Job Title: Peer Support Apprentice Department: Department Of Veterans Affairs Agency: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Job Announcement Number: RS-16-CL-1682237-BU 436331000 Duty Location: 1 vacancy - Boston, MA Work Schedule: Full Time Term NTE 1 year Opened: Tuesday, 4/19/2016 Closes: Monday, 5/9/2016 Salary Range: $35,381.00 to $45,995.00 / Per Year Series & Grade: GS-0102-05 Supervisory Status: No Who May Apply: Veterans of the United States Armed Forces* see qualification requirements Control Number: 436331000 Job Summary Service: Mental Health VACANCY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN): 1682237 *** POSITION LOCATED AT THE BOSTON CAUSEWAY STREET OUTPATIENT CLINIC *** 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. As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/ Who May Apply: (Status Candidates) Current permanent employees of the VA Boston Healthcare System including permanent Veterans Canteen Service employees. All federal employees serving on a Career or Career-Conditional appointment. Former federal employees eligible for reinstatement. Permanent Title 38 employees employed on a full-time basis. Veterans eligible as 30% Disabled Veterans. Veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA). Veterans eligible under the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA). Those eligible under the Employment Program for People with Disabilities. Those eligible under CTAP/ICTAP. If you are currently certified as a Peer Support Specialist, please apply under VIN #1665326.
WORK SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm; Term not to exceed 1 year from date of appointment POSITION DESCRIPTION #: 523-00227A NOTE: This is an AFGE Bargaining Unit Position NOTE: This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. NOTE: Travel and relocation expenses are not authorized. NOTE: Selectee may be required to work at any Boston Healthcare System campus, as needed. NOTE: Incomplete applications will not be considered. NOTE: Current or 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. NOTE: Time-in-grade (TIG) restrictions Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade anytime 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. Duties The GS-5 Peer Apprentice (PSA) serves as a full member of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) treatment / /recovery team. The PS staff member helps veterans in the PRRC program identify and achieve personal recovery goals, drawing from personal lived experience' with one of the key serious mental illnesses (depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and longstanding PTSD), as well as from completing CPS training, to assist with development of recovery skills (e.g., social skills to reduce interpersonal stress and increase social network; effective self-advocacy / empowerment techniques to counter stigma). The PS staff member flexibly engages with individuals, groups, and families, as needed, using coaching, role-playing, modeling techniques, recovery dialogue, reflective listening, and other supportive recovery-oriented techniques, in order to encourage community integration and reduce the impact of psychological stigma. The PSA becomes a Peer Support Specialist after becoming trained and certified as a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS), and when able to fulfill the competencies for the position consistently and effectively for a significant period of time (generally also after 1 year at GS-5 level). Failure to become certified will result in removal from this occupational series and may result in termination of employment. Travel Required Occasional Travel Selectee may be required to work at any Boston Healthcare System campus, as needed. Relocation Authorized No Key Requirements You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job. Subject to a background/suitability investigation. Drug testing required. Must pass a pre-employment physical examination. Qualifications BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PEER SUPPORT APPRENTICES, GS-102-5 Peer Support Apprentices must actively pursue becoming certified as required to serve as a Peer Specialist by 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(13)(B). At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the Peer Support Apprentice with the written requirements for becoming certified, the date by which he or she must become certified, and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Failure to become certified by the prescribed date
will result in removal from this GS-102 occupation and may result in termination of employment. 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. EXPERIENCE GRADE GENERAL SPECIALIZED -OR- EDUCATION GS-5 NONE See Minimum Requirements None APPLICANTS MEETING THE QUALIFICATION STANDARDS WILL BE EVALUATED ON THE FOLLOWING KSAO'S 1. Skill in crisis-oriented counseling 2. Ability to recognize common psychiatric disorders 3. Knowledge of therapeutic and supportive rehabilitation methods 4. Skill in communicating in challenging situations 5. Skill in using community resources 6. Skill in exercising sound judgment 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. Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx. Security Clearance: Other What To Expect Next 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. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. 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 USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more
information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center. BENEFITS VA offers a comprehensive benefits package. This link provides is an overview of the benefits currently offered: http://www.va.gov/jobs/job_benefits/benefits.asp. Other Information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 90 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. How to Apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Monday, 5/9/2016 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/account/login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. How You Will Be Evaluated IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. 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. Required Documents All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s): DD-214 Other (Schedule A Letter) Resume Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s),which may not be required for all applicants: Cover Letter OF-306 Other Veterans Document SF-15 SF-50 Transcript Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options. The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1682237 NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203- FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible. Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Contact Job Information Phone: (774)826-1269 Email: VHABHSJOBS@VA.GOV Address Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration 940 Belmont St Brockton, MA EEO Policy Statement Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement Veterans Information Legal and Regulatory Guidance