Would Like To Become A Part-time So

[Bound4heaven]

Greetings to all,

After finally winnng all my claims I sure would like to help out other disabled veterans. I am led to become Service Officer (part -time only) I could only do it out of my home. I am a member of several service orignizations and have not found a so that was worth his weight. I joined NVO and have left many messages on their answering machine and sent many e-mails to them with my intentions and I have heard nothing over the apst 2 months from them. I donlt know if they are still an service organinzation or not.

Does anuyone know of a Service Organization that would meet my requirements? Thank you and God bless you.

Bound4Heaven

[Guest DON20906]

I don't mean to crap in your mess kit, but being a Veterans Service Officer is not as casual an endeavor as this thread would lead one to believe. In fact, one major Veterans Organization with which I am familiar discourages "Post Service Officers" from active involvement in claims work. Instead, the PSO is supposed to refer the claimant to the Department (state organization) level where Accredited Veterans Service Officers dwell. There can be liability involved.

Accredited Veterans Service Officers are made 2 ways.

1. Through employment by a chartered or nationally recognized Veterans Service Organization or state department of veterans affairs. County service officers are generally accredited to one or more of the major VSOs. The VSO submits the new Service Officer's name to the VA's Office of General Counsel and the OGC generally takes the VSO's word for it that the appointee is trained well enough to do the job. This has recently come under some scrutiny after a series of articles critical of the competence of Service Officers appeared in the Kansas City Star last year. OGC has begun asking the major VSOs to justify thier criteria for appointing Service Officers. For listings of recognized organizations visit: http://www1.va.gov/OGC/page.cfm?pg=35. Since the potential for financial loss or gain to claimants is significant and can be influenced by VSOs, most carry Errors and Omissions Insurance on thier Service Officers to C thier As.

2. Through individual accreditation by VA OGC as a Claims Agent. This is a tougher row to hoe because it involves taking an exam developed, administered and scored by the OGC at the regional level. The applicant must score at least 75% and may not take the exam more than twice in a six-month period. The applicant must also establish that s/he is of "good character and reputation."

[Bound4heaven]

I don't mean to crap in your mess kit, but being a Veterans Service Officer is not as casual an endeavor as this thread would lead one to believe. In fact, one major Veterans Organization with which I am familiar discourages "Post Service Officers" from active involvement in claims work. Instead, the PSO is supposed to refer the claimant to the Department (state organization) level where Accredited Veterans Service Officers dwell. There can be liability involved.

Accredited Veterans Service Officers are made 2 ways.

1. Through employment by a chartered or nationally recognized Veterans Service Organization or state department of veterans affairs. County service officers are generally accredited to one or more of the major VSOs. The VSO submits the new Service Officer's name to the VA's Office of General Counsel and the OGC generally takes the VSO's word for it that the appointee is trained well enough to do the job. This has recently come under some scrutiny after a series of articles critical of the competence of Service Officers appeared in the Kansas City Star last year. OGC has begun asking the major VSOs to justify thier criteria for appointing Service Officers. For listings of recognized organizations visit: http://www1.va.gov/OGC/page.cfm?pg=35. Since the potential for financial loss or gain to claimants is significant and can be influenced by VSOs, most carry Errors and Omissions Insurance on thier Service Officers to C thier As.

2. Through individual accreditation by VA OGC as a Claims Agent. This is a tougher row to hoe because it involves taking an exam developed, administered and scored by the OGC at the regional level. The applicant must score at least 75% and may not take the exam more than twice in a six-month period. The applicant must also establish that s/he is of "good character and reputation."

Greetings,

Thank you for your response. I am very much aware of the criteria. Yes I am aware of and I believe all here at hadit.com are aware of the qualifications of an SO, however I am speaking for myself it appears in my past claims that the education you refer too has been of little or no use. From my expirence and I have had much expirence I see you are only rated at 10%, in the last 10 years dealing with not the incompendence of the VA, but of my service officers as well. I have found mine were lazy incompendent, and had a basically who cares attitude (I cannot speak of all SO's ) I fired them. I have learned the CFR's well, and have had enough personal hearings equal to your rating. I have handled all of my claims, appeals and all hearings and by the grace of God I have won them all. It has been a battle.

It appears you may very well be a service officer. If you are? I hope you are as bold with your veterans and taking a stand for what is right as you are here. Thank you for your response and God bless you.

Bound4Heaven

[10thFO]

Bound4Heaven. Good for you. I like you am in the same process. I have recently became aware of some openings in an organization, that I am going to try for one. Why not, I could prob. get Voc. Rehab. to pay for some of the training. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

I already have my degree, and am a vociferous learner and reader. It should be interesting to see if I have a chance at a job helping Vets, or if the Service Organizations, and Voc Rehab are just playing lip service to Vets.

I entend on keeping great notes of my process and if they don't give me the time of day it should make for a nice story, as I can write when inspired as well.

[john999]

Some vets don't even know if they should file a cliam and I hate to see them go to some VSO who blows them off and tells them they don't hava a claim. I am helping someone now and I will point them in the right direction and tell them about some of the roadblocks to avoid. Vets helping vets is where its at. The first thing I tell them is to file a claim. Everything else can come later.

[Guest DON20906]

Thanks for your reply. While I prefer not to bad mouth people who are generally trying to help, I do realize that there are ranges of expertise, motivation and empathy among the SO cadre. I'm a firm believer in the Bell Curve in most areas of human behavior. I am going on my 7th year as a VSO. Before that, I had a 23 year "career" buying and selling electrical gear. I am also a licensed graduate social worker and ABA certificated paralegal. I did 4 years at the Board of Veterans Appeals, so I've seen my share of frivolous claims and people gaming the system. But I've also seen some outrageous injustices perpetrated by VA. Like a lady I represented who's WWII veteran husband was 50% for schizophrenia from 1944. The VA fed him thorazine for 40 years and stopped monitoring his blood for the last 3 before he died of acute hyponatremia brought on by...it's complicated. Anyway, her DIC claim was out there for almost 8 years of dueling medical opinions before VA finally admitted they killed the guy. During the pendency of her appeal the 2-year limitation on back awards on DIC was eliminated so she got a back payment of ~ $91,000.00. While all this was going on, she lost her house and had to move in with her 90 plus-year old mother and work at 7-Eleven for minimum wage to survive.

Yes' I'm "only" 10% for tinnitus from 4 years working around jet aircraft. That's fine by me. I basically applied to have the first-hand experience of going through the claims process. I gave my POA to one of the big VSOs and thier DSO at VARO Baltimore pushed in through in under 4 months. I was prepared to go the whole way if denied. I worked in flightline crash rescue in VN and my station was downwind from an area on the ramp where AO was pumped into C123s and helicopters fitted with spray bars. I now know what the greasy film I constantly washed off the equiment and station windows was. I've been entered on the AO registry, so I'm already known to VHA if anything comes up. I'd rather it didn't.

Sounds like you're a good candidate for a Claims Agent. Why don't you give it a shot?

Greetings,

Thank you for your response. I am very much aware of the criteria. Yes I am aware of and I believe all here at hadit.com are aware of the qualifications of an SO, however I am speaking for myself it appears in my past claims that the education you refer too has been of little or no use. From my expirence and I have had much expirence I see you are only rated at 10%, in the last 10 years dealing with not the incompendence of the VA, but of my service officers as well. I have found mine were lazy incompendent, and had a basically who cares attitude (I cannot speak of all SO's ) I fired them. I have learned the CFR's well, and have had enough personal hearings equal to your rating. I have handled all of my claims, appeals and all hearings and by the grace of God I have won them all. It has been a battle.

It appears you may very well be a service officer. If you are? I hope you are as bold with your veterans and taking a stand for what is right as you are here. Thank you for your response and God bless you.

Bound4Heaven

[Bound4heaven]

Thanks for your reply. While I prefer not to bad mouth people who are generally trying to help, I do realize that there are ranges of expertise, motivation and empathy among the SO cadre. I'm a firm believer in the Bell Curve in most areas of human behavior. I am going on my 7th year as a VSO. Before that, I had a 23 year "career" buying and selling electrical gear. I am also a licensed graduate social worker and ABA certificated paralegal. I did 4 years at the Board of Veterans Appeals, so I've seen my share of frivolous claims and people gaming the system. But I've also seen some outrageous injustices perpetrated by VA. Like a lady I represented who's WWII veteran husband was 50% for schizophrenia from 1944. The VA fed him thorazine for 40 years and stopped monitoring his blood for the last 3 before he died of acute hyponatremia brought on by...it's complicated. Anyway, her DIC claim was out there for almost 8 years of dueling medical opinions before VA finally admitted they killed the guy. During the pendency of her appeal the 2-year limitation on back awards on DIC was eliminated so she got a back payment of ~ $91,000.00. While all this was going on, she lost her house and had to move in with her 90 plus-year old mother and work at 7-Eleven for minimum wage to survive.

Yes' I'm "only" 10% for tinnitus from 4 years working around jet aircraft. That's fine by me. I basically applied to have the first-hand experience of going through the claims process. I gave my POA to one of the big VSOs and thier DSO at VARO Baltimore pushed in through in under 4 months. I was prepared to go the whole way if denied. I worked in flightline crash rescue in VN and my station was downwind from an area on the ramp where AO was pumped into C123s and helicopters fitted with spray bars. I now know what the greasy film I constantly washed off the equiment and station windows was. I've been entered on the AO registry, so I'm already known to VHA if anything comes up. I'd rather it didn't.

Sounds like you're a good candidate for a Claims Agent. Why don't you give it a shot?

Dear Don20906,

Thank you again for your response, As far as bad mouthing SOs. Let me clarify my answer it appears to be misunderstood. In MY!!!! expirence I have have not met a SO that was worth their weight. I have expirenced incompendence, lack of knowledge in regards to 38CFR. I was given such bad advice by 2 SO's that my claims were almost shipwrecked. I have expirenced SOs who have buddy , buddy relationships with the ROs.

I have been lied too, deceived, misinformed by not only by SOs, but the VA themselves. I was been apart of seeing the VAMC and VARO cover up edivence. I have seen DRO 's about as compendent as a snake.

If I would have listened to the all the SO's, and VA reps, DRO's over the past 10 years then I would have still be at 20% and unemployed and unable to move or take care of my family. If you are looking for sympthy here for service officers you have come to the wrong place. (at lest this thread)

I would rather give up all my benefits then become a claims rep with the VA and come against the very veterans who fought along side of me. I do understand your position. You are trying to do what you feel is best, however I have found here at hadit.com more useful (TRUTH) information and more helpful men and women in my short time here, then my 10 years dealing with any SO, or VA rep. I am usually not this vocal or to the point, however I must speak the truth. Thank you again for taking your time to respond. God bless you.

Bounheavend