Veteran Service Officer Assistant

Purpose

The Clatsop County Veteran Service Officer (VSO) Assistant supports the VSO by providing telephone and e-mail screening and intake for prospective clients, scheduling appointments for the County VSO, and providing information and referral services for veterans and their eligible family members residing in Clatsop County. The Veterans’ Services Assistant performs general administrative duties including responding to telephone inquiries and voicemail, responding to e-mail inquiries, forwarding messages to the VSO, accomplishing data entry, data collection for reporting purposes, and mail handling (including sending, receiving, and sorting mail). Assists clients in completing forms and gathering evidence to support their claims for benefits with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Responsibilities

· Provide administrative and technical support to the County Veteran Service Officer, including:

· Respond to phone, fax, and e-mail inquiries and screen prospective clients’ potential eligibility for local, state, and federal veterans’ benefits.

· Schedule appointments and follow up appointments with VSO as needed. Help to manage the VSO appointment calendar and perform coordination functions to serve the needs of the VSO office and clients

· Assist clients with completing forms for VA compensation and pension benefits, following up with existing clients to obtain evidence for their claims for benefits, meeting with walk-in (unscheduled) clients needing assistance with completing forms or determining eligibility, and regularly providing follow-up contact with existing clients with mailings, phone contacts, and/or e-mail.

· Make referrals to CCA and other agencies for additional needs such as housing, employment, education, etc.

· Answer Veterans’ Services intake phone.

· Update and maintain VSO client files in Vetraspec web application (for claims management and client tracking).

· Create new files, perform data entry, and run reports in Vetraspec. Scan and upload documents into client files and alert VSO when documents are ready for review.

· Complete and submit forms to request health records and personnel files from VA, Department of Defense, and National Personnel Records Center to support claims development.

· Create and process office correspondence related to client screening, claims development, and follow up. Assist with daily mail practices including retrieving and sorting mail. Process returned mail in accordance with current state, federal, and local guidelines.

· Create and maintain documents, spreadsheets, and databases. Assist in the

implementation, design, monitoring, and evaluation of Veterans’ Service Office client data support and tracking systems. Ensure all referrals are tracked in appropriate platforms.

· Advocate for veterans who need services. Connect with community resources to support veterans and clients’ needs. Develop and maintain current knowledge of programs for which veterans and their families may be eligible. Services will include those provided by CCA (Clatsop Community Action) as well as those provided by community partners. Provide information and assistance to veterans and family members in accessing these additional, non-veteran-specific benefits. Relevant programs and services may include transportation, disability benefits, mental health treatment, aging services, economic support, and public health.

· Be a self-starter, seeking to support the VSO and veteran clients in innovative ways that enhance the veterans’ and clients’ experience with the VSO office. Continually improve professional skills, knowledge, and ability via training opportunities and participation in department, program, and staff meetings. Be proactive in seeking out training and skill building opportunities.

· Perform job duties independently and participate in CCA teams. Practice self-care to prevent and manage stress.

· Promote a culture of respect, inclusiveness, and appreciation of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and values. Must always demonstrate and be responsible for ethical practices. Observe client confidentiality per program, agency, and HIPAA rules.

Qualifications, Skills, and Knowledge

Any combination of experience and training that will provide the required knowledge and abilities will be considered as qualifying experience. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade; one year of additional specialized administrative or vocational related training is highly desirable. After probationary period, applicant will be required to attend formalized VSO Admin training presented by the Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs.

Experience: At least two years of general administrative experience, including experience working directly with veteran clients and/or the public, preferably in a social service setting. Must have a working knowledge of veteran benefits and veteran cultural competence. Veterans and/or military connected family members are highly encouraged to apply.

License/Certificate: May require a valid driver license.

Depending upon assignment, candidates may be required to pass a criminal background check.

Essential Job Functions

· Assist applicants in obtaining services through the VA; including obtaining required forms, documents, and materials for verifying eligibility, as well as providing referrals to other agencies as needed.

· Make client appointments with the Clatsop County Veteran Service Officer and manage VSO’s calendar of appointments.

· Assist clients in preparing required pre-appointment paperwork. May include requesting personnel records and discharge documents from the National Personnel Records Center.

· Perform limited client intakes to determine financial needs and to screen for possible unmet needs for services that are offered by CCA and other agencies.

· Determine the veterans’ needs for types of appointments and the preferred location of appointments needed by veterans, such as phone appointments, virtual appointments, home visits, or in-person appointments.

· Gather, organize, and update information in client files and databases, ensuring data quality accuracy. Improving data quality is an ongoing requirement.

· Complete, file, and/or process reports, including required forms and paperwork. Accomplish ServicePoint database intake entries and assist in the preparation of monthly and quarterly reports.

· Review medical records pertinent to client VA disability and surviving dependent claims and upload into applicable database and online systems

· Participate in Veteran Outreach in the community as needed.

Reasonable Accommodation(s)

Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made, if possible, to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Any request for a reasonable accommodation must be submitted to Human Resources or the Executive Director.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $19.00 - $22.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $19 - $22