The Lead Peer Specialist leads a team comprised of peer specialists and may lead Without Compensation (WOC) 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 of a team of peer support staff, the position facilitates, coordinates, coaches, and problem solve with the members of the peer support staff team.

Duties

Major duties include: Working with individuals with very complex mental illnesses and challenging situations that require effective communication and decision-making skills. Utilizes recovery tools to coach others on relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness. Monitors progress and assists with the execution of individual recovery and wellness plans. Assists individuals in articulating personal recovery goals through the use of individual or group meetings. Assist others in building social skills in the community that enhance community reintegration using techniques such as role playing and social skills training. Observes behaviors of others 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). Reports concerns to the treatment team in a timely manner. Shares stories about personal recovery experiences in relation to current struggles that individuals are reporting. Handles crisis interventions and addresses other emergent situations through immediate consultation. Assists individuals in identifying their skills, strengths, supports, and resources needed to aid them in achieving their recovery goals. Assist individual in developing empowerment skills, identifying strengths, and combating stigma through self-advocacy. Assist individual in exploring their interests and options for making improvements in life functioning areas such as housing, employment, relationships , and community engagement. Teach and role model the value of every individual's recovery experience. Model effective coping techniques, holistic wellness, and self-help strategies. Coordinates work efforts and advocates for the needs of others, peer support services, and initiatives. Provides guidance to peer support staff and coordinates peer support services. Identifies training needs and assists in the development of training for peer specialists and those seeking to become peer specialists. Establishes and/or partners with a resource network of community mental health organizations. Mentors peer support staff by providing guidance on professional and job-related duties, methods and techniques of team building Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be available, based on program needs Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Peer Specialist/PD99756S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2023. Basic Requirements for Peer Specialists: 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 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 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. 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. 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. NOTE: You MUST provide copies of your DD-214 and Peer Specialist Certification, with your application package. 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-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: progressively responsible, 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 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 cases. CommunicationLeadershipProblem SolvingTeaches Others 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 Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee sits to do the work. There may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items (such as books, papers), and accessing transportation. The work may require occasional use of Department of Veterans Affairs approved behavioral management techniques with Veterans who present a danger to self or others. Veterans demonstrate varying levels of wellness, recovery, and symptoms. This position must be equipped to be flexible and accept that work areas are often noisy, irregular, unpredictable, and stressful. Work is performed in a wide range of settings, including the Medical Center, group or family homes, community-based outpatient settings, community organizations, or in transport vehicles (public or government). 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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.

Contacts

• Address Tennessee Valley HCS - Nashville 1310 24th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212 US
• Name: Kimberly Connell
• Phone: 727-776-7797
• Email: [email protected]