioral interventions, self-management strategies, and psychoeducational groups as consistent with education and training. Uses brief assessment measures routinely to assist in intervention planning and outcomes monitoring. Maintains availability for telehealth and face-to-face visits. Maintains daily open access slots. Maintains availability for scheduled appointments within two weeks. Completes 80% of visits in 30 minutes or less. Documentation: Writes assessment and intervention notes that are brief, clear, and concise, and that document clinical impressions, recommendations, and plan of care. Writes notes documenting curbside consultation results. Completes notes within 24 hours. Consultation: Consults with primary care providers and other PACT members routinely about plan of care for patients. This includes supporting primary care providers in their pharmacological management of behavioral health and behavioral medicine concerns, either directly or by supervision of PCMHI care management. Routinely provides verbal and/or written feedback to the primary care provider and other PACT members on same day as warm handoff or referral. Attends regularly scheduled PACT meetings and huddles and provides curbside consultations and chart-based consultations on an as-needed basis. Provides general education and consultation to PACT members on behavioral health issues and strategies for successful care management. Serves as a liaison between PACT team members and mental health providers working with PACT patients who are receiving services in general and specialty mental health clinics. Provides ongoing training, supervision, and backup for PCMHI care management, including regularly scheduled meetings to discuss patients receiving care management services. Also maintains ready availability for consultation in urgent situations that may develop during care management visits. Administration: Participates in clinical program development, which may include community outreach involving partnering with local universities, community colleges, and other agencies to improve the delivery of mental health services and increase utilization. Is accountable for clinical program effectiveness, utilizing outcome evaluations to inform the design and implementation of program and system-level changes. Evaluates their own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, consultation, and other appropriate means. Abides by applicable medical staff bylaws and participates accordingly. Keeps thorough and complete records of clinical encounters with Veterans in the computerized record system (CPRS) and completes documentation in a timely manner and in accord with governing regulations. Provides other services and duties as assigned by their supervisor and/or the Chief of the Mental Health Service. Teaching and Training: Teaches and mentors staff and students in their area of practice and provides supervision for licensure or specialty certifications. Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Provides Veterans and their families with accurate information according to established policies and procedures. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available. Telework: Available up to 2 days per week. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: 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. Physician Assistant Basic Requirements Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level PA. This practice may include, but is not limited to: Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. Ability to perform patient history and physical. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) Experience and Education. The PA at this grade is at the intermediate grade level and has had progressively increasing responsibility and experiences as indicated in the KSAs listed below. Individuals will have demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve more complex medical problems than at the entry level grade and can utilize their training in the successful practice of patient care and participate in team problem solving. Individuals demonstrate the KSAs of PA-II intermediate level by: Two years of successful practice as a PA. OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency. OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-II: Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education. PAs at the PA-III grade are at the full performance level and lead and organize patient care independently, practice within multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinate all aspects of patient care across the health care system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgment in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentors for transitioning PAs, and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate the KSAs for the full performance level by: Three years of successful practice as a PA. OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency and one year of professional practice as a PA. OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-III: Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. Preferred Experience: Providing behavioral health services with adult populations. Providing behavioral health services through telehealth modalities. Working as a member of a collaborative multidisciplinary care team. Implementing evidence-based assessment and intervention practices. Providing behavioral health services in Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) or similar setting. At least two years of post-licensure professional experience. Prescriptive authority in state of licensure. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-8 Physician Assistant Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is PA-III. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA-I to PA-III. Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustments.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Fayetteville AR VA Medical Center 1100 North College Avenue Fayetteville, AR 72703 US
• Name: Trudy Begay
• Phone: 505-222-7648
• Email: [email protected]