Peer Specialist

Company: Veterans Health Administration
Location: Harlingen
Posted on: April 9, 2021

Job Description:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/10/2022. BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PEER SPECIALISTS, GS-0102-6/7/8/9:
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 as a Consumer of Mental Health Recovery Services. Veterans eligible under 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(13) must have spent a minimum of 1 year in personal recovery from a mental health condition. 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 level.
For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06 level.
For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level.
For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08 level.
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. You may qualify based on your experience or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: GS-06:One year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-05), which is progressively responsible, identifying needs and providing individualized assistance and appropriate service to Veterans on less complicated cases without prior approval. The supervisor is kept informed of the progress of the work and is available for consultation. Completed work is evaluated for adequacy of methods, results, ability to solve new and changing problems, effectiveness in relations with others, and the ability to coordinate activities with other departments. Supervision is primarily received through the review of reports and discussions of progress on assigned cases. GS-07:One year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-06), which is progressively responsible, performing the full range of services involved in establishing eligibility for assistance; making initial and continuing eligibility determinations in all types of cases and authorizing grants to those who are eligible; developing pertinent information through interviews, correspondence, and home visits to support authorization
of assistance to eligible individuals or to terminate applications of persons who are ineligible; and is responsible on a continuing basis for conducting regularly scheduled reviews of cases to update information on changes in the recipient's circumstances which affect his needs. GS-08:One year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-07), which is progressively responsible, taking the initiative in developing and implementing an appropriate plan of assistance and service and keeping the supervisor informed of any unusual problems that arise while working with a wide range of cases that involve a variety of individualized problems of a less serious nature. Supervision is usually limited to discussing progress of more serious cases in regularly scheduled conferences and a sampling review of case records and reports. GS-09:One year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-08), which is progressively responsible, taking the initiative in providing assistance and service and keeping the supervisor informed of the progress of cases assigned; planning programs of assistance and service for individuals and families incumbent works with, make continuing appraisals of progress of plans, give sustained effective help and encouragement, and evaluate changes in the family's or individual's situation that may affect assistance planning. Consults with his supervisor on unusual questions when incumbent wants conclusions reexamined or feels that adequate precedents for a proposed action have not been definitely established. Supervision is received mainly through review of reports and through periodic discussions of progress of assigned cases.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education, graduate education or a post-bachelor's degree internship meets the specialized experienced required for GS-6/9 ONLY in those instance where it is directly related to the work of the position. You must have:
GS-06:Six (6) months of graduate education in a degree program directly related to the work of this position OR a 1-year post-bachelor's degree internship directly related to the work of this position. GS-07:One full year of graduate education in a degree program directly related to the work of this position. GS-08:One and one-half years of graduate education in a degree program directly related to the work of this position. GS-09:Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree in a program directly related to the work of this position. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Public Service MotivationTeaches OthersTeam BuildingTherapy and CounselingVeteran and Customer Focus Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical and Mental Requirements: Applicant must be able to perform primarily light & sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience & control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health & safety of the applicant or others. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Keywords: Veterans Health Administration, Harlingen , Peer Specialist, Other , Harlingen, Texas