Program Specialist - Survivor Assistant & Memorial Support 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, 04/13/2026.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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.

If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.

In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

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: Basic Requirements Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 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.

-Knowledge of a substantial body of administrative and program principles, concepts, policies and objectives in these and related programs.

-Ability to perform analytical studies and interpretation of results to coordinate the evaluation of medical/scientific programs and policies and to recommend improvements.

-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.

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

To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B.

or J.D.

in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualifications and perform the duties of the Program Specialist-Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support Program.

OR, Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade 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:

Major Duties Program Administration - 60% 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.

Collaborate 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 disposition 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.

Data & Quality Management - 20% With minimal supervisory oversight, the position: 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.

Investigates and analyzes adverse quality trends or conditions and initiates corrective action. Consults with staff and managers to identify opportunities for quality improvement.

Facilitates quality management plan development and implementation. Collects, analyzes, and reports program data to local management, the designated VISN POC and the National SAMS Program.

Evaluates program progress and outcomes using data to modify and improve the facility program and processes.

Fiscal Management - 10% The position collaborates with Fiscal office to financially support SAMS operations.

Assesses past budget requirements, projects future budget needs, submits budget requests and manages program budget.

Serves as the fund control point clerk, purchase card official and Contracting Officer Representative for SAMS contracts.

Personnel Management -10% The position participates in facility initiatives relating to No Veteran Dies Alone (NVDA).

Partners with staff and leadership to identify needs and opportunities throughout facility.

Provides general education, training and resources about SAMS to staff throughout the hospital, community living centers (CLC) and community who provide support to Veterans at end-of-life and to their family and NOK.

Collaborates with the VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement to recruit, train, schedule and oversee volunteers at the facility and CLC.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Virtual: This is Not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist - Survivor Assistant & Memorial Support Specialist/PD25112A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized