Training on how to navigate VA system

[drago]

Hi All,

Is anyone aware of any free or reasonable cost training on how to navigate the VA system (file claims, higher level reviews, new evidence, etc)? My VSO who is/was excellent has moved on, and I'm sort of floundering without him and his system access. The folks in the county office are both new, and well intentioned, but I'm not sure they have the level of access to my file that he had. The one guy says he doesn't yet have the ability "to see behind the curtain", and the other fellow is newer than him, so I'm guessing he can't either.

Called a couple places (DAV and state office) but waiting on return calls, and realized as has been said in the forum before, no one will care about my claim like I will (and my previous VSO did). More knowledge can't hurt anyway.  I also just submitted online for my c file, but I don't think that will give me "live" access. I think I just get a pdf or pack of copies.

Anyway, looking for something that will help me manage my claim better if I do end up alone or working with a rookie VSO. Probably a bit above "VA for Dummies", but not much above that...

Thanks for any help or suggestions, and my apologies as this is probably on the forum already, I just cant seem to locate it,

D

[drago]

So bit of an update...

I was able to talk to a county VSO from a different county about getting copies of C&P exams. He was willing to help but said he has not had anyone ask for copies of the exams (completed DBQs) before and he wanted to check to see if he was allowed to release them to me. He said he spoke to someone at the state level who said he is only allowed to release copies of things he has done for the veteran i.e. he was the "owner/creator of". He was told that DBQs are created by the VA, and therefore he is not allowed to release those. They must come from the VA who is the owner/creator of them.

EDIT: Just researched a bit and it seems he is correct. Looks like VSO's should not give out copies. I'm not sure that is accurate, and I think perhaps we may have been talking about two different things. I'm after the DBQ form that the doctor/PA/CRNP/psychiatrist completes at an appointment. I think he may have been thinking a "report" that a VA rater may create based on the evidence, DBQ etc. Either way, I won't be getting the DBQs from him. I pressed him a little and he said that since I'm not in his county, he can't really do too much for me.

Sooo... I guess I'll continue looking for a way to get those...

Edited December 30, 2021 by drago

[brokensoldier244th]

DBQs are the 'property' of the respective requesting agency. Just like an appraisal report for a house the report doesn't belong to you until the appraisal is done- it belongs to the lender. DBQs are the same. The VA is requesting them from the examiner, therefore the examiners wont always release them to the veteran because 'owner' of that report is the VA. Va can release them to you, or a VSO can look them up in your efolder. They aren't hidden, they are right there, labeled at DBQ X, Y, Z, whatever. 

 

I don't agree with the logic, but that is what the VSO is trying to say (not well). 

[Mr cue]

so now the va has the right not to give a veteran a copy of his comp exam.

Is this what I am to believe.

And veterans have no rights to it until they use it because they order it and pay for lol

When did Congress pass this law. 

And no one see a problem with this.

Listen it your medical record no one can tell u they are not giving you a copy.

Well they may say that but I would be raise hell.

The va will try anything until they are call on it more veterans need to complaint about this.

There will be a class action coming really soon about all this.

 

[drago]

*brokensoldier-That is basically what he was trying to say I think. Then when i asked about coming in and meeting so we could talk about them he went into the "your out of county and I can't spend a lot of time with you". Which I get. Our guys at this level are paid by the county they work in, and the  county commissioners get nutty about stuff like that, so I understand his position. On that topic though, I will be contacting one of my county commissioners to voice my concern about no one in county having access to such things, and perhaps in the short term they could work out an agreement with a neighboring county for support for individual veterans until our guys are up and running. I have a freedom of info request in to the VA, but that will take months I think. Not sure if calling the VA would get results any faster.

*Mr. Cue-I certainly see a problem with this, and I'm in the process of trying to schedule an appointment with my congressman, my senator, and then a senator in a state I'll be traveling to in a few weeks. Everyone is on holiday break though, so have left messages and sent emails. If I don't hear back in a week I'll stop by their offices. They won't be there most likely, but at least then I can talk to a secretary or an assistant and hopefully schedule something. Sometimes talking to the assistant actually gets you further than talking to the representative anyway, because ultimately the assistant is the one who will do the research etc.

As far as releasing the documents, I wish there was some way that there could be agreement on the DBQ/report BEFORE it is considered by the VA, or perhaps a section that the veteran would fill out themselves. I've had a couple DBQs that I feel do not accurately reflect what I said, but once the report is entered, it seems to be carved in stone. I think the DBQs function on the ability of the dr to accurately write things down, and it seems that does not always happen. Even if it was a simple review of the DBQ by the vet, with ability to add an "addendum" to be considered by the rater. It would probably be hard for a dr and a vet to "negotiate" a DBQ, but some sort of feedback directly from the vet unfiltered by a dr doesn't seem like too much to ask. Of course to do that, we would need to see the DBQ before filed!

My problem with this and so many things is that the waiting drives me crazy. Approve or deny, either way I understand. It's the waiting and the delays. This whole process started in June, and they are just now scheduling what i think will be the last DBQ appointment for the matter that started the whole process in the first place. That was actually what I really liked about my VSO. I'd have an appointment, we would sit and talk, and he would do everything that needed done while I was sitting there. He'd start typing, ask me a question, type some more, etc. So when I walked out, my stuff was done, it was thorough, and he didn't need to think about me until the next appointment. It's the "glad you came in, I'll work on this tomorrow" stuff that I find frustrating.

[Rattler]

The best place to get info and training is The National Veterans Service Program. The training and publications are not cheep. They have publications, DVD, and training on how to become a VSO. https://www.nvlsp.org/

 

 

Publications

https://productsbynvlsp.org/publications-2/

 

Veterans Benefits Manual

https://store.lexisnexis.com/categories/product/veterans-benefits-manual-skuusSku12734

 

[drago]

Thanks Rattler. You are correct, they aren't cheap! I think I might scour the local libraries online, and see if any of them have those. Doubtful due to the cost, but worth a check. We have a higher than average veteran population, so maybe I'll suggest they buy a copy.