ACOS (Psychiatrist) Mental Health

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until September 30 2026. The first cut-off date is December 18 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or until the position is filled.

This position is being posted as a Physician Psychologist Nurse and Social Worker. Please apply under the appropriate series.

Physician - CBTB--26-KW
Psychologist - CBTB--26-LRD
Nurse - CBTB--26-HB
Social Worker - CBTB--26-LRD

The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce is the largest business membership organization in the Augusta area. The mission of the chamber has three components including serving as the voice for business in matters of public policy and legislative affairs; working to promote the region as a partner in economic development and to provide membership programs and services to our members that will enhance their profitability productivity and overall success.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

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 $1000 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

Associate Chief of Staff - Mental Health Expectation of Duties:
(1) Ensuring annual individualized productivity targets for each provider based upon the assigned work expectations are developed. NOTE: For additional information see Appendix A 1.b.(2). All staff are to have workload standards established based upon their work assignment but the productivity based upon wRVU targets as outlined in this directive applies to licensed independent providers (LIPs).
(2) Ensuring quarterly productivity monitoring is completed for measuring provider activities and workload and that individualized productivity targets are updated to reflect changing work assignment(s).
(3) Communicating quarterly and annually productivity activities to respective providers and VA medical facility COS.
(4) Coordinating with the VA medical facility COS to ensure that all monitoring activities are reported to the VA medical facility Director at least annually.(5) Developing action plans based on the results of the monitoring activities to adjust provider productivity and staffing requested by the VA medical facility Director.
(6) Collaborates with discipline-specific leaders (e.g. Social Work Chief or Executive; ACN for Mental Health; Psychology Chief) to ensure appropriate professional practice standards such as those of the American Psychiatric Association American Psychiatric Nurses Association American Psychological Association National Association of Social Work etc. are maintained.
(7) All positions in the MH service line report to The ACOS of MH.
(8) This position Reports directly to the facility Chief of Staff.

(2) The Mental Health Onboard Clinical (MHOC) Dashboard is available for internal mental health program-specific productivity evaluation. For detailed information please see MHOC educational materials.

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

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

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.