Peer Specialist

This position is restricted to veterans who meet the statutory requirements detailed in the qualifications section.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/31/2026.

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.
• 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.

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 one-year time-in-grade; in this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. 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

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:

• Be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition.
• Be certified by:
  • A not-for-profit entity engaged in peer specialist training as having met criteria established by the Secretary for a peer specialist position, or
  • A State as having satisfied relevant State requirements 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). Successful recovery is exemplified by:

• Managing symptoms of illness and pursuing a healthy lifestyle.
• Living independently.
• Being employed or volunteering significant time approximating at least a part-time employment schedule.
• Having meaningful relationships with family members and friends.
• Being 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.

This position is open to:

• Current, permanent employees of the VA (i.e., T38, T38 Hybrid, and VCS employees on excepted appointments covered by an interchange agreement).
• Federal employees on a Career/Career-Conditional appointment.
• 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.
• Those eligible for CTAP/ICTAP.

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 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 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.

Education Substitution: Transcripts are required with your application package.

• GS-6: Successful completion of 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 of 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 of one and one-half (1.5) 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 of 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

The Peer Specialist 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 articulating their goals for recovery and personal wellness, learning and practicing new skills, helping them monitor their progress, assisting them in their treatment, modeling effective coping techniques and self-help strategies based on the peer specialist's own recovery experience, and supporting them in advocating for themselves to obtain effective services.
• Serving as a community-based peer specialist within the local VA facility catchment area. The working environment may include providing peer support services in places such as Veterans' homes, prisons, jails, treatment courts, shelters, tent encampments, street outreach, etc.
• Participating in the service, training, consultation, and other professional activities of VA health care services and functioning as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
• Using personal recovery experiences to model coping techniques and recovery tools to coach Veterans in relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness.
• Observing 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), completing appropriate documentation, and reporting concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
• Using 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.
• Handling crisis interventions for Veterans and addressing other emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions as necessary.
• Informing Veterans about VA and community supports and resources, including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness process.
• Maintaining a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
• Operating a motor vehicle or accessing public transportation to perform assigned duties.
• Accompanying Veterans to appointments as needed, whether medical, housing, or other treatment plan goal appointments, either through agency vehicle or public transportation.
• Assisting Veterans to identify resources and problem-solve how to overcome barriers so that the Veterans can independently address transportation and other personal needs.
• Performing subsequent background checks if treating Veterans in an institutional setting.
• Performing other related duties as assigned.

Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

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.