Program Specialist

The purpose of the position is to serve as the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program Specialist under the direction of 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 & survivors at the end of a Veteran's life and ensures Veterans without identified family receive dignified burials to honor their service. PRINCIPALES MISSIONS : Major duties include but are not limited to: Developing VA medical facility SAMS (Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support) standard operating procedure which includes written procedures for clinical staff or health care provider to notify SAMS staff or the Health Administrative Specialist on Duty (HOD), Chaplain, and social work staff of Veteran deaths. Ensuring the offering of information on funeral, interment and survivors' benefits, and referral to VBA or NCA to access benefits to bereaved family member(s). Ensuring remains are assessed for unclaimed determination and recommending the appropriate disposition to the VA medical facility Director, Determines the nature of the needs of callers and walk-in customers pertaining to questions about the SAMS, VHA, VBA. Implements information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, demographics and outcomes. Investigates and analyzes adverse qualify trends or conditions and initiates corrective action. Facilitates quality management plan development and implementation. All 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 - 4:30pm) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD035020 and PD035030 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized QUALIFICATIONS REQUISES : To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/23/2026. 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. 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: GS-07 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: assisting Veterans, families, or survivors with end-of-life, burial, or survivor benefit information and referring them to appropriate resources; helping coordinate administrative processes that follow a death, such as death notifications, death certificates, release of remains, and personal effects, with clinical staff, funera

Salaire : $63,081 – $100,315/Per Year | Avantages : http://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/benefits/index.asp

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have served in our nation's military and their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans? The VA Palo Alto Healthcare System (VAPAHCS) is part of VA Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21). VAPAHCS is a teaching hospital, providing a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and research, Comprehensive health care is provided through primary, tertiary and long-term care in areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, oncology, dentistry, geriatrics and extended care. The Research and Development Service excels as a leader in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The non-profit corporation, the Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research (PAVIR), has contributed to making VAP