Dandridge: Who can answer your questions about VA Medical Center services and benefits? Part 2

(Remember the acronym VSOSWPA – pronounced Vee SOS Wahpa!)

By Larry Dandridge

The first article in a series of three explained that Veteran Service Officers, Social Workers, and Patient Advocates (VSOSWPA) can answer most of a veteran’s non-clinical questions and solve many of their problems with VA health care, services, and benefits.

That article also encouraged eligible veterans to:

• Sign up for VA healthcare. Learn more from your local VSO, VA Medical Center Eligibility and Enrollment Office, and at https://www.va.gov/health-care/, https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/, and https://bit.ly/4whEauW.
• Learn more about their Primary Care Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) at https://bit.ly/4fLneac, https://bit.ly/459Xle6, and by calling the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Patient Advocate phone 843-789-6066 for Charleston, N. Charleston, Goose Creek or phone 912-920-0214 Extension 412205 for Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Hinesville, Beaufort, and Brunswick outpatient clinics.
• Keep the names and phone numbers of the VA specialists on their Primary Care PACT Team. Get the names and phone numbers from the veteran’s assigned Primary Care Clinic and PACT Team.
• Make an appointment with the veteran’s local county (or regional) VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) and find out what their federal (VA) and state veterans’ benefits are.
• Learn more about their local VA Medical Center and Health Care System Patient Advocates Team at https://bit.ly/4yvLcxD, and by calling the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health System Patient Advocate office at 843-0843-789-6066, or by emailing vhachapatientadvocates@va.gov.
• Use their local VA Medical Center Patient Advocates Team (Medical Center or Clinic Office) to help veterans resolve issues with their care. If the veteran experienced any problems that they haven’t been able to resolve by talking with their care team, please reach out to one of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and HealthCare System (RHJVAMC&HCS) patient advocates.
• Find South Carolina County VSOs at https://bit.ly/4gJZ80B. North Carolina County VSOs at https://bit.ly/4fkPEGI. Find GA County/Regional VSOs at https://bit.ly/4fMnQfC.
• Use their VA PACT Team Social Worker or another Specialty Care Social Worker to answer any questions the veteran has about VA Healthcare services and benefits and to refer the veteran to any care or services they need.

This week’s article will explain why veterans should use a VA-accredited VSO to learn what veterans’ VA benefits and services they are eligible for, what benefits are available at their location, and to file claims for veterans’ benefits and services.

Veterans should use a local VA-accredited VSO

VA-Accredited Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) should be veterans’ first choice when trying to understand their veterans’ federal (VA) and state benefits and when applying for Veterans benefits and services because VSOs’ services are FREE and VSOs:

1. Must be recommended to the Office of General Counsel by a VA-recognized Veterans Service Organization (also called a VSO).
2. Must have good character and a good reputation.
3. Must be capable of providing responsible, qualified representation.
4. Are police-background-checked and vetted by the Veterans Service Organization that sponsors and trains them.
5. Must swear to provide honest, free, and accurate veterans’ services.
6. Must attend at least two days of initial training given by the VA, a Veterans Service Organization (American Legion, VFW, VVA, FRA, etc.), and the State Department of Veterans/Military Affairs. For example, I, W. Larry Dandridge, was sponsored by the Charleston County, SC, Veterans’ Affairs Office and the American Legion (AL), and sponsored by the Charleston County Veterans Affairs Office and the American Legion and trained in Columbia, SC, by the SC Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Legion, and the VA. And I (Dandridge) received additional training from the Charleston, SC, Veterans Affairs Office after completing the initial training and passing the initial comprehensive examination in Columbia, SC.
7. Must pass a comprehensive examination at the end of initial training.
8. Must take continuing education classes on federal and state benefits each year after initial training and examination.
9. Work for the veteran and the veteran’s family members and NOT the VA. But they do work with the VA whenever and wherever possible.
10. Can officially represent the veteran to the VA and the state the veteran resides in.

Each county in North Carolina and South Carolina (and most other states) has a Veterans Service Office (or Affairs Office) with VA-accredited VSOs to assist veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors with their benefits.

Warning 1: You need to call your local VA-accredited VSO and make an appointment. Ideally, you will need your veteran’s full name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Most VSOs are overwhelmed with calls for help. Be patient and polite. Use only a VA-accredited VSO to help you.

Warning 2: The vast majority of Post, Chapter, Branch, etc. Veteran Service Organizations (VFW, AL, AMVETS, VVA, etc.) Veterans Benefits Advisors are NOT VA-accredited and have little training and knowledge in Veterans Benefits and how to apply for VA and state veterans’ benefits or appeal bad VA and state decisions! They should refer you to a VA-accredited VSO.

Recommendation 1: Use a local and full-time VA-accredited VSO. I, Larry Dandridge, recommend you use a VA-accredited VSO who is paid to provide veterans’ services and who is closely supervised. I like to use County VA-accredited VSOs because they are paid, supervised, and do this important work full-time, so they get plenty of practice. Also, some VSOs specialize in the benefit or service you need. Volunteer VA-accredited VSOs and VSOs collocated at Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Offices may be many miles away from you, limiting how often  you can meet face-to-face with them. Normally, your local County VSO is close enough for you to meet face-to-face with them as often as needed.

Recommendation 2: Do not give away your only copy of evidence. Keep the originals if possible, and do not give away the only copy you have of evidence you need to use.  Evidence might be your DD214, military personnel records, military medical records, military dental records, line of duty investigation reports, accident reports, incident reports, efficiency reports, award citations/orders, pictures of crashed/battle damaged equipment (vehicles, aircraft, buildings, etc.), pictures of wounds-injuries-symptoms-affects, lay witness statements, nexus letters from physicians (including physical-occupational-speech-other therapists), lists of medications, lists of treatments, lists/pictures of medical devices (wheelchair, scooter, crutches, cane, walking sticks, braces, aids, tens unit, traction machine, implants, pacemaker, heart valve, stent, etc.) VA medical records, civilian medical records, and others.

Continued next week.

Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, a combat and 100% service-connected disabled veteran, an ex-Enlisted Infantryman, an ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and a retired Lt. Colonel. He is a former Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA and Durham VA Medical Centers, a Fisher House Charleston Goodwill Ambassador, and the Veteran Benefits Advisor for the AUSA Coastal Carolina Chapter, MOPH Chapter, MOAA Triangle Chapter, and VFW Post 7383. Larry is also the author of the award-winning “Blades of Thunder (Book One)” and a contributing freelance writer with The Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.