Peer Support Specialist (National Center for Warrior Independence)

Veterans Health Administration • Los Angeles, CA

32d • Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Specialist position provides support to the National Center for Warrior Independence at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. The Peer Specialist performs a variety of therapeutic and supportive tasks including assisting peers in articulating their goals for recovery, learning and practicing new skills, helping monitor their progress, assisting in their treatment, modeling effective coping techniques and strategies based on the specialist's own recovery experience. The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System is Seeking Highly Energetic Candidates! This position plays a vital role in supporting the Center's mission to enhance Veteran independence through coordinated services, strategic outreach, and programmatic excellence. Ideal candidates are motivated, adaptable, and committed to improving Veteran outcomes through collaboration, innovation, and high-quality service delivery. The role involves supporting interdisciplinary teams, managing key program functions, and helping drive initiatives that empower Veterans to thrive in their communities. This vacancy is a solicitation for a Hiring Fair/Onboarding Event, which will be offered on an invite-only basis once the minimum position qualifications have been verified. Candidates who reside in the West Los Angeles commuting area will be required to attend in person. Candidates who reside outside of West Los Angeles commuting area will have the opportunity to tele-interview.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Must complete all required steps in the process, including the application, questionnaire, and an online assessment measuring critical general competencies.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable forms of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Must serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period.
• 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.
• For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06.
• For a GS-08 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.
• For a GS-09 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08.
• Statutory Requirements: Must be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition; and be certified by a not-for-profit entity engaged in peer specialist training or a State as having met relevant criteria for a peer specialist position.
• 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).
• Must provide copies of your DD-214 and Peer Specialist Certification.
• Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• GS-6: 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: 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: 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: 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Supporting National Center for Warrior Independence programs that enhance Veteran resilience and promote independent living.
• Assisting with coordination, planning, and execution of service delivery initiatives across healthcare and administrative service lines.
• Engaging in outreach, partnership building, and communication efforts that improve access, awareness, and effectiveness of Veteran programs.
• Ensuring timely and accurate support to Veterans, staff, and interdisciplinary teams through data gathering, scheduling, documentation, and workflow management.
• Contributing to innovation and process improvements aimed at strengthening Veteran outcomes and operational success.
• 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.
• Uses personal recovery experiences to model coping techniques and recovery tolls to coach Veterans to relevant skills need for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness.
• Serves as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for effective wellness and holistic, recovery-based services that aid Veterans in daily living.
• Orients new Veterans to the program's services, hours, locations, staff, and other pertinent information necessary for the Veterans to understand how to effectively utilize the program services.
• Guides Veterans to articulate personal recovery and wellness goals through the use of individual or group meetings.
• Utilizes recovery tools to coach Veterans on relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness.
• 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), completes appropriate documentation, and reports concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
• Uses 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.
• Maintains a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
• Must be able to operate a government furnished vehicle for the purpose of assisting Veterans with obtaining and retaining housing.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

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