VA Voc Rehab is well known for its lack of transparency when it comes to learning about your benefits beyond the basics. Some counselors are great, but there are still many within the agency who refuse to fulfill the true purpose of the program - to help a veteran become as independent as possible and as successful as possible in employment.
Even if your Voc Rehab counselor has behaved in a hostile or tardy manner, blasting him or her with accusations in a letter will only alienate that person. You need to sell them on the idea of helping you at all times.
Much of this problem is premised on a veteran’s failure to communicate in writing with their counselors. Veterans tend to focus only on oral communication, which is a mistake. Written communications are always better when it comes to moving the ball (your claim) forward.
My goal in writing the Voc Rehab Survival Guide was to help veterans push pass bureaucratic road blocks when seeking their benefits. Check it out. Have you ever had to deal with untimely VA communications?
Generally, any kind of employment or use of Voc Rehab for training will not result in a disability rating reduction.
How long does this take? Assuming that a rating has been made on your service-connected disability, you should receive an appointment within 30 days of your application. You should receive a decision concerning entitlement within two months of your first appointment.
As opposed to the GI Bill, which is bestowed on you, voc rehab is an assistance program, thereby having different constraints. Your desired school may not be eligible for the desired benefits. The level of benefits provided may also not be equivalent to your GI Bill.
It is referred to as the Chapter 31 program. It assists entitled Veterans with service-connected disabilities and an employment handicap to prepare for, find, and maintain a job. It also helps entitled transitioning Servicemembers.
Benefits. Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) provides assistance to veterans who have a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and are in need of vocational rehabilitation. Vocational rehab covers a student's tuition and fees, books, school supplies and also pays a monthly housing allowance.
5. If you have a job, you do not qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation.
Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.
VA may offer assistance to help you assess your career goals and abilities, find your next job, further your education and skills, and identify places where you can get job training.
This toolkit provides a variety of outside resources for employers, managers or supervisors, and human resource professionals, including information about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (T BI). It also includes a link to Department of Labor's America's Heroes at Work site, which offers on-line trainings, webcasts, and presentations for employers and a Hiring Veterans Toolkit as well as a TBI, PTSD and Employment Training Tool.
VR&E Recognizes NDEAM and SBAM in October
VA may extend vocational counseling and support to family members on topics including:
Keeping these points in mind, I think it is reasonable to expect a communication from your Voc Rehab counselor within 5 business days.
Written communications are always better when it comes to moving the ball (your claim) forward. Emails and letters are the best ways to communicate. You can send a letter by fax or US Mail.
If the VREO fails to respond within 5 business days , you may want to send copy of all previous correspondence and a brief letter to your regional office director requesting a response.
Former Chapter 31 Voc Rehab director Ruth Fanning told me a counselor should get back to a veteran client within 2-3 days.
If you think about your communications from a sales perspective – that you are selling the counselor on you – you will avoid writing antagonistic emails or letters.
If you do not receive a communication within 5 business days , forward the same email you sent back to the counselor but place “SECOND EMAIL” at the beginning of the same subject line. Then resend. Follow up this email with a phone call and leave a message if no one answers.
Counselors sometimes “go dark” – fail to call back or write back – for many days, weeks or months. This can result in delayed tuition payments, delayed stipends payments or other hardships.
A report is prepared and reviewed by a VA rehabilitation counselor who then makes the entitlement determination. If entitled, additional counseling is provided to assist in identifying an appropriate goal and developing a plan of services to achieve that goal.
Vocational rehabilitation refers to all services provided to restore the eligible veteran to employment or increase his or her independence in daily living.
Rehabilitation services can include direct placement assistance, job site modifications, skill training, medical services, etc.
We can do extraordinary things to assist the most severely disabled veterans become gainfully employed. If, however, employment is not reasonably feasible, there are many services we can provide to help you become more independent in your daily living.
At least some counselors in VBA are not functioning like they should and in accordance with CRC Ethics Rules. Until they do so, some VA Voc Rehab Counselors will remain mere bean-counters rather than partners in your rehabilitation. One qualifier, the VA Voc Rehab program has some amazing counselors in it.