Peer Specialist

Summary The Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System is actively hiring for one (1) Peer Specialist within Social Work Services. These positions are located in Tuskegee Alabama. The work requires a general knowledge of principles - methods and techniques of psychiatric rehabilitation and wellness gained by the position's lived experience as a person in recovery from a mental health condition but does not require specific formal education. Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 10/21/2026. Basic Requirements FOR PEER SPECIALISTS aStatutory RequirementsSection 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 conditionand(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 positionor(b) a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist positionbLength 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 lifestylelives independentlyis employed or volunteers significant time approximating at least a part-time employment schedulehas meaningful relationships with family members and friendsand is socially involved in the community through clubs - hobby groups - church - civic organizations or Veteran organizations in which the individual provides a service to othersIMPORTANT 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 dishonorableRestricted to VETERANS - See IMPORTANT NOTICEOpen to current - permanent employees of the VA (i.eT38 - 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 reinstatementVeterans eligible under VEOA - VRA - and 30% DAVThose eligible under the Employment Program for People with Disabilitiesand those eligible for CTAP/ICTAPNOTE: You MUST provide copies of your DD-214 and Peer Specialist Certification - with your application packageENGLISH 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 EnglishYou must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this positionMINIMUM 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 recoveryYour work has been closely monitored including having work checked in progress and reviewing completed work for accuracy - adequacy - and adherence to instructions or proceduresGS-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 recoveryAt this level - routine work has been completed with minimal supervisory oversight and review - however close supervision will have been provided for complex and unusual tasksGS-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 recoveryAt 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 assignmentsNon-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 - etcGS-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 recoveryAt 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 creditableGS-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 creditableGS-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 creditableGS-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 creditableNOTE: In recruiting and examining for these positions - participation in community - social service - and similar volunteer activities that meets the definition of specialized experience is creditable applicant experienceFor more information on these qualification standards - please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Duties The Peer Specialist functions as an interdisciplinary team member - assisting physicians and other professional/non-professional personnel in a rehabilitation treatment programPeer 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.Duties include - but not limited to the following: 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 teamUses 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 wellnessObserves 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) - completes appropriate documentation - and reports concerns to the treatment team in a timely mannerUses 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 Veteran to share their experiencesAs necessary - handles crisis interventions for Veterans and addresses other emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructionsInforms Veterans about VA and community supports and resources - including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness processMaintains a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books - journals - and other relevant materialsPerforms other related duties as assignedPromotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory - qualification - and performance requirements are metSelection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance levelWork Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am- 4:30 pmwork schedule subject to change based on agency needsTelework: This position may be authorized for teleworkVirtual: This is not a virtual positionPosition Description/PD#: Peer Specialist/PD99319-S - PD99320-S - PD99321-S - and PD99322-S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized