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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

PEER SPECIALIST

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Bakersfield, California, United States, 93399

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PEER SPECIALIST

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Position Summary This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements that are detailed in the qualifications section. Employee will be assigned to the HCHV Street Outreach Team.

Pay Range U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provided pay range This range is provided by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range $52,414.00/yr - $92,615.00/yr

Qualifications and Basic Requirements

FOR PEER SPECIALISTS a

Statutory Requirements

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: (1) be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition

and(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 position

or(b) a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist position

b

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 one who manages symptoms of illness and pursues a healthy lifestyle

lives independently

is employed or volunteers significant time approximating at least a part-time employment schedule

has meaningful relationships with family members and friends

and is 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

Restricted to VETERANS - See IMPORTANT NOTICE

Open to current - permanent employees of the VA (i.e T38 - 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 reinstatement

Veterans eligible under VEOA - VRA - and 30% DAV

Those eligible under the Employment Program for People with Disabilities

and those eligible for CTAP/ICTAP

NOTE: 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 in order 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 the 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

-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 creditable

GS-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 creditable

GS-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 creditable

GS-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 creditable.

Duties

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 tolls to coach Veterans to relevant skills need for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness

Serves as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for effective wellness and holistic - recovery-based services that aid Veterans in daily living

Orients new Veterans to the program's services - hours - locations - staff - and other pertinent information necessary for the Veterans to understand how to effectively utilize the program services

Guides Veterans to articulate personal recovery and wellness goals through the use of individual or group meetings

Utilizes recovery tools to coach Veterans on relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness

Monitors progress and assists with the execution of the recovery and wellness plan - makes timely reports of progress - and presents new areas of concern to the treatment team

Contributes to the development of an effective discharge plan that is based upon their understanding of the Veteran's goals and interests

Observes behaviors that might indicate difficulty adapting or responding to treatment (e.g. - missed appointments - failure to 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

Maintains a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books - journals - and other relevant materials

Performs other related duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 07:00am-03:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: This is not a telework position

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Position Description/PD#: PEER SPECIALIST/PD99319S - PD99320-S - PD99321-S - and PD99322-S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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.

Seniority Level Entry level

Employment Type Full-time

Job Function Other

Government Administration

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