Summary The VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System is recruiting for a Physician Assistant in Mental Health for the Bath VA Medical Center. Bath VAMC offers a wide range of health, support, and facility services for Veterans in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania. Come join the team and see what Bath has to offer! This announcement is posted as a Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant for one position. Please apply to the appropriate announcement for consideration. Responsibilities This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until April 30, 2025. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be February 12, 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. The Psychiatric Physician Assistant (PA) is responsible for the consultative and specialty care of patients with mental health needs presenting to the Domiciliary, Community Living Center, Urgent Care Center, and/or outpatient settings as required. The PA functions as an integral member of the Psychiatry Consult-Liaison Team in the Domiciliary/CLC/UCC and/or the BHIP Team in the Outpatient Clinic, working in coordination with the other team members to include psychiatrists, PMHNP's, psychologists, nurses, psychotherapists, social workers, addiction therapists, vocational specialists, and other clinic personnel. The PA will be directly responsible to the Chief of Psychiatry or supervising psychiatrist of his/her assigned duty section for all clinical and administrative duties. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Conduct initial psychiatric evaluations, including initial assessment interviews, history and focused physical exams, lab/imaging/consultation orders, aftercare plans, and follow up visits. Following the initial evaluation, the PA will provide appropriate follow-up care including reassessments of diagnoses and conditions, medication adjustments, and any further tests or consults indicated. Conduct urgent psychiatric evaluations to assist with disposition of patients in the Urgent Care Center, with the support of the supervising psychiatrist or his/her designee Provide mental health education/counseling and brief supportive therapy of patients and their families Conduct ongoing follow-up appointments for stable patients, including regular refills of medications, required lab monitoring and other tests, and documentation of progress Perform examinations and screening scales (such as AIMS, MoCA, PHQ-9) and similar non-invasive examinations specific to the ongoing care of psychiatric patients Conduct suicide risk assessments and complete documentation of assessments, reports of suicidal behavior, and formal safety planning as per VHA guidelines Order appropriate laboratory tests, imaging studies, EKG's (electrocardiograms) and similar noninvasive tests Communicate test results to patients per Medical Center policy (within 7 days for actionable results, 14 days for routine results) Complete documentation on all visits, consults, and telephone calls and close encounters within parameters established by the facility (same day when at all possible) Participate as requested in preadmission screening and case management/interdisciplinary team discussions and perform treatment planning in course of care Participate in clinical pertinence reviews, process improvement projects, risk management activities, and other such duties as assigned Integrate the activities of the psychiatric consultation team or mental health clinic with other patient care programs in the facility Other related duties as assigned Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) 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) Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Requirements Conditions of Employment All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens but non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens. 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Physician Assistant Basic Requirements Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level PA. This practice may include, but is not limited to: Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. Ability to perform patient history and physical. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) Experience and Education. The PA at this grade is at the intermediate grade level and has had progressively increasing responsibility and experiences as indicated in the KSAs listed below. Individuals will have demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve more complex medical problems than at the entry level grade and can utilize their training in the successful practice of patient care and participate in team problem solving. Individuals demonstrate the KSAs of PA-II intermediate level by: Two years of successful practice as a PA. OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency. OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-II: Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education. PAs at the PA-III grade are at the full performance level and lead and organize patient care independently, practice within multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinate all aspects of patient care across the health care system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgment in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentors for transitioning PAs, and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate the KSAs for the full performance level by: Three years of successful practice as a PA. OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency and one year of professional practice as a PA. OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-III: Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. Preferred Experience: Board Eligible preferred Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is PA 3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA 1 to PA 3. Physical Requirements: In Accordance With VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.