PEER Specialist (Non-Gender)

Full Job Description

This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements that are detailed in the qualifications section.

The position functions as an interdisciplinary team member, assisting physicians and other professional/non-professional personnel in a rehabilitation treatment program.

Peer specialists perform a variety of therapeutic and supportive tasks that include assisting Veterans in their goals for recovery and personal wellness.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/02/2026.

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.

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 announcement.

In 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.

-OR- 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.

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 master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9.

Only education that is directly related to the work of the position is creditable. Major Duties:

Participates 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.

In consultation with the supervisor, the position completes assignments based on 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.

Serves as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for effective wellness and holistic, recovery-based services that aid Veterans in daily living.

Assists Veterans to articulate personal recovery and wellness goals through the use of individual or group meetings by identifying their skills, strengths, supports, and resources needed to aid them in achieving their recovery and wellness goals.

Assists Veterans in determining the steps needed to achieve their self-directed recovery and wellness goals.

Utilizes recovery tools to coach Veterans on relevant skills, 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.

Contributes to the development of an effective discharge plan that is based upon their understanding of the Veteran's goals and interests.

Observes behaviors that might indicate difficulty adapting or responding to treatment (e.g., missed appointments, failure to maintain abstinence, risk to self or others, disruptive behavior) 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.

When appropriate, the position shares stories about personal recovery experiences in relation to current struggles that the Veterans report.

The discreet self-disclosures made by the position facilitate Veterans' recovery by conveying hope that change and recovery are possible.

Utilizing personal recovery experience, the position will: Teach and role model the value of individual's recovery experience.

Model effective coping techniques, holistic wellness, and self-help strategies. Assist in obtaining services that suit individual personal recovery and wellness needs.

Assist in exploring interests and options for making improvements in life functioning areas such as housing, employment, relationships, and community engagement (i.e., assist in options for obtaining affordable housing and coordinate with the treatment team for VA housing programs; Support Veterans' vocational choices and coordinate with the treatment team for referrals to support employment).

Inform about VA and community resources, including how to utilize them in the recovery and wellness process. Community resources may include: Consumer organizations, Social Security offices, Dept.

of Family and Children Services, YMCAs, Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), and the Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).

Assist in developing empowerment skills, identifying strengths, and combating stigma through self-advocacy.

(Accomplished through individual or group meetings and using role playing/modeling techniques.

Serve as liaison to community-based organizations to develop and/or foster Veterans' community integration, natural supports, and self-reliant strategies.

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 services and benefits.

Assist Veterans in building social skills in the community that enhance community reintegration using techniques and social skills training.

This position handles crisis interventions for Veterans and addresses other emergent situations through immediate consultation with the supervisor or available clinical provider.

These crisis interventions are carefully documented and communicated to the multidisciplinary team in a timely manner.

This position maintains a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 0900 - 1930; Thursday - Sunday Telework: In accordance with VA Policy, and Supervisory Discretion (Ad-hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PEER Specialist (Non-Gender)/PD99696-S, 99697-S, 99701-S, 99702-S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Promotion Potential: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder.

The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.