Peer Specialist - Community Based

About the role

This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements that are detailed in the qualifications section.

Responsibilities

• Functions as an interdisciplinary team member, assisting physicians and other professional/non-professional personnel in a rehabilitation treatment program.
• Performs 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.
• Helps them monitor their progress, assist them in their treatment, model effective coping techniques and self-help strategies based on the peer specialist's own recovery experience, and support them in advocating for themselves to obtain effective services.
• Serves as a community-based peer specialist within the local VA facility catchment area.
• 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 tools to coach Veterans to relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness.
• Observes 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 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.
• Informs Veterans about VA and community supports and resources, including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness process.
• Maintains a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
• Operates a motor vehicle or accesses public transportation to perform assigned duties.
• Accompanies Veterans to appointments as needed, whether medical, housing, or other treatment plan goal appointments, either through agency vehicle or public transportation.
• Assists Veterans to identify resources and problem-solve how to overcome barriers so that the Veterans can independently address transportation and other personal needs.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 07/27/2026.
• Time-In-Grade Requirement: Must have served 52 weeks at the appropriate grade level.
• Education Substitution: Successful completion of specific educational requirements.

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements: Statutory requirements, length of experience in recovery, and certification.
• Minimum Grade Level Qualifications: Experience at the next lower graded level, specialized experience, and responsibilities.

Skills

• Ability to operate a motor vehicle or access public transportation.
• Ability to accompany Veterans to appointments.
• Ability to assist Veterans in identifying resources and problem-solving.
• Ability to maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in wellness and recovery.

Benefits

• Not specified.

Pay

• Not specified.

Schedule

• Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.