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This Peer Specialist position may only be filled with a Veteran that meets statutory requirements that are detailed in the qualifications section.
Position provides Veterans the world-class benefits/services they have earned & does so by adhering to the highest standards of compassion, commitment, excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability & stewardship. Position may provide peer support services to both female and male Veterans.
12/29/2022 to 12/28/2023
$42,022 - $74,250 per year
GS 6 - 9
No
No
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
9
No
No
CAZM-11785069-23-HRW
697475300
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Current excepted service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Restricted to VETERANS - See Requirements and Qualifications for details. This vacancy announcement is an "external" job announcement. Current permanent VA employees are encouraged to apply under the "internal" announcement CAZM-11785068-23-HRW to receive consideration based on their current employment status.
*NOTE: Applicant Expiration: Applicants will remain active for 3 months after their initial application is received and/or updated. After that time you must update your application through your USA Jobs account if you would like to be made active again for possible consideration during the open period.
***THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT***
This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 1/13/2023. Additional applications will be referred as needed.
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.
This Peer Specialist position will be aligned within the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) and will have a special emphasis on recovery from Substance Use Disorders (SUD) within the BHIP setting. This position is part of a national hiring initiative aimed at serving Veterans with SUD across Mental Health settings.
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.
Duties include, but not limited to the following:
· 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.
· Observes 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), 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 Veteran to share their experiences.
· As necessary, handles crisis interventions for Veterans and addresses other emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions.
· Informs Veterans about VA and community supports and resources, including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness process.
· 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: Full-Time, Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
Additional Certification Information
Effective August 1, 2022: Applicants not already onboard as peer specialists in VHA on August 1, 2022 must have peer specialist certification from one of the following sources to qualify:
1. The peer specialist certification training provided to peer support staff members by one of the VHA OMHSP-contracted peer specialist certification training vendors.
2. State-issued peer specialist certification that is active and maintained based on the specific state requirements.
3. Certificate from the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) Peer Support Specialist Course (74-hour course) offered to the general public that was completed prior to August 1, 2022.
4. Certificate from Recovery Innovations International (RI International or RI Consulting) Certified Peer Support Specialist Training also known as Peer Employment Training (approximately 72-hour course) offered to the general public that was completed prior to August 1, 2022.
Effective August 1, 2022, peer specialist certification training certificates showing a completion date after August 1, 2022 from DBSA's and RI International's peer specialist certification training courses offered to the general public will not be sufficient to meet the VHA peer specialist certification requirement. Applicants with either of these training certificates will also need to complete the additional steps required to obtain a state-issued peer specialist certification to qualify for employment as a peer specialist in VHA. VHA-Contracted Peer Specialist Certification Training. Starting in the summer of 2022, VHA contracts with the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and also with Recovery Innovations International (also known as RI Consulting or RI International) to provide the required peer specialist certification training for GS-5 peer support apprentices. As of August 1, 2022, only DBSA's and RI International's (RI Consulting's) certificates from their VHA-contracted peer specialist certification trainings for VHA peer support apprentices meet VA's peer specialist qualification criteria and will be accepted for applicants not yet employed as peer specialists. The two vendors will stipulate on the training certificates that it is the VHA peer specialist certification training so that it is clear where the peer support apprentices obtained the peer specialist certification training.
Certificates from DBSA and RI International (RI Consulting) peer specialist certification trainings that Veterans pursue on their own from these organizations will no longer be accepted to meet VHA's peer specialist certification requirement if the training is completed on or after August 1, 2022. If a Veteran goes on their own to one of the Veteran-focused peer specialist certification trainings that DBSA or RI International (RI Consulting) offers to the general public, then the Veteran will need to take the additional steps associated with applying for a state-issued peer specialist certification from a state where DBSA or RI International (RI Consulting) is considered an approved peer specialist certification training vendor that meet one of the requirements for the state-issued peer specialist certification.
Peer specialists who obtained their peer specialist certification through the VHA-contracted peer specialist certification training with DBSA or RI International (RI Consulting) may live and work in any state. As per the requirements in VHA Directive 1163, to maintain their peer specialist certification, they are required to obtain a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education (CE) per year related to the work of a peer specialist, two hours of which must be on ethics. The DBSA and RI International (RI Consulting) peer specialist certifications do not require renewal.
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ " target="_blank">"http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/28/2023 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11785069.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/697475300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
VA TEXAS VALLEY COASTAL BEND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
The VATVCBHCS is comprised of the Corpus Christi Outpatient Clinic, Corpus Christi Specialty Clinic, Harlingen Outpatient Clinic, Health Care Center at Harlingen, Laredo Outpatient Clinic, and McAllen Outpatient Clinic. The VATVCBHCS is an ambulatory health care system providing health care in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, and rehabilitation medicine. The VATVCBHCS also operates a 100-patient Home Based Primary Care program and a 200-patient Care Coordination Home Tele-Health Program. Through the utilization of inpatient/emergency department contracts, approximately 2600 inpatient admission and 5800 ER visits are managed by VATVCBHCS. Affiliated with the University of Texas Regional Academic Health Campus, the system has an active ambulatory care program and serves as a teaching and training site for medical residents. The VATVCBHCS is responsible for an enrollee population of over 30,000 veterans and 350,000 outpatient visits annually.
