Physician Psychiatrist General Mental Health, Chico VA Clinic, Chico CA

The VA Northern California Health Care System (NCHCS) is currently recruiting for full-time, board eligible/board certified psychiatrists who are value-driven, recovery- and diversity-oriented, and possess energy, compassion, and a pursuit of excellence to join our General Mental Health (GMH) team at the Chico VA Outpatient Clinic. The physician will conduct review of medical history, physical exams, and mental status exams; complete assessments and formulate diagnoses; develop treatment plans; and order labs and/or radiological assessments for a wide variety of mental disorders, through a multidisciplinary team approach. The GMH Psychiatrist is responsible for the medication management of patients as indicated in the treatment plan as well as facilitation of medication support groups, evaluating and providing medical clearance for patients presenting to the clinic who may need psychiatric hospitalization, and assessment and intervention for patients presenting in crisis.

Whether you're interested in academics, research, or a better work/life balance, you'll find the VA has a lot to offer, including the unmatched satisfaction you'll get from caring for those who have served our country.

Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Alternate Tour of duty may be required to include evening hours and weekends.
On-Call: Weeknight and weekend telephone and on-site/virtual on-call duties for either the Behavioral Health Intensive Care Unit (BHICU) at the Sacramento VA Medical Center or Joint Inpatient Mental Health Unit (JIMHU) located at Travis Air Force Base. On-call rotations last one week, can be conducted from home, and are usually Friday-Thursdays, including weekends and holidays. The rotations may include discussion of potential admissions to the inpatient psychiatric unit, evaluating patients requiring seclusion and restraint, evaluating emergent psychiatric consults on the medical/surgical, and rounding on the inpatient psychiatric unit during weekends and holidays. Psychiatrists generally are on-call three to five times per year depending on site.  Must be Board Certified or Board Eligible in Psychiatry

Salary

$280,000 - $320,000 per year

Benefits: 26 days paid vacation (1 day accrued each pay period upon employment); 13 days sick leave (1/2 day accrued each pay period upon employment, no cap); 10 paid Federal holidays/Competitive Salary/Malpractice protection with tail coverage covered by the Federal government/Annual Physician Performance Pay (Up to $15,000 possible)/CME- 1 week paid authorized absence to attend and after 1 year of employment $1,000 per year stipend toward CME if BC/No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

Incentives:  Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) offers up to $200,000 over 5-years, tax-free and/or Recruitment Incentive with minimum 3-year service obligation.

The Department of Veteran Affairs Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS) is an integrated health care delivery system, offering a comprehensive array of medical, surgical, rehabilitative, mental health and extended care to veterans in Northern California. The health system is comprised of a medical center in Sacramento; a rehabilitation and extended care facility in Martinez; outpatient clinics in Martinez, Fairfield, Vallejo, Stockton, Modesto, Sonora, Sacramento (Mather and McClellan Park), Auburn, Yuba City, Redding, Chico, and Yreka; and dental clinics in Vallejo, Sacramento and Redding.

The Chico VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) offers a wide range of medical and ancillary services including primary care, audiology, laboratory services, mental health, otolaryngology (ENT), pharmacy, podiatry, social work, telemedicine and women's health. They also offer dermatology and nutrition services via telemedicine clinics. 

The city of Chico embodies a combination of urban and rural assets that make it a destination place to live work and play.  The universities and colleges make Chico a learning community with a rich culture and young spirit inspiring creativity and critical thinking.  With an average of 172 days of sun, there is plenty of time to enjoy the area’s beautiful natural setting with parks, rivers, and rural settings where you can hike, ski, boat, hunt and fish. Chico is an affordable place to raise your family without compromising on the factors important to your family.  There is a strong school system, well-regarded medical community, and a high level of public safety.  With a 12-minute average commute time, work is not something you go away to – it’s part of your lifestyle!

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 Federal holidays with pay annually
• 5 Days paid absence to attend approved CME courses

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA) Lifetime Healthcare Insurance options available
• Dental & Vision: Our insurance options also include exceptional vision and dental plans (premiums are partially paid by VA)
• VA employees have the option to use Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow you to use tax-free dollars to pay for medical, dental, and vision care expenses that are not reimbursed by your health insurance plan
• Term life insurance, family, and additional coverage options are available with the cost shared by the Federal Government
• Long-term care insurance is available as an option

Federal Retirement Plan:

• VA employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan composed of 1) Social Security benefits, 2) FERS-RAE basic benefits (pension), and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
• How is the pension funded? VA employees automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 12.2% of the employee’s salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 16.6% of the employee’s salary
• Similar to the 401(k) savings plans widely available in the private sector, the TSP allows employees to tax defer a portion of their income each year, subject to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service. For calendar year 2020, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $19,500, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $25,500.
• The Federal Government also provides an automatic basic contribution (1% of salary) and up to 4% of salary in matching contributions, depending on the amount of the employee contribution
• For retired military personnel, these benefits are in addition to full monthly retirement pay or pension
• In addition to FERS, VA provides health care insurance coverage for retired personnel
• Disability Retirement
• Employees are vested in a federal pension after only 5 years service