Veterans Assistance Counselor ; St. Mary

“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 Counselor to 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.

• Accepting Direction
  :
  The ability to accept and follow directions from those higher in the chain of command.
• Displaying Professionalism
  :
  The ability to recognize how your actions impact the perceptions of both you and your organization.
• Learning Actively
  :
  The ability to acquire necessary knowledge and skills to improve performance and achieve organizational 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.

• 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.

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.
• Initiate formal appellant proceedings, and/or otherwise advise 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

• Appointment Type: Probational or 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

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as…