Peer Specialist

Veterans Health Administration • Houston, TX

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Specialist serves as an interdisciplinary team member in a rehabilitation treatment program, assisting physicians and other professional and non-professional personnel. The role uses the specialist’s personal recovery experience to support Veterans in articulating recovery and wellness goals, learning and practicing skills, monitoring progress, participating in treatment, using coping and self-help strategies, and advocating for effective services. The position provides community-based peer support within the local VA facility catchment area and may involve work in Veterans’ homes, prisons, jails, treatment courts, shelters, tent encampments, street outreach locations, and other community settings.

The role requires travel to accompany Veterans to medical, housing, or other treatment-plan appointments, using an agency vehicle or public transportation. The specialist helps Veterans identify resources and solve barriers so they can independently address transportation and other personal needs. A current, valid state-issued driver’s license is required. The position is not virtual. Work is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., subject to change based on agency needs. This position has a multi-grade career ladder, with potential promotion to the full-performance level when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.

Applicants must be Veterans who meet statutory requirements, including having recovered or being in recovery from a mental health condition, at least one year of recovery, and current, full, unrestricted peer specialist certification. Applicants must also meet the experience or education requirements for the applicable grade and demonstrate basic written and spoken English proficiency. The position involves primarily light and sedentary work, with occasional moderate physical demands, and may require approved behavioral management techniques in situations involving Veterans who present a danger to themselves or others. Work settings may be noisy, irregular, unpredictable, and stressful.

Requirements

• Must be a Veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition, including mental illness and/or substance use disorder, and have at least one year of recovery.
• Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted peer specialist certification from a qualifying state or not-for-profit training entity.
• Must have a current, valid state-issued driver's license.
• Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• For GS-6 through GS-9, must meet the applicable time-in-grade requirement if currently or formerly subject to it: 52 weeks at the next lower GS grade.
• GS-6 through GS-9 experience qualification: at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade involving post-personal-recovery experience supporting others in mental health and/or addiction recovery, such as mentoring, recovery advocacy, psychiatric therapy aide work, or equivalent in-person support.
• Alternatively, qualifying directly related graduate education may substitute for experience: six months of graduate education or a one-year post-bachelor's internship for GS-6; one full year of graduate education for GS-7; one and one-half years for GS-8; and two full years or a master's degree for GS-9.
• Must meet applicable federal hiring eligibility and documentation requirements, including submission of DD-214 and peer specialist certification.
• Must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary work with occasional moderate physical demands, exercise patience and control emotions, and perform the work with reasonable accommodation if necessary without endangering health or safety.
• Must be able to work in varied, potentially noisy, irregular, unpredictable, and stressful settings and may need to use VA-approved behavioral management techniques.

Responsibilities

• Participate in VA health care service, training, consultation, and other professional activities as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
• Use personal recovery experience to model coping techniques and recovery tools and coach Veterans in skills for managing health conditions and pursuing personal wellness.
• Observe behaviors that may indicate difficulty adapting or responding to treatment, document observations, and report concerns to the treatment team promptly.
• Use individual and group meetings to teach Veterans to identify and combat negative self-talk and overcome fears by providing a forum to share experiences.
• Handle crisis interventions and other emergent situations when necessary, including without specific instructions.
• Inform Veterans about VA and community supports and resources and how to use them in recovery and wellness.
• Maintain knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic wellness and recovery approaches through relevant reading and materials.
• Accompany Veterans to medical, housing, and other treatment-plan appointments using an agency vehicle or public transportation.
• Help Veterans identify resources and problem-solve barriers so they can independently address transportation and other personal needs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package is available to the employee and family, with eligibility dependent on position type and other factors.
• VA may approve credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining the annual leave accrual rate; approval is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed