Department of Veterans Affairs

Behavioral Health Resources for Department of Veterans Affairs

Job search support is provided for the following behavioral health disciplines:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Professional Counselor
• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
• Clinical Mental Health Counselor
• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatrist
• Clinical Psychologist
• Addiction Medicine Physician

Additional resources:

• Mental Health - Department of Veterans Affairs
• VA Careers in Mental and Behavioral Health

Incentive programs for behavioral health professionals:

• Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) — Employees in certain occupations may be eligible to receive up to $40,000 per year (with a lifetime maximum of $100,000) to help repay student loans through SLRP. 
• Education Debt Reduction Program — Choose a health care career providing top-notch care to America’s Veterans and receive student loan repayment of up to $200,000 at $40,000 per year through EDRP. https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/EDRP.pdf 
• Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program (SELRP) — Physicians-in-training may receive loan repayment of $40,000 each year, up to a maximum of $160,000, in exchange for working in a VA facility. https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/SELRP_flyer.pdf 

Pipeline and pathway programs into behavioral health fields:

• Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) — HPSP awards scholarships to students receiving education/training in a health care services discipline. In exchange, you agree to serve in a VA health care facility https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/HPSP-flyer.pdf 

3RNET has resources from across the nation to support behavioral health professionals and people interested in pursuing a behavioral health career. View 3RNET’s behavioral health professionals’ resources here.

J-1 Visas and the Disepartment of Veterans Affar

If you want to obtain a J-1 Visa Waiver with the VA, here’s what you need to do:

1. Start your job search up to 18 months prior to when you are available to begin a position.
2. Positions are open to US citizens.  Non-Citizens may be appointed when no qualified US citizens apply.
3. Non-Citizens are encouraged to apply for any opportunity on 3RNET and/or USAJOBS.gov. You may also submit your CV with location preferences to VHA Noncitizen Recruitment Team. VHA qualifies as a IGA – interested government agency with no numerical limitation on J1 waiver requests.
4. Connect with the J-1 contact to ask questions and learn about additional steps you may need to take.

Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs

As the country’s largest health care employer, we are looking for passionate and dedicated people for positions as varied as the care we provide. We’re always looking for critical frontline staff like physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health, mental health and rehabilitation professionals. But to support exceptional care, we’re also looking for critical administrative and technical roles as well. 

Job Search Resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs

We’re here to help. 3RNET has several resources for health professionals searching for a job:

• 3RNET’s Loan Repayment Program Guide
• 3RNET’s Guide on Health Professional Shortage Areas
• 3RNET’s Guide to Navigating the J-1 Waiver Job Search
• 3RNET’s Guide to Safety Net Health Care Facilities
• 3RNET’s Resources for Behavioral Health Professionals

Department of Veterans Affairs' job resources for health care professionals:

• Veterans Health Administration
• Veterans Health Administration Careers
• Veterans Health Administration Careers - Physicians and Dentists
• VA Careers - Total Rewards brochure

Department of Veterans Affairs' social media channels:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Glassdoor
• Blogs