Veteran Peer Support Specialist — Hybrid, Community Impact

Volunteers of America; Plymouth (MA); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

FSA and pre-tax savings offerings

403(b) retirement plan

Nurse hotline

Employee assistance program

Disability and life insurance

Pet insurance

Tuition remission

Loan forgiveness (PSLF)

Vacation and holidays

Wellness reimbursement

Employee discounts

Referral bonus

Job summary

VOAMASS is seeking a Veteran Peer Support Specialist to engage veterans, provide non-clinical suicide prevention support, and coordinate services across VA care, benefits, housing, and community resources in Eastern Massachusetts.

This full-time, hybrid role requires veteran lived experience, VA peer qualifications, and strong outreach, documentation, and collaboration skills. Salary is $55,000 per year with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Must be a veteran with lived experience in mental health recovery or other relevant experiences that support a peer-based, recovery-oriented approach.
• Must meet applicable VA Peer Specialist qualification and certification requirements.
• Experience providing peer support, engaging veterans, conducting community outreach, and connecting individuals to supportive services preferred.
• Must demonstrate the ability to support veterans experiencing emotional distress using empathy, professional boundaries, cultural sensitivity, and trauma-informed, recovery-oriented practices.
• Must be willing and able to complete and maintain all required suicide prevention trainings, including VA S.A.V.E. and applicable gatekeeper or instructor certifications.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, time-management, and documentation skills required, including the ability to utilize electronic health records.
• Knowledge of VA and Massachusetts veteran benefits, community resources, crisis referral pathways, housing assistance, employment services, and other supportive programs preferred.
• Must be able to work independently and collaboratively within an integrated veteran services team while maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Ability to travel throughout assigned Eastern Massachusetts service area required; valid driver’s license and reliable transportation preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct proactive, in-person and community-based outreach to identify, engage, and build trust with veterans and eligible service members at risk of suicide, particularly individuals not currently connected to VA services.
• Provide certified, recovery-oriented peer support, mentoring, encouragement, and connection to supportive veteran and community networks; use appropriate lived experience sharing and professional boundaries.
• Assist with verification of program eligibility and administer or support required VA-approved suicide risk and baseline mental health screening tools within the scope of training and program procedures; promptly elevate identified safety concerns.
• Collaborate with participants and appropriate staff to develop and regularly update individualized service plans and safety plans using motivational interviewing and person-centered approaches.
• Complete at least weekly participant contacts and applicable weekly C-SSRS reassessments as outlined in the submitted program model; adjust contact frequency based on assessed need, safety protocols, and supervision.
• Coordinate timely, documented warm hand-offs to VA Suicide Prevention Teams, VA Medical Centers, VA healthcare, and appropriate community providers; accompany veterans to appointments when beneficial and appropriate.
• Provide low-threshold case management and referrals for housing, employment, financial assistance, food, transportation, public benefits, and other social needs; transition participants needing intensive case management to appropriate programs.
• Coordinate with the accredited National Service Officer for VA benefits navigation.
• Participate in community events, outreach campaigns, veteran organization and senior center events, and other regional partner activities to expand access to suicide prevention supports.
• Support suicide prevention education and complete assigned certifications to help deliver approved gatekeeper training and community education activities.
• Maintain accurate, timely participant records, screening results, releases of information, outreach logs, referrals, and follow-up documentation
• Follow all VOAMASS and VA requirements for confidentiality, informed consent, participant safety, critical incident escalation, documentation, and professional ethics.
• Participate in weekly case conferencing, twice-monthly individual supervision, required staff training, quality assurance reviews, and continuous improvement activities.
• Contribute to grant performance goals and reporting, including outreach contacts, participant engagement, screening timeliness, documented referrals, and 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up activities as assigned

Skills

Veteran

Peer support

Outreach

Documentation

Empathy

Trauma-informed

Professional boundaries

Tools

Electronic health records

Job description

VOAMASS is seeking a Veteran Peer Support Specialist to engage veterans, provide non-clinical suicide prevention support, and coordinate services across VA care, benefits, housing, and community resources in Eastern Massachusetts.

This full-time, hybrid role requires veteran lived experience, VA peer qualifications, and strong outreach, documentation, and collaboration skills. Salary is $55,000 per year with a comprehensive benefits package.