Veteran Peer Support Specialist

We are seeking a highly motivated and compassionate Peer Specialist to join our team at the VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION. As a Peer Specialist, you will play a vital role in providing mental health support and guidance to our Veterans, utilizing your personal recovery experiences to model coping techniques and recovery tools.

• Participate in the service, training, consultation, and other professional activities of VA health care services and functions as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
• Use personal recovery experiences to model coping techniques and recovery tools to coach Veterans to relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness.
• Observe behaviors that might indicate difficulty adapting or responding to treatment (e.g., missed assessment appointments, failure to attend or maintain abstinence, risk to self or others, disruptive behavior), complete appropriate documentation, and report concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
• Use ongoing individual and group meetings to teach Veterans how to identify and combat negative self-talk and overcome fears by providing a forum that allows Veterans to share their experiences.
• As necessary, handle crisis interventions for Veterans and address other emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions.
• Inform Veterans about VA and community supports and resources, including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness process.
• Maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
• Position requires operation of a motor vehicle or access to public transportation to perform assigned duties.
• Accompany Veterans to appointments as needed, whether medical, housing, or other treatment plan goal appointments, either through agency vehicle or public transportation.
• Assist Veterans to identify resources and problem solve how to overcome barriers so that the Veterans can independently address transportation and other personal needs.
• Subsequent background checks may be required if treating Veterans in an institutional setting.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• You must have a full, current, and unrestricted peer specialist certification to meet this qualification requirement for employment in VHA as a peer specialist.
• You must be a Veteran (See Statutory Requirements below).
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• 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.
• 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.

• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/28/2024.
• Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PEER SPECIALISTS
• a. Statutory Requirements. Section 405 of Public Law, as codified in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(13), established that to be eligible to receive appointment to a Peer Specialist position, a person must: (1) be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition; and(2) be certified by -(a) a not-for-profit entity engaged in peer specialist training as having met such criteria as the Secretary shall establish for a peer specialist position; or(b) a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist position.
• b. Length of Experience in Recovery: must have at least 1 year of recovery from a mental health condition (mental illness and/or substance use disorder).
• IMPORTANT NOTICE: Veteran is defined as a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Restricted to VETERANS - See IMPORTANT NOTICE.
• Open to current, permanent employees of the VA (i.e. T38, T38 Hybrid, and VCS employees on excepted appts covered by an interchange agreement); Federal employees on a Career/Career-Conditional appt.; Former competitive civil service employees eligible for reinstatement; Veterans eligible under VEOA, VRA, and 30% DAV; Those eligible under the Employment Program for People with Disabilities; and those eligible for CTAP/ICTAP.
• NOTE: You MUST provide copies of your DD-214 and Peer Specialist Certification, with your application package.
• ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• MINIMUM GRADE LEVEL QUALIFICATIONS
• GS-6: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower graded level, which involved post-personal mental health recovery experience as a mentor providing counseling to support peers in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services, a psychiatric therapy aide, or equivalent work involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery.
• GS-7: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower graded level, which involved post-personal mental health recovery experience as a mentor providing counseling to support peers in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services, a psychiatric therapy aide, or equivalent work involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery.
• GS-8: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower graded level, which involved post-personal mental health recovery experience as a mentor providing counseling to support peers in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services, a psychiatric therapy aide, or equivalent work involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery.
• GS-9: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower graded level, which involved post-personal mental health recovery experience as a mentor providing counseling to support peers in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services, a psychiatric therapy aide, or equivalent work involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery.
• EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: (Transcripts are required with your application package)
• GS-6: Successful completion Six (6) months of graduate education or a 1-year post-bachelor's degree internship meets the requirements for GS-6.
• GS-7: Successful completion One (1) full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7.
• GS-8: Successful completion One and one/half (1 ) years of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-8.
• GS-9: Successful completion Two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9.

• You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
• Problem Solving
• Communication
• Teaches Others

• The applicant must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others.
• The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee sits to do the work. There may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items (such as books, papers), and accessing transportation.
• The work may require occasional use of Department of Veteran's Affairs approved behavioral management techniques with Veterans who present a danger to self or others.
• Veterans demonstrate varying levels of wellness, recovery, and symptoms.
• This position must be equipped to be flexible and accept that work areas are often noisy, irregular, unpredictable, and stressful.
• Work is performed in a wide range of settings, including the Medical Center, group or family homes, community-based outpatient settings, community organizations, or in transport vehicles (public or government).

• State-certified peer specialists who wish to relocate will need to check their current state and the new state to verify certification requirements.
• This should be completed before applying to peer specialist positions in a different state.
• Verification must be made that the peer specialist possesses a valid certification before being appointed to the position.
• Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.
• VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service.
• This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.
• Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.