The A to Z Guide to VA Disability Benefits
JimStrickland912
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Marian Wright Edelman
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This information is provided courtesy of;
Benjamin Krause
thevetset@gmail.com
Vocational Rehabilitation
Two comments I’d like to make prior to digging into the nitty gritty of Voc Rehab. First, many disabled veterans comment to me that they feel other disabled veterans are entitled to the program more than they are. Stop it. If you have a 10% or greater disability rating, you are entitled to apply for benefits. Let the professionals sort out who is and is not worthy of Voc Rehab services. That is not your job and you have no training to discern the facts of your case compared to someone else’s.
Second, Voc Rehab receives around $30,000 per veteran enrolled in the Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. According to the Rehabilitation Services Administration, graduates of rehabilitation programs pay over $1 billion in taxes every year. Within their first year of work, they earn $3.5 billion in wages, with a payback of usually less than 4 years through tax money (DVA, 2004).
This means the money is there. With more veterans opting to use the New GI Bill, there should be more money available for everyone else in the program. It also means the payback is very real for the American taxpayer who is funding your training. Take advantage of this program and treat it as an opportunity to change your life. I did.
The following is taken directly from the VA Voc Rehab Site. To eliminate ambiguity, what I write in will be in italics and indented to the far left. To view my own story and guides to Voc Rehab, click here The Vet Set. My site is in development so the Knols will have to do for now. Email me with questions at thevetset@gmail.com.
The Voc Rehab Overview follows:
What is the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program?
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program is authorized by Congress under Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 31. It is sometimes referred to as the Chapter 31 program. The mission of VR&E is to help veterans with service-connected disabilities to prepare for, find, and keep suitable jobs. For veterans with service-connected disabilities so severe that they cannot immediately consider work, VR&E offers services to improve their ability to live as independently as possible.
Patriot Guard Rider
October 19 2009
Savannah, GA
Services that may be provided by VR&E include:
o comprehensive rehabilitation evaluation to determine abilities, skills, interests, and needs
o vocational counseling and rehabilitation planning
o employment services such as job-seeking skills, resume development, and other work readiness assistance
o assistance finding and keeping a job, including the use of special employer incentives
o if needed, training such as On the Job Training (OJT), apprenticeships, and non-paid work experiences
o if needed, post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school
o supportive rehabilitation services including case management, counseling, and referral
o independent living services
The majority of program participants use the program to fund their education, as opposed to the other services. The New GI Bill is a very generous program that can be construed to displace the need for Voc Rehab. Veterans can enter Voc Rehab first but opt to receive the funding benefits of the GI Bill for the full amount of entitlement, up to 36 months. Once this is used, veterans still have at least 12 months remaining of entitlement under Chapter 31 Voc Rehab. Depending on your training goal, your entitlement can include both a Bachelor’s and Master’s/ Doctorate level training. While most civilians come out of an MBA, MD or JD program with a great deal of debt, you will not have this burden, allowing you to take positions because you love them. Not because you need to pay your student loans back. Yes, being a lawyer can actually be fun if you’re not working 80 hours per week. Using the program in conjunction with your New GI Bill can be a great way to put you ahead in life.
Who is Eligible for VR&E Services?
To receive an evaluation for VR&E services, a veteran must:
o have received, or will receive, a discharge that is other than dishonorable
o have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%
o submit a completed application for VR&E services
The basic period of eligibility in which VR&E services may be used is 12 years from the latter of the following:
o date of separation from active military service, or
o date the veteran was first notified by VA of a service-connected disability rating.
The basic period of eligibility may be extended if a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) determines that a veteran has a Serious Employment Handicap
If you completed college under Voc Rehab and used your entire 48 month entitlement, you may still be eligible for training if your disability has increased since the conclusion of the program. This is especially valuable news if you were unable to find work within the field of your training goal. If you’re unemployed or working within career that does not fit with your training, reapply for benefits. The worst thing that can happen is you would receive a “no”. The best thing is you could qualify for a professional degree or master’s degree. Either option is usually a good one.
What Happens after Eligibility is Established?
The veteran is scheduled to meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) for a comprehensive evaluation to determine whether the veteran is entitled to services. The comprehensive evaluation includes:
o an assessment of the veteran's interests, aptitudes, and abilities
o An assessment of whether service connected disabilities impair the veteran's ability to find and/or hold a job using the occupational skills he or she has already developed
o vocational exploration and goal development
What is Entitlement Determination?
A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) determines whether a veteran has an employment handicap based on the results of the comprehensive evaluation. Entitlement to services is established if the veteran is within his or her 12 year basic period of eligibility and has a 20 % or greater service-connected disability rating and an employment handicap.
If the service-connected disability rating is less than 20% or if the veteran is beyond the 12 year basic period of eligibility, then a serious employment handicap must be found to establish entitlement to VR&E services.
What Happens after the Entitlement Determination is Made?
The veteran and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VR&E) work together to:
o select a VR&E program track leading to an employment or independent living goal
o identify viable employment or independent living services options
o Determine transferable skills
o explore labor market and wage information
o identify physical demands and other job characteristics
o narrow vocational options to identify a suitable employment goal
o investigate training requirements
o identify resources needed to achieve rehabilitation
o develop an individualized rehabilitation plan to achieve the identified employment or independent living goal
What is a Rehabilitation Plan?
A rehabilitation plan is an individualized, written outline of the services, resources and criteria that will be used to achieve successful rehabilitation. It is an agreement that is signed by the veteran and the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC)and is reviewed annually to determine whether any changes may be needed.
Depending on their circumstances, veterans will work with their VRC to select one of the following Five Tracks of services (see definitions for more detail):
o Reemployment (with a former employer
o Rapid employment services for new employment
o Self-employment
o Employment through long term services
o Independent living services
The Voc Rehab Plan was initially developed by both the Department of Labor and your VRC. This changed to being provided by an overworked civilian contractor. Take control of your own plan if you do not like the training plan being pushed by the VRC. In my own case, the VRC the told me they would not approve a track of Commercial Lawyer. The VR Officer also told me this, following up by telling me they would pay for an MBA.
I knew I had to develop my own plan and do my own research. For an example of what this looks like, please feel free to follow this link to my Knol: The Vet Set: Veterans Guide to Writing VA Appeals and Other Letters.
What Happens after the Rehabilitation Plan is Developed?
After a plan is developed and signed, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) or case manager will continue to work with the veteran to implement the plan to achieve suitable employment or independent living. The VRC or case manager may coordinate services such as tutorial assistance, training in job-seeking skills, medical and dental referrals, adjustment counseling, payment of training allowance, if applicable, and other services as required to achieve rehabilitation.
Summary of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program (Chapter 31) Process
A veteran who is eligible for an evaluation under Chapter 31 must complete an application and meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC). If the VRC determines that an employment handicap exists as a result of a service-connected disability, the veteran is found entitled to services. The VRC and the veteran will then continue counseling to select a track of services and jointly develop a plan to address the rehabilitation and employment needs of the veteran.
The rehabilitation plan will specify an employment or independent living goal, identify intermediate goals, outline services and resources needed to achieve these goals. The VRC and the veteran will work together to implement the plan and achieve successful rehabilitation.
If a veteran is found not to be entitled to services, the VRC will help the veteran locate other resources to address any rehabilitation and employment needs identified during the evaluation.
Voc Rehab is an excellent way to push ahead of the field and change your life whether you are a single person or have a family. Attending college full time is to your advantage in the long run, adding over a million dollars to your overall lifetime earning potential. Good luck.
Bibliography
DVA. (2004). “The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program for the 21st Century Veteran.” Retrieved May 4, 2007, from Department of Veterans Affairs. Web site: http://www1.va.gov/op3/page.cfm?pg=22