Psychiatrist - Outpatient BHIP

In-Person Outpatient BHIP Psychiatry Position with Pittsburgh VA Medical Centers (Pittsburgh, PA)

Come join our innovative team and enjoy the full range of federal government benefits. Among the most innovative and forward-looking in the nation, the VA in Pittsburgh provides exceptional healthcare to our nation’s Veterans, trains America’s future healthcare providers, and conducts research that contributes to medical advancements. The VA offers incredible work-life balance with a generous benefits package including a multi-tiered retirement system (VA contributes 16.6% to pension and 5% match to a 401k plan), heath/vision/dental insurance, performance pay, and up to 55 days of paid leave per year.

The Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System is seeking motivated psychiatrists to serve our Veterans in-person in the Outpatient BHIP specialty. The Pittsburgh VA staff enjoy a collaborative team environment, opportunities for research/academia and advancement, and an unmatched quality of life. You will work with a dedicated team who provide the highest quality of care to our Veterans.  

Major Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Provides a full range of psychiatric services, diagnoses behavioral disorders particularly for complex or unusually difficult Veterans.
• Same Day Access-Assessing veterans who may require SUD treatment and are referred to the Same Day Access Clinic from within or outside the Behavioral Health Service Line.
• ER consultation-assisting in the emergency department setting for providing treatment and/or assessing levels of care for SUD treatment.
• BHIP level of care, Will carry a panel of dual diagnosis veterans who do not meet criteria for specialty SUD care. Will work with the FLOW model to ensure veterans are moved between levels of care seamlessly.
• Develops, implements and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of Veterans, including prompt completion of clinical reminders.
• Functions independently as a member of the Behavioral Health and VA Pittsburgh Medical Center, with full clinical privileges. Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessments and findings, Veteran care decisions and documentation.
• Provides outreach services to Veterans and their families as needed and/or required.
• Facilitates liaisons with other medical programs in order to effectively coordinate services.
• Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the ACOS of Behavioral Health or higher-level staff members. Attends regular team and Behavioral Health staff meetings.
• Provides clinical supervision and instruction for psychiatry residents and fellows as needed. Serves as a mentor for junior and new hire psychiatrists.
• Works cohesively with Behavioral Health staff to assure that all aspects of the Behavioral Health Service are functioning optimally. This includes strategic planning, setting operational priorities and deployment of resources, engaging in quality improvement, performance measure outcomes, and encouraging and improving team-oriented care for Veterans.

Benefits Overview:

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Reimbursement): Up to $200,000
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

Pittsburgh Highlights:

• Family-friendly city with low cost of living and affordable housing in green, beautiful neighborhoods
• Abundant historical/cultural sites and events including the Carnegie Museums (Art, Natural History, Science, and Andy Warhol), a multitude of other visual/performing arts institutions, and a lively music scene featuring local, national, and international stars. 
• Plenty of outdoor activities with green parks for hiking/biking (Schenley Park, Frick Park, and Highland Park) and rivers for canoeing and kayaking.
• If you are a sports fan, Pittsburgh is home to the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates professional teams.  

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

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is an integrated healthcare system that proudly serves the Veteran population throughout the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. It is our mission to care for America’s Veterans and provide them with excellent health care.

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System consists of three divisions: a major medical and surgical tertiary care facility, a behavioral health facility, and a community living center and a Veterans recovery center, all complemented by five community based outpatient clinics.

The city of Pittsburgh has been repeatedly ranked as the most livable US city by such publications as The Economist, Places Rated Almanac, and Forbes Magazine. The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System offers a unique opportunity to practice in a leading US medical community within an affordable and thriving city.