Program Specialist - Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support

About the role

The position serves as a Program Specialist assigned to the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program under the Chief, Social Work, and Integrated Care 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, 06/15/2026. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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: Specialized Experience GS-7: 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: Collecting and managing new data about current practices in the department and across sites of care, Maintaining proficiency in using local, regional, and national databases, Using agency, department and program knowledge to determine essential data collection and provide program assessment/analysis, Creating and submitting reports for the facility, Creates and submits reports for the facility. 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 in an accredited college or university. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the Program Specialist. NOTE: A transcript or course listing must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Unofficial transcripts required. Applications submitted without this information will not be considered. 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 successfully completed post-high school education to meet total qualification requirements for the grade level GS-07. Specialized Experience GS-9: 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 in in the areas of end-of-life, hospice death, burial, funeral, and bereavement, Advising Veterans and their next of kin of burial benefits and helps prearrange burial, interment, cremation as desired, Implementing information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, demographics, and outcomes, Analyzing data to determine quality improvement measures and any necessary changes to processes. Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.B. or J.D., if related to the work of this position. (Transcripts must be submitted). OR, Note: One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-07. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-09. 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. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the announcement. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Routinely v

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