Peer Specialist

Duties include but not limited to the following:

• The position participates il the service training consultation and other professional activities of VA health care services and functions as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
• In consultation with the supervisor the position completes assignments based a peer support service knowledge skill and proven sound judgment.
• The position works with Veterans with very complex mental illnesses and challenging situations that require effective communication and decision-making skills.
• The position serves as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for effective wellness and holistic recovery-based services that aid Veterans il daily living.
• The position orients new Veterans to the programs services hours locations staff and other pertinent information necessary for the Veterans to understand how to effectively utilize the program services. The position assists Veterans to articulate personal recovery and wellness goals through the use of individual or group meetings. During these meetings the position assists Veterans il identifying their skills strengths supports and resources needed to aid them il achieving their recovery and wellness goals. The position assists Veterans il determining the steps needed to achieve their self-directed recovery and wellness goals. The position utilizes recovery tools to coach Veterans a relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness. The position monitors progress and assists with the execution of the recovery and wellness plan makes timely reports of progress and presents new areas of concern to the treatment team. The position also contributes to the development of an effective discharge plan that is based upon their understanding of the Veterans goals and interests.
• Utilizing their personal recovery experience the position will:
  • Teach and role model the value of every individuals recovery experience.
  • Model effective coping techniques holistic wellness and self-help strategies.
  • Assist in obtaining services that suit the individuals personal recovery and wellness needs.
  • Assist Veterans in exploring their interests and options for making improvements in life functioning areas such as housing employment relationships and community engagement (i.e. assist Veterans i1 exploring options for obtaining decent and affordable housing and coordinate with the treatment team for referrals to appropriate VA housing programs; support Veterans vocational choices and coordinate with the treatment team for referrals to appropriate resources to support employment such as VA vocational rehabilitation services).
  • Inform Veterans about VA and community supports and resources including how to effectively utilize them i1 the recovery and wellness process. Community resources may include but are not limited to consumer-run organizations self-help and mutual support services Social Security offices Department of Family and Children Services YMCAs libraries restaurants Veteran Service Organizations and the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).
  • Assist Veterans in developing empowerment skills identifying strengths and combating stigma through self-advocacy. This is accomplished through regular individual or group meetings and using role playing/modeling techniques.
  • Serves as liaison to community-based organizations to develop and/or foster Veterans community integration natural supports and self-reliant strategies.
  • May perform outreach activities to establish community partnerships that will provide health care services for the Veterans in the community and inform Veterans of the availability of those health care services and other benefits.
  • Assist Veterans in building social skills i1 the community that enhance community reintegration using techniques such as role playing and social skills training.
• Other 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
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 10/09/2026.

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. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06 level. For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08 level. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade as required by the this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PEER SPECIALISTS
a. Statutory Requirements. Section 405 of Public Law 110-387 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). Successful recovery is exemplified by one who manages symptoms of illness and pursues a healthy lifestyle; lives independently; is employed or volunteers significant time approximating at least a part-time employment schedule; has meaningful relationships with family members and friends; and is socially involved in the community through clubs hobby groups church civic organizations or Veteran organizations in which the individual provides a service to others.

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. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

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. Your work has been closely monitored including having work checked in progress and reviewing completed work for accuracy adequacy and adherence to instructions or procedures.
• 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. At this level routine work has been completed with minimal supervisory oversight and review however close supervision will have been provided for complex and unusual tasks.
• 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. At this level you have the ability to work with general instructions for the performance of routine duties and detailed instructions and/or training in performance of the non-routine functions and special assignments. Non-routine/novel work will have been reviewed by spot checking and after completion to evaluate the adequacy of methods procedures results ability to solve new and changing problems etc.
• 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. At this level work will have been performed with considerable independence and you are responsible for making recommendations to the interdisciplinary treatment team that can be relied on for soundness of judgment and maturity of insight on problem situations.

• GS-6: Successful completion Six (6) months of graduate education or a 1-year post-bachelors degree internship meets the requirements for GS-6. Only education that is directly related to the work of the position is creditable.
• GS-7: Successful completion One (1) full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Only education that is directly related to the work of the position is creditable.
• GS-8: Successful completion One and one/half (1 ) years of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-8. Only education that is directly related to the work of the position is creditable.
• GS-9: Successful completion Two (2) full years of graduate education or a masters degree meets the requirements for GS-9. Only education that is directly related to the work of the position is creditable.