Peer Specialist - HUD-VASH

Veterans Health Administration

Las Vegas (NV)

On-site

USD 46,000 - 82,000

Full time

11 days ago

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Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration in Las Vegas, NV is seeking a Peer Specialist to serve within HUD-VASH. The role supports homeless Veterans by providing peer-based recovery coaching, helping them set goals, practice new skills, and navigate health and housing services.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team across VA facilities and community settings, sometimes in shelters or street outreach, using your recovery experience to guide others and coordinate care while documenting

Qualifications

Experience in VA health care or rehab treatment programs.
Ability to work within an interdisciplinary team.
Willingness to deliver services in varied community settings.

Responsibilities

Assists physicians and other staff in rehabilitation treatment as an interdisciplinary team member.
Helps Veterans articulate recovery goals and learn new skills.
Models coping techniques and supports self-management for wellness.
Provides crisis intervention when needed and reports concerns promptly.
Accompanies Veterans to appointments and connects them with VA and community resources.

Skills

Problem Solving

Communication

Teaches Others

Experience

Job description

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

This Peer Specialist position is assigned to the Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program; which provide services to assist homeless Veterans, obtain and maintain permanent housing.

Key Responsibilities

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.

This position will serve as a community-based peer specialist within the local VA facility catchment area. The working environment may include providing peer support services in places such as Veterans' homes, prisons, jails, treatment courts, shelters, tent encampments, street outreach, etc.

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 needed 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 support 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. Position requires operation of a motor vehicle or access to public transportation to perform assigned duties. Accompanies Veterans to appointments as needed, whether medical, housing, or other treatment plan goal appointments, either through agency vehicle or public transportation.

Assists Veterans to identify resources and problem solve how to overcome barriers so that the Veterans can independently address transportation and other personal needs. Subsequent background checks may be required if treating Veterans in an institutional setting Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time, M-F 0730-1600 Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: 99324S/99325S/99326S/99327S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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.

Requirements & Education

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Problem Solving Communication Teaches 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 applicant must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee sits to do the work.

There may be some walking, standing, bending, carry light items (such as books, papers), and accessing transportation. The work may require occasional use of Department of Veteran's 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). Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $46382 – $81964/yr.

What security clearance is required?

This position requires a Other security clearance.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-10-13.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Internal Search' hiring path.