Program Specialist

This position serves as a Program Specialist assigned to the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program and is organizationally aligned under Social Work Service at the Edward Hines Je. VA Hospital, Hines IL (578). 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. Program Administration 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. Refers surviving relatives with specific benefit inquiries to a VBA point of contact, not the toll-free telephone number. Reviews daily death notifications. Submits completed death certificates to designated Funeral Director and County Registrar's Office. 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. Collaborates 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.. Coordinate the dispositions 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 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. Implements information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, demographics and outcomes. 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. Maintains and monitors performance measure requirements established by VHA, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Operations (AUSHO), VISN and/or facility leadership. Uses agency, department and program knowledge to determine essential data collection and provide program assessment and analysis. Fiscal Management The position collaborates with Fiscal and Supply Chain 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. Conducts quarterly audits of patient fund accounts to identify any deceased patient fund accounts in accordance with VA policies and local procedures. Initiates disposition of funds when deceased patient fund account balance is identified. Develops and maintains monthly and fiscal year variance reports. Utilizes Integrated Funds Distribution Control Point Activity (IFCAP) and Fund Control Point (FCP) processes with delegated responsibility to resolve funding needs. Personnel Management 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. 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 7:30am-4;00pm Telework: Not Suitable Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD12131A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required