Program Specialist-Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS)

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 at the Tomah VA Medical Center (VAMC) 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 ensure 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, 02/09/2026.

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-05. For a GS-09 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.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.

Preferred Experience: Prior experience providing personalized, supportive services to families, caregivers, and survivors at the end of a Veteran's life.

Knowledge of VA burial benefits and Veterans who are unclaimed.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: analyzing, evaluating, advising and coordinating health care delivery systems, prioritizes and accomplishes assigned delegated responsibilities, implement and evaluate policies, and plans and internal operational systems.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full year of graduate level education.

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

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities.

Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required.

Routinely views the body and/or remains of deceased Veterans at funeral homes using an authorized vehicle.

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:

Duties include but not limited to: Program Administration Advises Veterans and their Next of Kin (NOK) of burial benefits.

Help Veterans and NOK prearrange burial, interment, cremation, as desired by Veteran.

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

Refers surviving relatives with specific benefit inquiries to a Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) point of contact.

Inform Veteran, caregiver and NOK of available supportive services within the medical facility. Review daily death notifications.

Submit completed death certificate to designated Funeral Director and County Registrar's Office. Request any clinical staff involved with care prior to death contact the survivor within 24 hours.

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

Data and Quality Management Collaborate 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.

Implement information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, demographics and outcomes.

Collect, analyze, and report program data to local management, the designated VISN POC and the National SAMS Program.

Collect and manage new data about current practices in the department and across sites of care.

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

Conduct quarterly audits of patient fund accounts to identify any deceased patient fund accounts with VA policies and local procedures.

Initiates disposition of funds when deceased patient fund account balance is identified Personnel Management 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, and community who provide support to Veterans at end-of-life and to their family and NOK.

Collaborate with the VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement to recruit, train, schedule, and oversee volunteers at the facility and CLC. 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; 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist-Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS)/PD252360 and PD252370 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized