The Social Work Service is seeking a Peer Support Apprentices/Peer Specialists for the HUD-VASH Program located at the VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus. PLEASE NOTE: Although this is a permanently funded position, if a selection is made at the Apprentice level the selectee will be on a temporary appointment until becoming certified and meeting all requirements for a GS-6 Peer Specialist position. The Peer Support Apprentice/Peer Specialist functions as a full multidisciplinary team member in a housing program that assists veterans who have experienced homelessness to find, obtain and retain permanent housing in the community. The incumbent collaborates with professionals and other personnel, as well as the veterans served. The incumbent performs a variety of therapeutic and supportive tasks that include assisting Veterans to find and move to permanent supportive housing as well as retain that housing indefinitely. The incumbent works with the team to help each veteran ensure safety in the home and the practice of activities of daily living skills. The incumbent provides transportation to appointments with public housing authorities, furniture and food banks, moving activities and others and addresses mental and medical health and substance abuse matters. They assist program veterans in articulating their goals for recovery, learning and practicing new skills, helping them monitor their progress, assisting them in their recovery from the impact of a mental health and substance abuse conditions, modeling effective coping techniques and self-help strategies based on the incumbent's own recovery experience, and supporting them in advocating for themselves to obtain effective services and make the adjustment from moving from homelessness to permanent housing. The Peer Support Apprentice/Peer Specialist functions as a role model in a range of life domains, including: exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills; demonstrating how to connect with community resources; acting as an advocate; and offering information and peer support for Veterans in outpatient, and / or community settings. The incumbent must have an active driver's license Promotion Potential: 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. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Compressed work schedule may be available. Position Description/PD#: Peer Support Apprentice/Specialist/PD00064A, PD00065A, PD00066A, PD00067A, and PD00068A Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required NOTIFICATIONS: This position is an AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Travel and relocation expenses are not authorized. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Time-in-Grade Restriction - 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. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Selectee will be required to complete additional forms to proceed with employment process. 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.
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
