Survivors and Memorial Support Program Specialist

About the company

The position serves as a Program Specialist assigned to the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program under the Chief, Social Work Service at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks 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.

Your tasks

Duties include, but are not limited to: Reviews eligibility and entitlement of burial and death allowances and advises on the process for applying for those benefits. Ensures Veterans with no relatives (unclaimed remains) are provided with a dignified funeral and burial at VA (contract or purchase order) expense. Coordinates release of remains with appropriate services/outside agencies in the event of autopsy, or organ/tissue/body donation. 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. 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. The position participates in facility initiatives relating to No Veteran Dies Alone (NVDA). Collaborates with the VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement to recruit, train, schedule and oversee volunteers at the facility. 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 (Subject to change based on the needs of the Agency) Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Position Description/PD#: Survivors and Memorial Support Program Specialist/PD033660 and PD033670 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Requirements

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/27/2026. 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: You may qualify for the GS-07 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:

• Convey information effectively working with families following the death of a loved one who is experiencing crisis and intense grief.
• Experience reviewing eligibility criteria for VA benefits.
• Advance knowledge of VA burial benefits.
• Advance knowledge of VA benefits available to survivors.
• Collaborate in an interdepartmental setting.
• Implement information systems, data analytics, create surveys and reports.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one full year of graduate level education in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Examples of related fields may include but not limited to Health Care Administration, Business Administration and Education.) Note: Transcripts are required.

OR, Superior Academic Achievement: Completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying (Examples of related fields may include but not limited to Health Care Administration, Business Administration and Education.) for the position to be filled and I meet one of the following:

1. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision;
2. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study;
3. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study;
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.

Note: Transcripts are required.

OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. Only education beyond a bachelor's degree may be used to qualify for the GS-07 level. (Examples of related fields may include but not limited to Health Care Administration and Public Health Administration.) Note: Transcripts are required. You may qualify for the GS-09 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-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:

• Convey information effectively working with families following the death of a loved one who is experiencing crisis and intense grief.
• Experience reviewing eligibility criteria for VA benefits.
• Advance knowledge of VA burial benefits.
• Advance knowledge of VA benefits available to survivors.
• Collaborative experience in an interdepartmental setting.
• Experience implementing information systems, data analytics, creating surveys and reports.

OR, 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, or 2 years of progressively higher level education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B or J.D. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. ((Examples of related fields may include but not limited to Health Care Administration, Business Administration and Education.) Note: Transcripts are required.

OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience (beyond the first graduate year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (Examples of related fields may include but not limited to Health Care Administration, Business Administration and Education.) Note: Transcripts are required. 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/. Driver's License: A current, valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your current, valid state-issued Driver's License. Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Pre-employment physical required Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Physical Demands: 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. Work Environment: The physical environment of the work is primarily performed in an administrative office setting that is frequented by staff and clients. The position will perform some tasks in other offices, rooms and on station buildings, such as the morgue and community funeral homes and other organizations which provide mortuary and burial services.