- Position Title
- PEER SPECIALIST
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBTA-12660712-25-RNL Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Monday, January 6, 2025 to Monday, July 7, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs within the VISN the position is located?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
Preferences
1.
Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001).
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in this position with Department of Veterans Affairs. Your resume and the responses you provide to this assessment questionnaire will be used to determine if you are among the best qualified for this position. Your responses are subject to verification. Please review your responses for accuracy before you submit your application.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
1.
This announcement is restricted to WOMEN-Identified VETERANS. In accordance with the VA MISSION Act of 2018 and Public Law 115-271, in order to meet the needs of women Veterans, the Office of Personnel Management has authorized this recruitment as gender specific, and therefore, restricted to women or transgender persons who identify as women.
Are you a woman or a transgender person that identifies as a woman?
Are you a woman or a transgender person that identifies as a woman?
2.
Are you a Veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition?
3.
Are you currently certified as a Peer Specialist? The following certifications are acceptable:- by a non-profit entity engaged in peer specialist training as having met such criteria as the Secretary shall establish for peer specialist position OR a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist position. Certification is required at time of application.
4.
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. (If you have not held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks, this question does not apply to you.) For this vacancy, applicants must have held grade GS-5 or higher for at least one year to be eligible for the GS-6. The grade must have been held in the Federal service but may have been in any occupation. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current Federal employee status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one-year time in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one-year time-in-grade. In this instance, you should provide an additional SF-50 to clearly demonstrate one-year time-in-grade. Do you meet the time-in-grade requirement for this position?
5.
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. (If you have not held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks, this question does not apply to you.) For this vacancy, applicants must have held grade GS-6 or higher for at least one year to be eligible for the GS-7. The grade must have been held in the Federal service but may have been in any occupation. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current Federal employee status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one-year time in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one-year time-in-grade. In this instance, you should provide an additional SF-50 to clearly demonstrate one-year time-in-grade. Do you meet the time-in-grade requirement for this position?
6.
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. (If you have not held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks, this question does not apply to you.) For this vacancy, applicants must have held grade GS-7 or higher for at least one year to be eligible for the GS-8. The grade must have been held in the Federal service but may have been in any occupation. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current Federal employee status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one-year time in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one-year time-in-grade. In this instance, you should provide an additional SF-50 to clearly demonstrate one-year time-in-grade. Do you meet the time-in-grade requirement for this position?
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
7.
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. (If you have not held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks, this question does not apply to you.) For this vacancy, applicants must have held grade GS-08 or higher for at least one year to be eligible for the GS-09. The grade must have been held in the Federal service but may have been in any occupation. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current Federal employee status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one-year time in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one-year time-in-grade. In this instance, you should provide an additional SF-50 to clearly demonstrate one-year time-in-grade. Do you meet the time-in-grade requirement for this position?
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
8.
Do you possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal Service? Specialized experience includes but not limited to the following: involved post-personal mental health recovery experience as a mentor providing support to others in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services, or equivalent work involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery. At this level, 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.
OR successfully completed six (6) months of graduate education in a degree program directly related to the work of this position. (Transcripts required.)
OR successfully completed six (6) months of graduate education in a degree program directly related to the work of this position. (Transcripts required.)
9.
Do you possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-6 grade level in the Federal Service? Specialized experience includes but not limited to the following: 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. (*To receive credit for these skills, they must be documented in your resume.)
OR 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. (Transcripts required.).)
OR 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. (Transcripts required.).)
10.
Do you possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the Federal Service? Specialized experience includes but not limited to the following: 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.(*To receive credit for these skills, they must be documented in your resume.)
OR Successful completion of 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. (Transcripts required.)
OR Successful completion of 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. (Transcripts required.)
11.
Do you possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-8 grade level in the Federal Service? Specialized experience includes but not limited to the following: 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. (*To receive credit for these skills, they must be documented in your resume.)
OR 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. (Transcripts required.)
OR 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. (Transcripts required.)
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Select the one statement below that best describes your current level of experience to meet the minimum requirements for this position. Please refer to the Qualifications and Duties sections of this announcement for detailed information.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
12.
Experience working with individuals with very complex mental illnesses and challenging situations that require effective communication and decision-making skills.
13.
Utilizes recovery tools to coach others on relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness.
14.
Monitors progress and assists with the execution of individual recovery and wellness plans.
15.
Handles crisis interventions and addresses other emergent situations through immediate consultation.
16.
Observes behaviors of others 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).
17.
Reports concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
18.
Shares stories about personal recovery experiences in relation to current struggles that individuals are reporting.
19.
Model effective coping techniques, holistic wellness, and self-help strategies.
20.
Assist individual in developing empowerment skills, identifying strengths, and combating stigma through self-advocacy.
21.
Assist individual in exploring their interests and options for making improvements in life functioning areas such as housing, employment, relationships , and community engagement.
22.
Teach and role model the value of every individual's recovery experience.
23.
Assists individuals in articulating personal recovery goals through the use of individual or group meetings.
24.
Assists individuals in identifying their skills, strengths, supports, and resources needed to aid them in achieving their recovery goals.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
25.
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement or commit deception or fraud in this application and its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S.C. 1001); my eligibilities may be cancelled, I may be denied an appointment, or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 C.F.R. part 731). I understand that any information I give may be investigated. I understand that responding "No" to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.
RESUME REMINDER - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.