U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Peer Specialist
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
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Peer Specialist
role at
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Pay Range $52,938.00/yr - $93,549.00/yr
Summary Program is looking to recruit and fill one vacancy in our downtown Los Angeles location. Note: This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements that are detailed in the qualifications section.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 01/12/2026.
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 within 30 days of the closing date. For a GS‑6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑5; for a GS‑7 position 52 weeks at the GS‑6; for a GS‑8 52 weeks at the GS‑7; for a GS‑9 52 weeks at the GS‑8. 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 for appointment to a Peer Specialist position a person must: (1) be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition; (2) be certified by 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 a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist position.
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 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 (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.
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.
GS‑7: Same level of experience as GS‑6, working with minimal supervisory oversight.
GS‑8: Same level of experience, with ability to work with general instructions for routine duties and detailed instructions for non‑routine functions and special assignments.
GS‑9: Same level of experience, with considerable independence and responsibility for making recommendations to the interdisciplinary treatment team.
Education substitution: GS‑6 – six (6) months of graduate education or a 1‑year post‑bachelor's internship; GS‑7 – one (1) full year of graduate education; GS‑8 – one and a half (1.5) years of graduate education; GS‑9 – two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree.
Duties
The Peer Specialist functions as an interdisciplinary team member – assisting physicians and other professional/non‑professional personnel in a rehabilitation treatment program.
Peer 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.
Participate in service, training, consultation, and other professional activities of VA health care services and function as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
Use 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.
Observe 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), complete appropriate documentation and report concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
Use 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 experiences.
Handle crisis interventions for Veterans and address other emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions.
Inform Veterans about VA and community supports and resources – including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness process.
Maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Work schedule: Monday‑Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available. Telework: Not Authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Peer Specialist/PD99324‑s, PD99325‑s, PD99326‑s, and PD99327‑s. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Available. 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 – GS‑09.
Seniority Level Entry level
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function Other
Industries Government Administration
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Peer Specialist
role at
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Pay Range $52,938.00/yr - $93,549.00/yr
Summary Program is looking to recruit and fill one vacancy in our downtown Los Angeles location. Note: This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements that are detailed in the qualifications section.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 01/12/2026.
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 within 30 days of the closing date. For a GS‑6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑5; for a GS‑7 position 52 weeks at the GS‑6; for a GS‑8 52 weeks at the GS‑7; for a GS‑9 52 weeks at the GS‑8. 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 for appointment to a Peer Specialist position a person must: (1) be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition; (2) be certified by 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 a State as having satisfied relevant State requirements for a peer specialist position.
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 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 (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.
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.
GS‑7: Same level of experience as GS‑6, working with minimal supervisory oversight.
GS‑8: Same level of experience, with ability to work with general instructions for routine duties and detailed instructions for non‑routine functions and special assignments.
GS‑9: Same level of experience, with considerable independence and responsibility for making recommendations to the interdisciplinary treatment team.
Education substitution: GS‑6 – six (6) months of graduate education or a 1‑year post‑bachelor's internship; GS‑7 – one (1) full year of graduate education; GS‑8 – one and a half (1.5) years of graduate education; GS‑9 – two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree.
Duties
The Peer Specialist functions as an interdisciplinary team member – assisting physicians and other professional/non‑professional personnel in a rehabilitation treatment program.
Peer 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.
Participate in service, training, consultation, and other professional activities of VA health care services and function as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
Use 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.
Observe 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), complete appropriate documentation and report concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
Use 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 experiences.
Handle crisis interventions for Veterans and address other emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions.
Inform Veterans about VA and community supports and resources – including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness process.
Maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches in wellness and recovery by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Work schedule: Monday‑Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available. Telework: Not Authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Peer Specialist/PD99324‑s, PD99325‑s, PD99326‑s, and PD99327‑s. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Available. 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 – GS‑09.
Seniority Level Entry level
Employment Type Full‑time
Job Function Other
Industries Government Administration
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