Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS)
Department: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location(s): Seattle, Washington
Salary Range: $104892 - $136362 Per Year
Job Summary: This Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) is assigned to Social Work Service Programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System located in Seattle, Washington with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans, their families and caregivers.
Major Duties:
- Duties include, but are not limited to: Managing the daily operations of the program, develops policies and procedures for program operation, and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. Establishes effective partnerships with Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA), Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA), Vet Centers, and other federal, state, and local agencies. Builds and maintains collaborative partnerships with local, state, tribal and federal agencies, as well as Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), faith-based and community organizations and other groups. Partners with inpatient acute care teams, hospice and palliative care teams, and with other program areas. Provides referrals and/or assistance for Veterans and next of kin to obtain the care, services, and benefits. Partners with clinical staff in inpatient acute medical, surgical, and critical care settings, and in the Community Living Center hospice unit to proactively facilitate their engagement with VA Puget Sound Social Work Services decedent affairs, survivors' assistance, and memorial support services. Provides education, training, and consultation to clinical and administrative staff in outpatient and inpatient areas with questions regarding programming, eligibility, services, and policies and procedures. Survivors Assistance Responsible for developing and managing a facility-wide Bereavement Program. Develops collaborative relationships across divisions in support of staff, trainee, volunteer, and community participation in conducting Bereavement Program services. Identifies and tracks deaths that occur at VAPSHCS campuses. Contacts next-of-kin within required timeframes of a Veteran's death; assesses NOK grief; provides skilled, and brief bereavement counseling; Works with the Hospice & Palliative Care Program Manager in reviewing the Bereaved Family Survey, prn, and participates in developing targeted improvement interventions. Partners with the Suicide Prevention (SP) team to provide survivors immediate and on-going support following a suicide loss. Contacts next of kin of enrolled Veterans who die in the community. Memorial Support Responsible for developing and managing a facility-wide Memorial Support Program. Partners with Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE), Chaplain Service, Community Living Center (CLC), Inpatient Acute Care Teams (IACT), Inpatient & Emergency Services Division (IESD), Hospice & Palliative Care (H&PC), and others to deliver an array of memorial activities. Partners with Tahoma National Cemetery to ensure unclaimed Veteran remains receive dignified interment. Promotes, attends, and may occasionally participate in the Tahoma National Cemetery's Monthly Memorial Service. Administrative Demonstrates knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. Writes policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the SAMS Program. Performs work related to the review, monitoring, analysis, planning and assessment of the SAMS program. Uses information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of services provided to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. Develops and implements information systems to track service activities, data, interventions and outcomes, referrals, participant demographics, utilization, and participant satisfaction. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday Compressed: Available Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Qualifications: Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education. Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Grade Determinations: Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12 Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.), use of fingers, operation of motor vehicle, ability to see computer screen, depth perception, and hearing (aid may be permitted). Environmental factors include working closely with others, working alone, and identifying deceased bodies.
How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/18/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12952405. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Application Deadline: 2026-05-18