New job VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER - MCLEAN COUNTY478000 in Illinois

Job Responsibilities

Under direction, manages a field office involved in preparing and presenting benefit claims for military personnel, veterans, their dependents and/or survivors; or, serves as a co-manager in a large field office supporting an extremely large number of veterans, their dependents and/or survivors; or, serves as an itinerant officer in field offices; consults and corresponds with clientele and the community on an ongoing basis relative to law changes, amendments and deletions which may affect eligibility or the policy of any number of given veterans programs; interviews and advises clientele, and researches applicant's military, social, educational, vocational and medical histories to gather information to develop and support claims.

• Interviews, advises and counsels military personnel, veterans, their dependents and/or survivors on Veteran's Administration benefits, military benefits, retirement plans, TRICARE benefits, survivor benefit plans, and state and federal tax laws; identifies and evaluates the problems of clientele and provides thorough solutions to solve material, financial, medical and social needs within the framework and program guidelines of the agency.
  
• Manages a field office, with responsibility for the delivery of services provided by the office; answers to the department and the public for any situations occurring in the office; makes sure agency procedures are being followed.
  
• Serves as co-manager of a large field office providing services to an extremely large group of veterans/dependents/survivors with responsibility for the delivery of services provided by the office; answers to the department and the public for any situations occurring in the office.
  
• Prepares and/or assists in preparing claims occurring because of military service for pensions, insurance, hospitalization, education and employment, and in ascertaining that all material is accounted for to expedite eligibility and adjudication.
  
• Makes independent decisions relative to complex issues and claims; prepares and reviews extensive written appeals; clarifies Veteran's Administration claim decisions for applicants; reviews claims that are denied; prepares and develops new evidence for appeal briefs to be submitted to the Veteran's Administration for decision review; reviews, analyzes and develops pertinent information for review of claims to the Board of Appeal and upgrading discharges before the Armed Forces Board of Review.
  
• Develops and maintains liaison with state, federal and community organizations; secures information relative to services and benefits available from hospital administrations, mental health services, sheriff departments, county officials, township officials, probation officers, job service representatives; unemployment representatives and many other social agencies; represents the department in various community activities, explaining functions of the department and available benefits.
  
• Trains and/or assists in training newly-employed officers and/or associates in the local or field office work routines; attends departmental meetings to stay attuned to emergent policy and procedural developments that impact agency operations.
  
• May serve as an itinerant service officer, answering inquiries and preparing claims in assigned counties and/or offices, organizing material and evidence, supporting documents and personal information concerning each individual claimant in order to interpret claimant's eligibility for benefits.
  
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Requires extensive knowledge of the department's veterans programs and the operating policies and procedures.
• Requires extensive knowledge of the benefits and services available to veterans and their dependents, and the federal and state laws and regulations governing their administration.
• Requires working knowledge of office management skills and techniques.
• Requires ability to manage an office efficiently and effectively, to provide services to military personnel, veterans, their dependents and/or survivors, and to maintain records as required by the agency.
• Requires ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with veterans, their dependents, community organizations and other agencies.
• Requires ability to prepare and present topical speeches to veterans groups and other interested parties.
• Requires ability to explain federal and state veterans' legislation to employees and the public.
• Requires ability to analyze and interpret military, private medical records and reports in terms of establishing entitlement to Veteran's Administration benefits.
• Requires ability to examine, interpret and explain complex decisions affecting clientele regarding claims issues, and appropriately advising them of their responsibility in relation to benefit awards.
• Requires ability to make decisions in accordance with the laws of the federal and state government governing veterans benefits and services.
• Requires ability to express ideas clearly in written and/or oral form.

Employment Conditions

• Employees must obtain U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Accreditation within their probationary period. Failure to achieve accreditation will result in termination of employment. Accreditation is achieved by completion of State of Illinois, Department of Veterans' Affairs, self paced training and certification testing with a minimum score of 70%.
• Requires re-accreditation every 5 years while fulfilling the duties of a Veterans Service Officer. Failure to maintain accreditation will be grounds to commence progressive discipline.

Education Degree

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to the completion of two years college
• Requires an honorable discharge from service in the Armed Forces of the United States. The veteran must have served during a time of hostilities with a foreign country, and must meet one or more of the following conditions:
• (i) The veteran must have served a total of at least 6 months.
• (ii) The veteran served for the duration of hostilities regardless of the length of engagement.
• (iii) The veteran was discharged on the basis of hardship.
• (iv) The veteran was released from active duty because of a service connected disability and was discharged under honorable conditions.
• (20 ILCS 2805/4) Executive Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs Act, Section 4
• As used in this section, "time of hostilities with a foreign country" means any period of time in the past, present, or future during which a declaration of war by the United States Congress has been or is in effect or during which an emergency condition has been or is in effect that is recognized by the issuance of a Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order and in which the armed forces expeditionary medal or other campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential executive order. (Source P.A. 88-275.)
• Hostilities Start Date End Date
• World War I April 6, 1917 November 11, 1918
• World War II December 7, 1941 December 31, 1946
• Korean June 27, 1950 January 31, 1955
• Vietnam February 28, 1961 May 7, 1975
• Lebanon June 6, 1983 December 1, 1987
• Grenada October 23, 1983 November 21, 1983
• Panama December 20, 1989 January 31, 1990
• Desert Storm August 2, 1990 November 30, 1995
• War on Terrorism September 11, 2001 (Ongoing Hostilities)
• Requires one year of experience in sales, public relations, welfare work or other work involving extensive public contact.