U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Join to apply for the
PEER SPECIALIST
role at the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs .
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 $44,959.00/yr - $79,443.00/yr
Summary:
This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements detailed in the qualifications section. This is not a remote/telework position. The Battle Creek VA Medical Center Network is hiring Peer Specialists to serve in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinics in Wyoming, MI.
Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 01/02/2026. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation – but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF‑50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year – it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade – as required by the announcement. In this instance – you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
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 appointments covered by an interchange agreement)
Federal employees on a Career/Career‑Conditional appointment.
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
The Peer Specialist functions as an interdisciplinary team member within inpatient and outpatient treatment programs – assisting physicians and other professional/non‑professional personnel
Outpatient Mental Health (OMH) Certified Peer Specialists in outpatient mental health model recovery for other veterans through lived experience and specialized training focused on enhancing individual recovery
Through a variety of therapeutic and supportive tasks – the peer specialist will support veteran in articulating their goals for recovery – advocating for their own care – and building a personalized plan for achieving a well‑balanced recovery
Functions as an interdisciplinary team member to assist professional/non‑professional personnel by receiving and sharing information regarding the Veteran's progress towards meeting recovery goals Provide ongoing individual and group support to assist Veterans with identifying the type of work that they prefer – career development goals – and additional training when necessary Assist Veterans in identifying their skills – strengths – supports – and resources needed to aid them in achieving their recovery and wellness goals
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
Provides peer services in both individual and group formats to Veterans with mild to moderate symptoms of many different problems (e.g. – depression – anxiety – trauma – insomnia – grief – relationship problems)
Provides short‑term support – advocacy – and motivational coaching for Veterans who are typically near the start of their recovery journeys
Performs other related duties as assigned
Work Schedule: MON‑FRI 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
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
Industries
Government Administration
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by 2x.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
PEER SPECIALIST
role at the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs .
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 $44,959.00/yr - $79,443.00/yr
Summary:
This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements detailed in the qualifications section. This is not a remote/telework position. The Battle Creek VA Medical Center Network is hiring Peer Specialists to serve in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinics in Wyoming, MI.
Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 01/02/2026. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation – but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF‑50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year – it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade – as required by the announcement. In this instance – you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
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 appointments covered by an interchange agreement)
Federal employees on a Career/Career‑Conditional appointment.
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
The Peer Specialist functions as an interdisciplinary team member within inpatient and outpatient treatment programs – assisting physicians and other professional/non‑professional personnel
Outpatient Mental Health (OMH) Certified Peer Specialists in outpatient mental health model recovery for other veterans through lived experience and specialized training focused on enhancing individual recovery
Through a variety of therapeutic and supportive tasks – the peer specialist will support veteran in articulating their goals for recovery – advocating for their own care – and building a personalized plan for achieving a well‑balanced recovery
Functions as an interdisciplinary team member to assist professional/non‑professional personnel by receiving and sharing information regarding the Veteran's progress towards meeting recovery goals Provide ongoing individual and group support to assist Veterans with identifying the type of work that they prefer – career development goals – and additional training when necessary Assist Veterans in identifying their skills – strengths – supports – and resources needed to aid them in achieving their recovery and wellness goals
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
Provides peer services in both individual and group formats to Veterans with mild to moderate symptoms of many different problems (e.g. – depression – anxiety – trauma – insomnia – grief – relationship problems)
Provides short‑term support – advocacy – and motivational coaching for Veterans who are typically near the start of their recovery journeys
Performs other related duties as assigned
Work Schedule: MON‑FRI 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
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
Industries
Government Administration
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by 2x.
#J-18808-Ljbffr