Veterans Assistance Counselor 1/2 (St. Mary)

Nunez Community College; Louisiana; On-site; USD 20,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) seeks a Veterans Assistance Counselor to serve veterans in their assigned parish. The VAC 1/2 will interview, counsel, and assist veterans and dependents with benefits entitlements, forms, and claims processing toward timely outcomes.

Ideal candidates will be honorably discharged veterans with relevant experience or a bachelor’s degree, and must meet specified substitution rules.

Qualifications

• Requires honorably discharged veteran status of the United States Armed Forces and active, full-time service.
• Three years of experience in veterans service work, public benefits claims examining, social services or human resources; OR six years of full-time experience in any field; OR a bachelor's degree.
• Experience substitution: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university credits one year toward six years of full-time work; max substitution 120 semester hours (four years).

Responsibilities

• Review case files to determine compliance with current laws, rules, and regulations.
• Examine medical information and determine degree of residual disability for VA comparison.
• Initiate formal appellant proceedings or advise claimant on actions to obtain proper rating.
• Participate in veterans outreach functions to promote public interest and awareness.

Skills

Accepting Direction

Communicating Effectively

Learning Actively

Acting Decisively

Displaying Expertise

Displaying Professionalism

Managing Time

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

“Relentlessly advocate for Louisiana veterans and their families to ensure they receive superior customer service and support by connecting them to the benefits they have earned in service to our country, while meeting the economic, educational and employment needs of transitioning service members looking to make Louisiana their home.”

At the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA), our mission is to honor and serve Louisiana’s veterans and their families. We do this by connecting them to the benefits they’ve earned, providing dedicated support, and enhancing their quality of life through compassionate service across the state.

We’re looking for a Veterans Assistance Counselorto join our team. In this role, the Veterans Assistance Counselor (VAC) 1/2 will serve the veterans of their assigned parish. The incumbent will conduct personal interviews and counsel veterans as well as their dependents regarding entitlement under state and federal laws. The VAC will assist veterans and their dependents in completing a variety of forms, gathering supporting documentary information, and monitoring the processing of claims to a justifiable conclusion.

AN IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING COMPETENCIES:

• Accepting Direction: The ability to be open and willing to follow guidance or instructions.
• Communicating Effectively: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement.
• Learning Actively: The ability to pursue learning, seek feedback, and integrate new knowledge to improve personal and professional performance.
• Acting Decisively: The ability to make timely, confident decisions using sound reason.
• Displaying Expertise: The ability to demonstrate specialized knowledge, skills, and experience to apply subject-matter expertise in diverse and evolving contexts.
• Displaying Professionalism: The ability to uphold workplace standards through consistent conduct, responsible communication, and consideration for others.
• Managing Time: The ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and allocate time to ensure timely completion of work goals.

If you're compassionate, organized, and thrive in a people-centered environment, this could be the opportunity for you!

This job requires the incumbent to be an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces who served on an active, full-time basis and meet one of the following qualification requirements:

• Three years of experience in veterans service work, public benefits claims examining, social services or human resources; OR
• Six years of full-time experience in any field; OR
• A bachelor's degree.
• EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties:

As an Veterans Assistance Counselor, you'll help create a positive experience for every person who walks through our doors. In this role, you will:

• Review individual case files following the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rating action to determine compliance with current laws, rules, and regulations as outlined in U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims decisions.
• Examine medical information including but not limited to, service medical records, physical examinations, hospital reports and post-operative reports, and determines degree of residual disability for comparison with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs assignment.
• Initiates formal appellant proceedings, and/or otherwise advises the claimant take specific action to obtain proper rating, as necessary.
• Participate in veterans outreach functions to promote public interest and awareness as requested by veterans organizations or the LDVA Administrative Staff

Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: Job Appointment (a temporary appointment not to exceed four years)

Career Progression: This position can be filled as a Veterans Assistance Counselor 1 or 2.

Work Schedule: Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday.

Compensation: The starting pay for this position is $17.56/hr. (Special Entrance Rate); $2.00 work incentive pay (premium pay) upon completion of TRIPS Certification

For further information about this vacancy, contact: Torin McClanahan, Human Resources Specialist, [e-mail]

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.