Program Specialist

Full Job Description

The position serves as a Program Specialist assigned to the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program under the Chief, Social Work or Social Work Executive at the VA medical facility as a primary person responsible for the facility SAMS Program.

SAMS's focus is to provide personalized, supportive services to families, caregivers and survivors at the end of a Veteran's life and ensures Veterans without identified family receive dignified burials to honor their service.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/02/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7.

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.

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 and/or education as described below: GS 7 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of a wide range of concepts, principles and practices in the areas of end-of-life, hospice death, burial, funeral and bereavement, ability to perform analytical studies and interpretation of results to coordinate the evaluation of medical/scientific programs and policies and to recommend improvement.

Ability to communicate both orally and in writing, to make presentations, explain recommendations, represent the division and assigned program areas, provide guidance and advise program administrators, respond to inquiries and prepare reports.

Ability to work in a multifaceted, complex and demanding environment; to evaluate and prioritize workload tasks and requirements; and to complete tasks and assignments with minimal supervision.

Understanding and detailed procedural knowledge of budget, purchasing, personnel, and basic office information functions.

Knowledge of standard processes and procedures for evaluating program efficiency to implement processes to improve programs.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have One (1) full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.

Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond.

GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of a wide range of concepts, principles and practices in the areas of end-of-life, hospice death, burial, funeral and bereavement, ability to perform analytical studies and interpretation of results to coordinate the evaluation of medical/scientific programs and policies and to recommend improvement.

Ability to communicate both orally and in writing, to make presentations, explain recommendations, represent the division and assigned program areas, provide guidance and advise program administrators, respond to inquiries and prepare reports.

Ability to work in a multifaceted, complex and demanding environment; to evaluate and prioritize workload tasks and requirements; and to complete tasks and assignments with minimal supervision.

Understanding and detailed procedural knowledge of budget, purchasing, personnel, and basic office information functions.

Knowledge of standard processes and procedures for evaluating program efficiency to implement processes to improve programs.

OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree orLL.B. or J.D., if related.

OR Combination: Combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position.

Only education in excess of the first year (18 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level. ???????

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/.

Major Duties:

The SAMS Program Specialist (SAMS Specialist) ensures compliance with local policy and procedures pertaining to patients who expire while receiving Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-authorized care in a medical center, hospital, nursing home or domiciliary care setting.

The SAMS Specialist ensures Veterans and their next of kin (NOK) receive respectful, compassionate and dignified care and services in accordance with Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and National Cemetery Administration (NGA), state and local law and regulations.

Care and services reflect sensitivity to religious, cultural and special considerations of the Veteran and the NOK served.

With minimal supervisory oversight, the position: Advises Veterans and their NOK of burial benefits. Helps Veterans and NOK prearrange burial, interment, cremation, as desired by Veteran.

Advises surviving relatives about burial benefits and other potential benefits provided by VA.

Reviews eligibility and entitlement of burial and death allowances and advises on the process for applying for those benefits.

Refers surviving relatives with specific benefit inquiries to a VBA point of contact, not the toll-free telephone number.

Informs Veteran, caregiver and NOK of available supportive services within the medical facility, such as Chaplaincy and Social Work, to provide support at end of life and immediately following death.

Reviews daily death notifications. Submits completed death certificates to designated Funeral Director and County Registrar's Office.

Ensures Veterans with no relatives (unclaimed remains) are provided a dignified funeral and burial at VA (contract or purchase order) expense.

Collaborates with VA offices to locate NOK when not readily known.

Views, as required, the deceased Veteran's unclaimed body and/or remains to confirm VA funds are executed as intended in the burial purchase.

Requests any clinical staff involved with care prior to death contact the survivor within 24 hours of the pronouncement of death.

Identifies, in collaboration with designated facility staff, a responsible funeral home for the unclaimed remains and prepares a purchase order and/or contract to this effect.

Completes required VA authorizations to release personal effects and any remaining funds in the patient' s account to NOK or designated party.

Records and transcribes providers' requests for permission from the legal next of kin or other designee by law to conduct an autopsy.

Coordinates with VA physician and NOK/legal designee in obtaining signed consent in the event the family is not present to sign or the death occurred outside of normal business hours.

Coordinates release of remains with appropriate services/outside agencies in the event of autopsy, or organ/tissue/body donation. Establishes and/or follows local procedures for whole body donation.

Collaborates with Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), Pharmacy and Prosthetics to cancel all appointments to include orders.

Coordinates with Pathology Services to complete all forms and paperwork required to release the deceased remains to selected funeral home.

Prepares and provides military information forms to the funeral home representative.

Requests death certificates from the County Registrar's Office for all external notifications of a Veteran's death and updates records as appropriate within VA system.

Coordinate the dispositions of personal funds and effects with the Office of General Council for Veterans that have been adjudicated as incompetent.

This may require the position to appear in-person at county court houses.

Collaborates with palliative care to promote quality end-of-life care by assisting in developing action plans and process improvements related to quantitative and qualitative reporting from the Bereaved Family Survey.

Performs other duties as assigned 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: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized