Social Services Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · Amarillo, TX · 1 wk ago

OTHRFull-time

About the role

The primary purpose of this position is to support health care management officials by analyzing, evaluating, advising and coordinating health care delivery systems and operations as it pertains to activities necessary to support high quality Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) processes and products. The SAMS position renders advice on operational policies and assures these policies conform with and are in support of administrative functions in coordination with the supervisor.

Responsibilities

Advises Veterans and their NOK of burial benefits. Helps Veterans and next of kin prearrange burial, interment, cremation, as desired by Veteran.
Reviews daily death notifications and submits completed death certificates to designated Funeral Director and County Registrar's Office.
Maintains and monitors performance measure requirements established by VHA, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Operations (AUSHO), VISN and/or facility leadership.
Collaborates with Fiscal office to financially support SAMS operations. Assesses past budget requirements, projects future budget needs, submits budget requests and manages program budget.
Informs Veteran, caregiver and NOK of available supportive services within the medical facility, such as Chaplaincy and Social Work, to provide support at end of life and immediately following death.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

This vacancy announcement is open to current, permanent VA Employees, CTAP eligible, all Federal employees serving on a Career/Career-Conditional appointment; former competitive civil service employees eligible for reinstatement; Veterans eligible under the VEOA, as 30% Disabled Veterans, and under VRA; those eligible under the Employment Program for People with Disabilities, those eligible under Military Spouse and those eligible under ICTAP.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/16/2026.
Specialized Experience: Possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal service that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.
Education: Successfully completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree that includes at least 24 semester hours in any combination of subjects directly related to the work of the position; a major in social behavior, human behavior, or health care; or was supplemented by specialized experience as described above for GS-4.
Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree that includes at least 24 semester hours in any combination and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level.

Competencies

Customer service: Demonstrates a commitment to providing excellent customer service to Veterans, families, VA employees, and stakeholders.
Planning and Evaluation: Demonstrates the ability to plan and evaluate programs, policies, and initiatives to ensure they align with organizational goals and objectives.
Veteran and Customer Focused: Demonstrates a strong understanding of veteran-specific needs and the ability to tailor services and programs to meet those needs.
Critical Thinking: Demonstrates the ability to analyze complex situations, identify issues, and develop solutions that address the needs of the organization and its stakeholders.
Creative Thinking: Demonstrates the ability to think creatively and innovatively to solve problems and improve processes.
Clerical: Demonstrates proficiency in clerical duties, including data entry, record keeping, and maintaining files.