The Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health (ACOS MH) is responsible for the administrative and complex clinical operations of mental health delivery across all locations (Anchorage, MHRRTP, Fairbanks, Mat Su, Soldotna, Juneau, Homer). Direct reports to the ACOS MH include the chief of psychiatry, chief of psychology, social work service chief, administrative officer, and Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program Chief

Duties

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. 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 In order to ensure high quality care, the chief of mental health is responsible for: Maintaining programming across all mental health programs that is recovery oriented, evidenced based, measurement based, and individually tailored to each Veteran's treatment needs. Responsible for ensuring care is documented within the Mental Health Suite Treatment plan, with measurable objectives and updated on a routine basis. Suicide prevention is a priority of the ACOS MH who ensures Alaska VA Healthcare System (AVAHS) staff receive suicide prevention training as well as promoting strategic community partnerships engaged in suicide awareness, as well as facility wide implementation of suicide prevention initiatives. Responsible for maintaining a high functioning Disruptive Behavior Committee (DBC) as well as a high functioning Employee Threat Assessment Team (ETAT). Both teams promote AVAHS wide safety and improve employee engagement through education (Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior) and action (Orders of Behavior Restrictions, and Threat Assessments). Provides direct and indirect supervision of a variety of professional (Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist) as well as Vocational Rehabilitation Therapists, Social Science Technicians, Addiction Therapists, Peer Support Specialists and administrative staff. Clinical responsibilities 10% of their total time. Performing assessments and evaluations for veterans with a variety of mental health disorders, providing supervision, as appropriate, of trainees conducting direct clinical care, responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center as appropriate and outcome data as appropriate, consulting with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8am - 4:30pm (contingent of service needs)

Requirements

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: Multi-disciplinary leadership experience in comprehensive mental health services Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-2 Physician Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. Mechanical inpatient lifts are provided. The S/He may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations, operative/invasive procedures, or home settings. The S/He may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The S/He must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. The S/He who provides care in home settings or other off-site locations may be required to drive and/or ride in GSA-vehicles.

Education

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. 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.
3. 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.]

Contacts

• Address Anchorage VA Medical Center 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 US
• Name: Michael Lokrantz
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X57331
• Email: [email protected]