Lead Peer Specialist
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Wilmington, NC, United States
Summary
This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements that are detailed in the qualifications section.
Qualifications Applicant must meet all requirements by the closing date 04/24/2026.
Time‑In‑Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current federal employees and have held a GS grade in the past 52 weeks must also meet time‑in‑grade requirements by the closing date. For a GS‑10 position, you must have served 52 weeks at GS‑9. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the federal service. An SF‑50 showing 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 one‑year time‑in‑grade; you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade. 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) establishes that to be eligible for a Peer Specialist position one must:
(1) be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition;
(2) be certified by (a) a not‑for‑profit entity engaged in peer specialist training and having met such criteria as the Secretary shall establish, or (b) a state as having satisfied relevant state requirements for a peer specialist position.
Length of Experience in Recovery: must have at least one year of recovery from a mental health condition (mental illness and/or substance use disorder).
Successful recovery is exemplified by a person 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.
Is socially involved in the community through clubs, hobby groups, church, civic organizations, veteran organizations, or other groups where 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 was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
Restricted to VETERANS – see IMPORTANT NOTICE.
Open to current permanent employees of the VA (e.g., 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 proficient in basic written and spoken English.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the basic requirements you must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS‑09) in the federal service, directly related to the work of the position and equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Lead Peer Specialist.
Qualifying specialized experience includes 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, work will have been performed with considerable independence and you will be responsible for making recommendations to the interdisciplinary treatment team that can be relied upon for sound judgment and maturity of insight on problem cases.
Preferred competencies for this position include problem solving, communication, teaching others, and leadership. Experience may be paid or unpaid, including volunteer work through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other civic or professional organizations.
All qualifying experience, including volunteer experience, will receive credit.
A full year of work is considered to be 35–40 hours per week.
Part‑time experience will be credited on the basis of actual time spent in appropriate activities.
Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties, responsibilities, and hours per week for each position.
Physical Requirements: The applicant must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasional moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions with reasonable accommodation if necessary.
Duties
The position leads a team comprised of Peer Specialists and may include work‑without‑compensation peer support employees, within a common supervisory structure, to provide services, integrate processes, and meet goals of peer support service programming at the facility.
As the leader, the position facilitates, coordinates, coaches, and problem‑solves with the peer support staff team.
The position also acts as the liaison between the peer support staff team and the supervisor.
The work enables the peer support provider team as a whole to deliver improved quality, quantity, and timely services to Veterans.
Key responsibilities include:
Ensuring that the organization’s strategic plan, mission, vision, and values are communicated to the peer support staff and integrated into the team's strategies, goals, objectives, work plans, products, and services.
Articulating and communicating assignments, projects, problems, and actionable events to the team, including deadlines and time frames.
Coaching the peer support staff in the selection and application of appropriate problem‑solving methods and techniques, providing advice on work methods, practices, and procedures, and assisting in identifying viable solutions.
Maintaining awareness of the status and progress of peer support staff work and making day‑to‑day adjustments to align with program goals and processes.
Leading the team in identifying, distributing, and balancing workload and tasks in accordance with established workflow, skill level, and/or occupational specialization.
Ensuring each team member has an integral role in developing the final team products and services.
Identifying training needs and assisting in the development of training for peer specialists and Veterans seeking to become peer specialists.
Serving as a coach, facilitator, and negotiator in coordinating team initiatives and consensus‑building activities among team members.
Maintaining working knowledge of treatments and services for appropriate referrals.
Representing the team in dealings with the supervisor for the purpose of obtaining resources (e.g., computer hardware and software, use of overtime or compensatory time) and securing needed information or decisions from the supervisor on major work problems.
Participating in service, training, consultation, and other professional activities of VA health care services and functioning as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
Using personal recovery experiences to model coping techniques and recovery tools, coaching Veterans on self‑management of health condition(s) and pursuit of personal wellness.
Observing behaviors that might indicate difficulty adapting or responding to treatment, completing appropriate documentation, and reporting concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
Using ongoing individual and group meetings to teach Veterans how to identify and combat negative self‑talk and overcome fears via a forum that allows sharing of experiences.
Handling crisis interventions for Veterans and addressing emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions, as necessary.
Informing Veterans about VA and community supports and resources and how they can effectively utilize them in recovery and wellness.
Maintaining a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches to wellness and recovery.
Performing other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday ‑ Friday (not a virtual position).
Position Description / PD#: Lead Peer Specialist / PD99338S, relocation/recruitment incentives: not authorized, permanent change of station: not authorized.
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Qualifications Applicant must meet all requirements by the closing date 04/24/2026.
Time‑In‑Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current federal employees and have held a GS grade in the past 52 weeks must also meet time‑in‑grade requirements by the closing date. For a GS‑10 position, you must have served 52 weeks at GS‑9. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the federal service. An SF‑50 showing 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 one‑year time‑in‑grade; you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade. 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) establishes that to be eligible for a Peer Specialist position one must:
(1) be a veteran who has recovered or is recovering from a mental health condition;
(2) be certified by (a) a not‑for‑profit entity engaged in peer specialist training and having met such criteria as the Secretary shall establish, or (b) a state as having satisfied relevant state requirements for a peer specialist position.
Length of Experience in Recovery: must have at least one year of recovery from a mental health condition (mental illness and/or substance use disorder).
Successful recovery is exemplified by a person 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.
Is socially involved in the community through clubs, hobby groups, church, civic organizations, veteran organizations, or other groups where 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 was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
Restricted to VETERANS – see IMPORTANT NOTICE.
Open to current permanent employees of the VA (e.g., 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 proficient in basic written and spoken English.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the basic requirements you must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS‑09) in the federal service, directly related to the work of the position and equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Lead Peer Specialist.
Qualifying specialized experience includes 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, work will have been performed with considerable independence and you will be responsible for making recommendations to the interdisciplinary treatment team that can be relied upon for sound judgment and maturity of insight on problem cases.
Preferred competencies for this position include problem solving, communication, teaching others, and leadership. Experience may be paid or unpaid, including volunteer work through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other civic or professional organizations.
All qualifying experience, including volunteer experience, will receive credit.
A full year of work is considered to be 35–40 hours per week.
Part‑time experience will be credited on the basis of actual time spent in appropriate activities.
Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties, responsibilities, and hours per week for each position.
Physical Requirements: The applicant must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasional moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions with reasonable accommodation if necessary.
Duties
The position leads a team comprised of Peer Specialists and may include work‑without‑compensation peer support employees, within a common supervisory structure, to provide services, integrate processes, and meet goals of peer support service programming at the facility.
As the leader, the position facilitates, coordinates, coaches, and problem‑solves with the peer support staff team.
The position also acts as the liaison between the peer support staff team and the supervisor.
The work enables the peer support provider team as a whole to deliver improved quality, quantity, and timely services to Veterans.
Key responsibilities include:
Ensuring that the organization’s strategic plan, mission, vision, and values are communicated to the peer support staff and integrated into the team's strategies, goals, objectives, work plans, products, and services.
Articulating and communicating assignments, projects, problems, and actionable events to the team, including deadlines and time frames.
Coaching the peer support staff in the selection and application of appropriate problem‑solving methods and techniques, providing advice on work methods, practices, and procedures, and assisting in identifying viable solutions.
Maintaining awareness of the status and progress of peer support staff work and making day‑to‑day adjustments to align with program goals and processes.
Leading the team in identifying, distributing, and balancing workload and tasks in accordance with established workflow, skill level, and/or occupational specialization.
Ensuring each team member has an integral role in developing the final team products and services.
Identifying training needs and assisting in the development of training for peer specialists and Veterans seeking to become peer specialists.
Serving as a coach, facilitator, and negotiator in coordinating team initiatives and consensus‑building activities among team members.
Maintaining working knowledge of treatments and services for appropriate referrals.
Representing the team in dealings with the supervisor for the purpose of obtaining resources (e.g., computer hardware and software, use of overtime or compensatory time) and securing needed information or decisions from the supervisor on major work problems.
Participating in service, training, consultation, and other professional activities of VA health care services and functioning as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team.
Using personal recovery experiences to model coping techniques and recovery tools, coaching Veterans on self‑management of health condition(s) and pursuit of personal wellness.
Observing behaviors that might indicate difficulty adapting or responding to treatment, completing appropriate documentation, and reporting concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner.
Using ongoing individual and group meetings to teach Veterans how to identify and combat negative self‑talk and overcome fears via a forum that allows sharing of experiences.
Handling crisis interventions for Veterans and addressing emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions, as necessary.
Informing Veterans about VA and community supports and resources and how they can effectively utilize them in recovery and wellness.
Maintaining a working knowledge of current trends and developments in holistic approaches to wellness and recovery.
Performing other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday ‑ Friday (not a virtual position).
Position Description / PD#: Lead Peer Specialist / PD99338S, relocation/recruitment incentives: not authorized, permanent change of station: not authorized.
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