SEEKING SUPERVISORY AND STAFF PSYCHIATRISTS

SEEKING SUPERVISORY AND STAFF PSYCHIATRISTS

CENTRAL WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS VA HEALTHCARE

NORTHAMPTON (LEEDS), MASSACHUSETTS

You are invited to become a part of a large mental health team providing care for our veterans.  Whether as a supervisory psychiatrist or as a staff psychiatrist, you’ll enjoy the personal and professional satisfaction of helping those who have given so much for us.  You’ll be part of a team of mental health team of 7 other psychiatrist colleagues and 165 mental health service providers and staff, providing both inpatient and outpatient care to patients with a broad spectrum of mental health needs.

If inpatient care is something you enjoy, you’ll work in with two units – an acute and a sub-acute unit, as well as a Detox unit.  The program also has a suboxone program.  In this environment, you’ll follow your patients as they move from acute to sub-acute and you’ll typically manage 10-10 patients at a time, with the average being closer to 10.

If you prefer outpatient care, you’ll work with an interdisciplinary team of social workers, therapists, and counselors to provide comprehensive care to about 12 patients per day.  You’ll have a full 60 minutes for new patients and 30 minutes for follow-ups and have a full range of clinical services under the same roof to offer your patient when other needs are identified.  You will also have 2 – 2.5 hours per day dedicated to administrative time.

As a supervisory psychiatrist, you’ll work with the mental health service and medical center leadership team to help shape the programs and services provided for our veterans.  These services include specialized services in PTSD, and Substance Use Disorder, Acute and Chronic Mental Illness, and Homelessness services. Limited and light night/weekend duties make these positions attractive, and they come with a competitive salary and federal benefits package.

VA Central Western MA has an active affiliation with the University of Massachusetts Medical School which attracts more than $200 million in research funding annually, and its innovative programs are the centerpiece of the Massachusetts life science initiative.  Possibilities for faculty appointments exist with appointments/ranks contingent on review by UMass.  VA CWM has a revitalized the research component that consistently offers new opportunities. We regularly have Resident physicians from Baystate Medical Center's Psychiatry Residency program at our campus during their first year substance use rotation, and Baystate and UMASS residents are also eligible to attend for a 4^th year elective in PTSD treatment. There are other teaching opportunities as well.

While working and living in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, you can explore the vibrant nightlife of big cities like Springfield and Hartford to the south, the lively college towns of Northampton and Amherst plus traditional New England towns and historic villages. Along the way, you'll discover fun-filled attractions and distinctive distractions varied and enticing.

If you’re looking for a new fun and exciting way to explore the Pioneer Valley one stop at a time, we have just the thing! Now you can easily use the Pioneer Valley’s predesigned “trails” to guide you to that perfect burger joint or delicious ice cream parlor (among others). So if you’re from right up the road, or visiting from afar, using the trails to satisfy your cravings will certainly be a great way to spend the day!  And with such delicious stops along the way, we know you’ll be longing to come back for more!  Getting around the region is easy too, thanks to major interstate highways 90 and 91, as well as scenic country roads that invite you to find out what's just around the bend. http://www.valleyvisitor.com/visitors.html

If caring for veterans while enjoying great qualify of life and great benefits are things you value, and you’d like more information about these positions and the three different roles available, Email your full CV to Don Rainwater, National Healthcare Recruitment Consultant at don.rainwater@va.gov.  Your inquiry will be handled with confidence.

As a psychiatrist with the VA, here are just some of the benefits you’ll enjoy:

Paid Time Off:

• 208 Hours paid annual (vacation/personal) leave – you can carry over up to 86 days into a new year
• 104 Hours paid sick leave per year with unlimited carry over! Unused sick leave can be used to extend creditable service time at retirement! 
• 10 Paid federal holidays with pay
• Possible 5 Days paid Authorized Absence to attend CME

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA)
• 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-FRAE basic benefits (pension); and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
• How is the pension funded? VA employees hired after January 1, 2014 automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 8.3% of the employee's salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 12.7% 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 2016, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $18,000, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $24,000
• 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