VA Mental Health Provider Venting / Problem-solving / Peer Support Thread

[relationalpsych]

Yeah, is it like a BHIP team lead where it really doesn't require that much work, or like an actual administrative position?

it seems like more administrative responsibilities since the clinic is going through a redesign. My supervisor is the temporary team lead it was not unusual to see her working until 7.

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[Sanman]

It would be like a BHIP team lead position. I would be in charge of consults, monthly meetings with hospital admin, and in charge of reviewing the clinic intake process for improvement as well as delineation of therapy cases from med provider intakes. My supervisor on that rotation was the temporary team lead and seemed to have difficulty with those tasks on top of having a full-time caseload. That's my primary concern. However, they did not shift her clinic grid to account for the extra administrative duties.

Good for you on knowing the details. Few trainees do. The question to clarify is whether a team lead will get a clinical offset and how much? Likely little if any from what I have seen. Hence the reason people don't want the opportunity.

 

[relationalpsych]

A team lead is usually an informal role and not one that gets you any official bump in pay. If you want it, go for it. If not, then no one can really force you to take it. Colleagues can expect whatever they want, but they are not your boss. You can clarify with your future boss expectations before accepting the position. Don't be afraid to take the job and say 'No' to team lead responsibilities.

I will likely take this approach. Thank you!

 

[relationalpsych]

Good for you on knowing the details. Few trainees do. The question to clarify is whether a team lead will get a clinical offset and how much? Likely little if any from what I have seen. Hence the reason people don't want the opportunity.

That is my anxiety driving my questions. I appreciate the thoughts. I will follow up on the clinical offset and go from there.

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

Yeah, that's a no from me.

 

[summerbabe]

However, I heard from providers in this clinic they are expecting the psychologist onboarded to take on the team lead role. These expectations were not described in the job announcement and I have no interest in a team lead position right out of school.

This might be a case of these providers not wanting to take it on themselves.

If that’s the case, somebody will be voluntold into this position by the overall supervisor.

Could be you even if you decline or assumed that you’d do it but likely it will be somebody else who has some VA staff experience and not somebody who is fresh from internship and likely unlicensed. Good luck!

 

[Sanman]

This might be a case of these providers not wanting to take it on themselves.

If that’s the case, somebody will be voluntold into this position by the overall supervisor.

Could be you even if you decline or assumed that you’d do it but likely it will be somebody else who has some VA staff experience and not somebody who is fresh from internship and likely unlicensed. Good luck!

Pretty much and something tells me it will be the OP's supervisor who is already in the acting position.

This is a system wide problem where the VA uses team leads instead of GS-14 level supervisor positions to manage all these things.

 

[summerbabe]

This is a system wide problem where the VA uses team leads instead of GS-14 level supervisor positions to manage all these things.

Yup, I get a few hrs of clinical offset to help with some admin stuff for my team but luckily, we also have a GS-14 team lead who is somewhere under 50% clinical.

But where I did internship, the decently busy rural-ish BHIP had a team lead who maintained what seemed like a full clinical load plus all of the non-supervisory admin responsibilities with no promotion and uncertain if there were any offsets.

It's an amazing way to drive people out of the VA or feel forced into lateral moves within their facility, even if it's clinical work that they enjoy less or are less well-suited for.

 

[Sanman]

Yup, I get a few hrs of clinical offset to help with some admin stuff for my team but luckily, we also have a GS-14 team lead who is somewhere under 50% clinical.

But where I did internship, the decently busy rural-ish BHIP had a team lead who maintained what seemed like a full clinical load plus all of the non-supervisory admin responsibilities with no promotion and uncertain if there were any offsets.

It's an amazing way to drive people out of the VA or feel forced into lateral moves within their facility, even if it's clinical work that they enjoy less or are less well-suited for.

Glad to hear there are places that are more sorted. As there are no GS-14 level positions within the GEC program locally, my only option is out or stay where I am.

 

[texanpsychdoc]

For anyone who has done their government ethics training refresher recently. Does it seem like Sondra has a crush on her boss Bernard? She knows what his favorite type of cake is and I think she picked out that silk tie. Also, that office seems too cheery and well decorated to be at the VA. Okay, back to catching up on these TMS trainings.

I have like 40 TMS trainings I am past due on, and I'd say probably 15 of them I am 120+ days past due. I usually wait until I get an email from our chief learning officer when they copy my supervisor on it as well telling me I need to complete them. I need to get my BLS ones completed or they might lock me out of Cerner (one could only hope).

 

[texanpsychdoc]

It was generally manageable in my niche of neuropsychology, although I only handled consults when the primary person was out or needed a break. Even then, it was still somewhat annoying to have to keep up with all the administrative aspects, especially all the extra MISSION Act/Community Care boxes to click through.

But there were horror stories from general mental health. Pretty sure they got more consults in a day than I did in 1-2 weeks (and neuropsych wasn't exactly slow).

Being in BHIP I can concur with this statement. We have 5 BHIP teams, and my team tends to take on a bulk of the consults, and since I'm the new person, I tend to get delegated the most. I sit there in our weekly BHIP meeting keeping to myself just waiting for the other shoe to drop when they voluntell me to take on a consult. And this is aside from informal referrals I get from other BHIP teams, psychiatry, social work, or other physicians. Out of all of BHIP, it's me and one other psychologist that takes/specializes in psychological testing that's non-neuro specific.

 

[texanpsychdoc]

I couldn't imagine actually requiring more than 3 calls and a letter. That is a service I would not want to work in.

My VA only requires 3 total contacts which for me, includes my calling them one time, then having the MSAs send them a letter, and then an MSA will call them one time, and that's it. I don't chase people down, not when I am stacked with patients and meetings. Aint nobody got time for that.

 

[Seven_Costanza]

This might be a case of these providers not wanting to take it on themselves.

If that’s the case, somebody will be voluntold into this position by the overall supervisor.

Could be you even if you decline or assumed that you’d do it but likely it will be somebody else who has some VA staff experience and not somebody who is fresh from internship and likely unlicensed. Good luck!

This can definitely happen, so I would be careful. I worked at a VA where the BHIP lead left and the psychologist who just started a month prior was voluntold (emphasis on the told) that they had to take over. The expectation, I believe, was that it would be temporary until they found someone, but we all know the process of filling a position can take at least a year.

 

[psycho1391]

15 of them I am 120+ days past due.

Wow your VA must be lax on this because if we are one week past due we get locked out of our computers.

 

[texanpsychdoc]

Wow your VA must be lax on this because if we are one week past due we get locked out of our computers.

Evidently …

 

[WisNeuro]

That sounds like a nightmare with JCAHO waiting to happen.

 

[cara susanna]

I love how Employee Health still makes us stay home until they clear us to return, but then the COVID leave expired so now we have to burn through all of our own leave.

 

[Sanman]

I love how Employee Health still makes us stay home until they clear us to return, but then the COVID leave expired so now we have to burn through all of our own leave.

It's the gift that keeps on giving...Happy public service week!

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I love how Employee Health still makes us stay home until they clear us to return, but then the COVID leave expired so now we have to burn through all of our own leave.

And you can't telework during that time, either? That's...lame.

 

[psy.d. 2021]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes. I'm a health professions trainee at a VA. Going to be starting in a staff psychologist position in the next few months. They require folks get BLS certified but apparently they do not provide the training in-house to trainees nor is it reimbursable to take it outside of the VA. This seems...not right. This is definitely not a hill I'm willing to die on but wondering if this is common or if this even seems legal?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes. I'm a health professions trainee at a VA. Going to be starting in a staff psychologist position in the next few months. They require folks get BLS certified but apparently they do not provide the training in-house to trainees nor is it reimbursable to take it outside of the VA. This seems...not right. This is definitely not a hill I'm willing to die on but wondering if this is common or if this even seems legal?

Hmm, I'm very surprised they aren't providing the training to you as a current trainee, assuming you have access to TMS. I don't recall taking the BLS training on internship, but I know I attended while on fellowship (and this was back when it was the four hour in-person class, not the much shorter hybrid one they use now).

 

[summerbabe]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes. I'm a health professions trainee at a VA. Going to be starting in a staff psychologist position in the next few months. They require folks get BLS certified but apparently they do not provide the training in-house to trainees nor is it reimbursable to take it outside of the VA. This seems...not right. This is definitely not a hill I'm willing to die on but wondering if this is common or if this even seems legal?

So it sounds like they provide in-house training for staff but not trainees? My understanding is that staff can bypass the VA version and pay out of pocket if they prefer.

I had to do BLS both as an intern and postdoc recently but it was provided via TMS online course and then a mannequin-based test that a VA RN helped with.

I wonder if the issue is that your training director is not advocating to the right people to get trainees the ability to also do it in-house so you’re being considered more like a contractor who happens to need a BLS cert to do their duty (and needs to pay out of pocket). Perhaps start there and see if some headway can be made through your program?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

So it sounds like they provide in-house training for staff but not trainees? My understanding is that staff can bypass the VA version and pay out of pocket if they prefer.

I had to do BLS both as an intern and postdoc recently but it was provided via TMS online course and then a mannequin-based test that a VA RN helped with.

I wonder if the issue is that your training director is not advocating to the right people to get trainees the ability to also do it in-house so you’re being considered more like a contractor who happens to need a BLS cert to do their duty (and needs to pay out of pocket). Perhaps start there and see if some headway can be made through your program?

Seconded, I'd check with your DCT if you haven't already. I'm surprised they aren't offering it to trainees; I'm almost positive interns at our facility were able to complete the training via TMS same as full-time staff.

 

[iliketohelppeople]

I agree with the above. I was provided the hybrid training as a post-doctoral fellow. Those dummies were quite the pain to work with. I would second AA's suggestion of speaking with your DCT.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I agree with the above. I was provided the hybrid training as a post-doctoral fellow. Those dummies were quite the pain to work with. I would second AA's suggestion of speaking with your DCT.

Yeah, the dummies can be a bit of a pain, but I much preferred the newer setup and being able to schedule it flexibly than needing to try to block out 4 hours every 2 years to attend in-person.

 

[texanpsychdoc]

I love how Employee Health still makes us stay home until they clear us to return, but then the COVID leave expired so now we have to burn through all of our own leave.

I was part of a group of 6 new hires last year, and I found out that all of them had tele-work agreements other than myself. Around January, we had some pretty bad winter weather here in Ohio which caused our VA to close early, but if you had tele-work agreements, you could work from home. Since I didn't they were trying to have me use SL, and I wasn't having any of that crap. I escalated things up to the medical director as I saw it as completely unfair that I was screwed because my supervisors didn't think it was necessary for me to have a tele-work agreement. Luckily I was able to use inclement weather leave after my little protest. They still don't, yet, numerous times when we have meetings, I see the same supervisor working from home.

 

[Dr_Bee]

I am looking for advice - I am a current VA post doc and will be moving into a staff position at the end of PD. I have been hearing conflicting reports about how I should be onboarded. I plan to start the staff position 2 weeks after the end of PD. Although I will be license eligible once PD ends (have passed EPPP and will have taken state exams) I won't have my license in hand at the end of PD, because the state will need to process the end of PD paperwork and then send me my license which i'm sure can take some time. I have heard some EC psychology staff tell me I should be onboarded as a GS 12. However, I have had other people tell me I should be onboarded as a GS 11, and once I can provide my license, I will be moved to a GS 12. Any guidance/input?

 

[summerbabe]

I have heard some EC psychology staff tell me I should be onboarded as a GS 12.

I'm almost certain that you should be onboarded as a GS12 since you have a full year of post-graduation work experience via the postdoc. And GS12 does not require licensure, unlike the promotion to a GS13.

I had about 2.5 months off after postdoc and started as a GS12, was licensed a few months after starting and then fully credentialed a few more after being licensed (sucks to still need all your notes co-signed until you're fully credentialed by the different boards/offices at your VA, even with an active license).

Good luck and congrats - hope you're landing in a good spot.

 

[hum1]

During my training at a PsyD program from 2015-2020, the VA was always referred to as the most prestigious mental health institution in the US, offering the gold standard of psychological services and treatment. Everybody wanted to do their internship and postdoc at a VA and to work there. Most people were jealous of who got VA internships.

 

[WisNeuro]

During my training at a PsyD program from 2015-2020, the VA was always referred to as the most prestigious mental health institution in the US, offering the gold standard of psychological services and treatment. Everybody wanted to do their internship and postdoc at a VA and to work there. Most people were jealous of who got VA internships.

Prestigious, not so much. But, by and large, I still think it's the best training out there, as a system.

 

[erg923]

During my training at a PsyD program from 2015-2020, the VA was always referred to as the most prestigious mental health institution in the US, offering the gold standard of psychological services and treatment. Everybody wanted to do their internship and postdoc at a VA and to work there. Most people were jealous of who got VA internships.

no one in your program knows Mass General, Mclean, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Columbia, Resnick, Shappard Pratt, UCSF, Austin Riggs, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Menninger, Kennedy Krieger, NIMH, etc, etc lol?

 

[WisNeuro]

no one in your program knows Mass General, Mclean, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Western Psychiatric Institute, Menninger, Kennedy Krieger, NIMH, etc, etc lol?

There are some in there with prestigious names, but pretty meh training when it comes to internship.

 

[Sanman]

Prestigious, not so much. But, by and large, I still think it's the best training out there, as a system.

The prestige is relative. It is not Beth Israel, but it isn't a terrible captive internship either.

 

[WisNeuro]

The prestige is relative. It is not Beth Israel, but it isn't a terrible captive internship either.

Definitely, but I think people too often conflate a prestigious name with good training at the internship/postdoc level. Out of all the places I've worked, the VA has been by far the best training ground. I haven't seen both the desire to train/supervise by faculty or them generally given the time to do so anywhere else but the VA.

 

[Sanman]

Definitely, but I think people too often conflate a prestigious name with good training at the internship/postdoc level. Out of all the places I've worked, the VA has been by far the best training ground. I haven't seen both the desire to train/supervise by faculty or them generally given the time to do so anywhere else but the VA.

True. Even within the VA it is a mixed bag. I have had some nationally recognized supervisors in and out of the VA system and none have been the greatest supervisors (too busy building a name/program). The best supervisors I had were often younger or very non-prestigious older folks who had the time for students and were not so busy with other opportunities. Several of the best have unfortunately moved on to other things despite many teaching awards and adoring students (which tells you how much anyone at the admin levels cares about teaching now).

 

[hum1]

no one in your program knows Mass General, Mclean, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Columbia, Resnick, Shappard Pratt, UCSF, Austin Riggs, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Menninger, Kennedy Krieger, NIMH, etc, etc lol?

Well, this was in California. Besides in my training program people were acolyte of anything that had "Evidence based" on their website and the VA was sold as the pinnacle of evidence based psychotherapy. Imagine that we had a class on group psychotherapy and they removed Yalom, which I believe is still considered as one of the founding books for group psychotherapy and dynamics, and replaced it with a book with the title "Evidence based group psychotherapy". I don't even think they have read the book and probabily picked it on on an Amazon search since it was so bad, they only chose the book because of its title. I am sure there are many good books on evidence based group psychotherapy but this was not one of them.

 

[cara susanna]

Newer staff are talking about some recent turnover we've had and thinking it will make administration care that we're burnt out

 

[Sanman]

Newer staff are talking about recent some turnover we've had and thinking it will make administration care that we're burnt

Newer staff are talking about recent some turnover we've had and thinking it will make administration care that we're burnt out

Have you ever noticed that the most passionate newbies are the ones who burn out and quit the fastest?

 

[FredBerfil]

I'm just going to briefly vent. As a VA provider some of the fellow psychologists on my service are some of the most absurdly entitled, narcissistic, pampered motherf***ers I've ever had the displeasure of associating myself with. Half of my service is melting down into complete histrionics because they can't be bothered to have a simple discussion with upper leadership about productivity mandates coming down from Washington and how it may impact their precious training program gravy train and the ego-boosting easy life they feel it represents to them.

Some of you psychologists are the effing worst. You know who you are.

 

[Sanman]

I'm just going to briefly vent. As a VA provider some of the fellow psychologists on my service are some of the most absurdly entitled, narcissistic, pampered motherf***ers I've ever had the displeasure of associating myself with. Half of my service is melting down into complete histrionics because they can't be bothered to have a simple discussion with upper leadership about productivity mandates coming down from Washington and how it may impact their precious training program gravy train and the ego-boosting easy life they feel it represents to them.

Some of you psychologists are the effing worst. You know who you are.

As far as some local folks are concerned, this might be me. No histrionics, but I had some knock-down drag outs with my supervisor/ dept head. Part of managing upward. I also decreased my training involvement this year since no one seems to care about that anymore.

 

[erg923]

I'm just going to briefly vent. As a VA provider some of the fellow psychologists on my service are some of the most absurdly entitled, narcissistic, pampered motherf***ers I've ever had the displeasure of associating myself with. Half of my service is melting down into complete histrionics because they can't be bothered to have a simple discussion with upper leadership about productivity mandates coming down from Washington and how it may impact their precious training program gravy train and the ego-boosting easy life they feel it represents to them.

Some of you psychologists are the effing worst. You know who you are.

Not sure what this is all about, but I do know the North Chicago VA has a Psychologist Position 90% dedicated to managing the practicum, internship, and post-doc program at that medical center and an associated DoD facility/hospital. Obviously, this is in reality, a 100% training, education, and managing position. I don't see any inherent problem here unless said person was proven to be totally corrupt or incompetent. This is a GS-14 position and may indeed be a goldmine for aspiring psychologists that love teaching and training and clinical supervision but realize this can be a very under-compensated career path in many/most other settings.

BTW, I actually do NOT know who these people are. If you want to tell us, I am sure SDN is all ears?

 

[cara susanna]

I don't think this is me, because I'm not involved in any psychology training programs, but I do really hate productivity mandates. I think one of the most demoralizing thing about the VA is just being a number to admnistrators.

 

[Sanman]

Not really sure what this is all about, but I do know the North Chicago VA has a Psychologist Position 90% dedicated to managing the practicum, internship, and post-doc program at that medical center and an associated DoD facility/hospital. Obviously, this is in reality, a 100% training, education, and managing position. I don't see any inherent problems here unless said person was proven to be totally corrupt or incompetent. iTS g2-14 and may indeed be a goldmine for psychologist that love teaching and training and clinical supervision but realize this can be a very under-compensated career path in many/most other settings.

I actually do NOT know who these people are. If you want to tell us, I am sure SDN is all ears?

Not sure if I am interpreting this correctly, but I assume you are referring to the training director role. I don't know if this is affected as much. I am not in that role, but do help out with training and increased my role in our training program in recent years as I was no longer traveling as much since the pandemic. This included helping to setup internship interviews, teaching more of the intern/post-doc weekly seminars on various topics, reviewing internship applications annually, supervising some assessment cases, etc. There are really no clinical offsets for this stuff, I just like the work and had the time. This year, based on national mandates, they are putting the screws to the specialty areas in addition to general psychology. As a result, we were given higher productivity expectations in some areas. I picked up some overflow from another clinic to make my numbers. Due to this, many staff members are pushing back on helping in these additional areas. I will not be volunteering to set up interviews in the future and cut back on the seminars I teach. A colleague who did help setup interviews (read: did most of it) and does teach alot as well was under the 80% mark that month for productivity and has to make it up another month. That person is thinking of backing out of their committee role next year too. Not sure if this is what Fred is referring to, but I hear a lot of the same grumblings.

 

[erg923]

Not sure if I am interpreting this correctly, but I assume you are referring to the training director role. I don't know if this is affected as much. I am not in that role, but do help out with training and increased my role in our training program in recent years as I was no longer traveling as much since the pandemic. This included helping to setup internship interviews, teaching more of the intern/post-doc weekly seminars on various topics, reviewing internship applications annually, supervising some assessment cases, etc. There are really no clinical offsets for this stuff, I just like the work and had the time. This year, based on national mandates, they are putting the screws to the specialty areas in addition to general psychology. As a result, we were given higher productivity expectations in some areas. I picked up some overflow from another clinic to make my numbers. Due to this, many staff members are pushing back on helping in these additional areas. I will not be volunteering to set up interviews in the future and cut back on the seminars I teach. A colleague who did help setup interviews (read: did most of it) and does teach alot as well was under the 80% mark that month for productivity and has to make it up another month. That person is thinking of backing out of their committee role next year too. Not sure if this is what Fred is referring to, but I hear a lot of the same grumblings.

I have not been with the VA for 5 years now. So, no, I don't know what all exactly is going on there.

 

[JeyRo]

I'm not really a fan of productivity mandates myself and since I work in CLC geropsychology, I know any one-size-fits-all approach is basically doomed from the start. That being said, if you work in a system of socialized medicine (hello VA!) it's unrealistic to pretend that you won't have to grapple with them.

The nice part about having trainees (assuming everyone in Fred's service has equal access to them) is when you have a reasonable amount of time to offer them proper training, they provide an offset to your productivity, as you can book all of their RVUs as you own. You pay them in supervision and didactics (and recommendation letters), and they pay you back by doing your work for you. Not a bad deal.

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

I'm not really a fan of productivity mandates myself and since I work in CLC geropsychology, I know any one-size-fits-all approach is basically doomed from the start. That being said, if you work in a system of socialized medicine (hello VA!) it's unrealistic to pretend that you won't have to grapple with them.

The nice part about having trainees (assuming everyone in Fred's service has equal access to them) is when you have a reasonable amount of time to offer them proper training, they provide an offset to your productivity, as you can book all of their RVUs as you own. You pay them in supervision and didactics (and recommendation letters), and they pay you back by doing your work for you. Not a bad deal.

The astonishing thing about 'productivity' as they measure it (some sort of RVU ratio that they use to calculate a 'percentage' that basically are your quarterly RVU's divided by the 'expected' (100%) RVUs which is just some median RVU (for a full-time VA psychologist) that they calculated in some sample years ago) is that there is literally NOTHING you can change in your behavior to meaningfully increase it. I mean, if all of your slots are full and you don't do your own scheduling (we don't) and you see everyone who shows up for their appointments (we do) then the only things that are making this number 'too low' are either: (a) you are not mapped for 'enough' clinical hours in your grid--this is not your fault, someone else determines your grid, not you; or (b) you have a good number of no-shows/ cancellations which, again, is not your fault.

Has anyone here been given feedback that your 'productivity' is 'too low' according to their metric? What were you given as suggestions in terms of behavior change (on your part) that could possibly 'increase' your 'productivity' as measured in this manner? If they ever take adverse action against someone for the crime of 'low productivity' how would that stick? I mean, it can be demonstrated that we don't/can't do much (if anything) to 'increase' our productivity (see above). It also just smacks of the inherent philosophy of 'blame the provider' (and never, ever, ever, look at systems issues or other factors) whenever the big wigs at national come up with a solution in search of a problem.

 

[erg923]

It just kills me how many social services and resources are available to veterans that aren't available to the rest of the population. Don't get me wrong, they did a great service and deserve compensation, but I don't get why any certain group is more deserving of housing, financial assistance, etc, than another.

Lately we've had spouses of patients request mental health services and we're like, uhhh, I don't really know what to tell you (even the Vet Center has limitations there)...

Since I left the VA system (and even before) I started to believe that a healthcare system that is based solely on ones former occupation is unnecessary, unjustified, and...unjust to the rest of society. I have since been of the opinion that a nationwide VA Healthcare System should NOT exist at all. I have disclosed this opinion before, but not FULLY discussed it here. SDN is NOT really the most friendly place to discus such an unpopular point of view.

 

[Sanman]

The astonishing thing about 'productivity' as they measure it (some sort of RVU ratio that they use to calculate a 'percentage' that basically are your quarterly RVU's divided by the 'expected' (100%) RVUs which is just some median RVU (for a full-time VA psychologist) that they calculated in some sample years ago) is that there is literally NOTHING you can change in your behavior to meaningfully increase it. I mean, if all of your slots are full and you don't do your own scheduling (we don't) and you see everyone who shows up for their appointments (we do) then the only things that are making this number 'too low' are either: (a) you are not mapped for 'enough' clinical hours in your grid--this is not your fault, someone else determines your grid, not you; or (b) you have a good number of no-shows/ cancellations which, again, is not your fault.

Has anyone here been given feedback that your 'productivity' is 'too low' according to their metric? What were you given as suggestions in terms of behavior change (on your part) that could possibly 'increase' your 'productivity' as measured in this manner? If they ever take adverse action against someone for the crime of 'low productivity' how would that stick? I mean, it can be demonstrated that we don't/can't do much (if anything) to 'increase' our productivity (see above). It also just smacks of the inherent philosophy of 'blame the provider' (and never, ever, ever, look at systems issues or other factors) whenever the big wigs at national come up with a solution in search of a problem.

You can change your behavior, but not in any that is useful to the VA, only to you. The irony is that these mandates have made me less productive. The one size fits all approach means I look for the easiest way to fulfill my mandated quotas in each area to receive my "fully successful" now rather than helping out the department because I watch the lazy people get away with not doing it.

 

[PsychPhDone]

Not sure what this is all about, but I do know the North Chicago VA has a Psychologist Position 90% dedicated to managing the practicum, internship, and post-doc program at that medical center and an associated DoD facility/hospital. Obviously, this is in reality, a 100% training, education, and managing position. I don't see any inherent problem here unless said person was proven to be totally corrupt or incompetent. This is a GS-14 position and may indeed be a goldmine for aspiring psychologists that love teaching and training and clinical supervision but realize this can be a very under-compensated career path in many/most other settings.

BTW, I actually do NOT know who these people are. If you want to tell us, I am sure SDN is all ears?

If my research program died I'd be into this kind of role.

 

[hum1]

Since I left the VA system (and even before) I started to believe that a healthcare system that is based solely on ones former occupation is unnecessary, unjustified, and...unjust to the rest of society. I have since been of the opinion that a nationwide VHA Healthcare System should NOT exist at all. I have disclosed this opinion before, but not FULLY discussed it here. SDN is NOT really the most friendly place to discus such an unpopular point of view.

I am still interested in hearing your point of view, if you care to run the risk of becoming unpopular here.