Peer Specialist

About the Role

This Peer Specialist position is within the Mental Health Care Line (MHCL) at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX. The role is restricted to Veterans who meet specific statutory requirements, including having recovered or being in recovery from a mental health condition and holding a Peer Specialist Certification.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2026. This includes time-in-grade requirements for current Federal employees and specific recovery experience or education.

• Statutory Requirements: Must be a Veteran with at least 1 year of recovery from a mental health condition and hold a Peer Specialist Certification from a recognized entity.
• Time-In-Grade: Applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade level (GS-5 for GS-6, GS-6 for GS-7, GS-7 for GS-8, GS-8 for GS-9).
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English.

Minimum Grade Level Qualifications

• GS-6: 1 year of specialized experience or 6 months of graduate education.
• GS-7: 1 year of specialized experience or 1 year of graduate education.
• GS-8: 1 year of specialized experience or 1.5 years of graduate education.
• GS-9: 1 year of specialized experience or 2 years of graduate education (or a master's degree).

Duties

The Peer Specialist functions as an interdisciplinary team member, assisting in a rehabilitation treatment program. Duties include:

• Assisting Veterans in articulating recovery goals and learning new skills.
• Modeling coping techniques and self-help strategies based on personal recovery experience.
• Monitoring Veteran progress and addressing emergent situations.
• Teaching Veterans how to combat negative self-talk and overcome fears.
• Informing Veterans about VA and community resources.
• Maintaining knowledge of current trends in wellness and recovery.

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm (Subject to change based on agency needs). This is not a virtual position.

Promotion Potential

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. Promotion to the full performance level is possible without further competition when all requirements are met.