Addiction counselor [h1.location_city]

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

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This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until February 17th, 2026 . The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be October 20th, 2025 , with subsequent cut-off dates every 5 days. Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.

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

Recruitment / Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Authorized

Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment) : Learn more.

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions / assistance

Pay : Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8 : 00am to 4 : 30pm; alternate tours of duty may be considered to include evening hours and weekends upon provider's request and supervisor's discretion.

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

On-Call : Weeknight and weekend telephone and on-site on-call duties for the Behavioral Health Intensive Care Unit (BHICU) at the Sacramento VA Medical Center. On-call rotations last one week, can be conducted from home, and are usually Friday-Thursdays, including weekends and holidays. The rotations may include discussion of potential admissions to the inpatient psychiatric unit, evaluating patients requiring seclusion and restraint, evaluating emergent psychiatric consults on the medical / surgical units, and rounding on the inpatient psychiatric unit during weekends and holidays. Psychiatrists generally are on-call three to five times per year depending on site.

The VA Northern California Health Care System (NCHCS) is currently recruiting for a full-time Addiction Psychiatrist for the NCHCS Addiction Recovery Treatment Services (ARTS) team primarily to provide same-day addiction services to help support patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUD), especially Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder. The duty station will be at Martinez, CA. This position is on site and will be offering virtual support to other sites within VA NCHCS when indicated.

The Psychiatrist conducts assessments and formulates diagnoses; and develops treatment plans for patients with substance use and / or other psychiatric disorders, using an interdisciplinary team approach. The Psychiatrist manages psychiatric medication for patients; evaluates the general medical suitability of clinic patients for withdrawal management, detoxification and / or psychiatric hospitalization, including screening physical examinations; and assesses and intervenes with patients presenting in crisis. The Psychiatrist prescribes medications for the treatment of substance use disorders, including buprenorphine, as well as medications for other psychiatric disorders. Collaboration, coordination, and cooperation with colleagues within and across disciplines are essential skills. This Psychiatrist reports to the NCHCS ARTS Program Director and the NCHCS ARTS Medical Director.

Psychiatrists may also have the opportunity for teaching and supervision of medical students and psychiatric residents and fellows through affiliation with the University California, Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Requirement, candidates must be : US Citizen (or non US-citizen if no qualified US-citizen applicants) Board Eligible / Board Certified Psychiatry with addiction training and ease with management of acute intoxication and withdrawal states of one or more substances and a medical license in any State

Preferred Experience : -

• Board Certification in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine or Addiction Psychiatry
• Experience in the overlap of Pain Management and Addiction Medicine
• Experience in the field of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine or Addiction Psychiatry.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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 :

Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), OR

Additional Requirement :

Board Certified or Board Eligible in Psychiatry

Preferred Experience : -

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements : This position requires visual acuity (correction lenses permitted), keen hearing (aids permitted), and manual dexterity with repetitive computer work; potentially long periods (up to 8 hours) of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing; light lifting and carrying(under 15 pounds). The incumbent may be exposed to intermittent excessive noise, working both alone as well as closely with others as circumstances prescribe, and protracted or irregular hours of work. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must be able to perform CPR per BLS protocols.

Education

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are :

NOTE : The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.