Addiction Psychiatrist

The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center located in Augusta, GA is searching for a BC/BE Addiction Psychiatrist to join their dynamic healthcare team. 

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- The Substance use Recovery Clinic (SURC) psychiatrist performs general psychiatric assessment and treatment and co-occurring substance-use disorders assessment and treatment within a multidisciplinary team. The psychiatrist works closely with their colleagues to provide comprehensive, evidence-based treatment in the outpatient setting. The psychiatrist works under direction from the Outpatient Medical Director (Psychiatrist).

- The psychiatrist is responsible for initiation/continuation of buprenorphine in treatment of opioid use disorder in the outpatient setting when appropriate. The psychiatrist must have completed the Drug Enforcement Agency/Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (DEA/SAMHSA) training

- The psychiatrist provides treatment for patients with co-occurring SUD and general mental health disorders in the outpatient setting both in SUD and Suboxone clinics. Psychiatrist will assist in coverage of general outpatient MHC as needed.

- The psychiatrist is responsible for the ambulatory treatment of medically managed withdrawal from alcohol, benzodiazepines, and/or opioids.

- The psychiatrist acts as a liaison between colleagues in the SUD specialty care clinic and the outpatient mental health clinic.

- The psychiatrist conducts history and physical examinations to include mental status examinations, intake assessments, substance-use disorders assessments, and suicide risk evaluations.

- The psychiatrist must be skilled in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. The psychiatrist must be able to provide a comprehensive clinical/psychiatric summary.

- Participates effectively in team meetings and treatment planning conferences, and collaborates with multidisciplinary team members that enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care.

- Orders diagnostic tests and consultations, and discriminates between normal and abnormal findings and makes appropriate treatment decisions.

- The psychiatrist delivers care in a variety of settings, which include in-person, telehealth, and telephone care.

- The psychiatrist ensures the practice of psychiatric medicine is consistent with The Joint Commission, CARF, HIPAA, VA policies and procedures, national statutes and regulations, clinical practice guidelines, and mandatory continuing education.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Approved for eligible candidates
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment):  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.

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 restrictions on moonlighting.

Augusta is a two-division Medical Center that provides tertiary care in medicine, surgery, neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, and spinal cord injury. The Downtown Division is authorized 155 beds (58 medicine, 37 surgery, and 60 spinal cord injury). The Uptown Division, located approximately three miles away, is authorized 285 beds (68 psychiatry, 60 domiciliary, 15 blind rehabilitation and a 142-bed Restorative Care Center comprised of 132 nursing home care beds and 40 rehabilitation beds).

Through the Joint Venture for Shared Services agreement with Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Army surgeons perform neurosurgery at the Augusta VAMC for both VA patients and DoD beneficiaries. In addition, Cardio-thoracic surgery is performed at Eisenhower Army Medical Center for VA and DoD patients by Army surgeons. The Joint Venture for Shared Services provides for the cost-effective sharing of resources between these two federal health care facilities.

The medical center enjoys a strong affiliation with the Medical College of Georgia. The Augusta VAMC provides medical and allied health training to an average of more than 1000 students and residents annually. Additional health training affiliations exist with 50 academic institutions.

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 paid Federal holidays per year
• 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