Program Specialist - Survivor Assistance and Memorial Support Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs•Clarksburg, WV

41d•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as a Program Specialist within the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support Program a part of the Social Work service. Primary focus of the position is to provide personalized, supportive services to families, caregivers and survivors at the end of a Veteran's life and ensures Veteran's without identified family receive dignified burials to honor their service.

Responsibilities

Ensures compliance with local policy and procedures pertaining to patients who expire while receiving Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-authorized care in a medical center, hospital, nursing home or domiciliary care setting.
Ensures Veterans and their next of kin (NOK) receive respectful, compassionate and dignified care and services in accordance with Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and National Cemetery Administration (NCA), state and local law and regulations.
Advises Veterans and their next of kin of burial benefits. Helps Veterans and next of kin prearrange burial, interment, cremation, as desired by Veteran. Advises surviving relatives about burial benefits and other potential benefits provided by VA. Reviews eligibility and entitlement of burial and death allowances and advises on the process for applying for those benefits.
Informs Veteran, caregiver and next of kin 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.
Reviews daily death notifications. Submits completed death certificates to designated Funeral Director and County Office.
Collaborate with VA offices to locate next of kin when not readily known. Requests any clinical staff involved with care prior to death contact the survivor within 24 hours of the pronouncement of death.
Views as required, the deceased Veteran's unclaimed body and/or remains to confirm VA funds are executed as intended in the burial purchase. 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.
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.
Serves as the fund control point clerk, purchase card official and Contracting Officer Representative for Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support Program contracts.
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 Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support Program 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 next of kin.