Veterans Services Division
Narrative Description
The Veterans Services Program operates through a wide network of
veterans services field locations where personnel provide veterans, their
dependents, and survivors with information, advice, and assistance regarding
the availability and procurement of benefits under laws administered by the VA
and other agencies. Benefits information and assistance are provided by
personal interviews, telephone interviews, and correspondence. Services
include arrangements with the Armed Forces to ensure that personnel
approaching separation from military service are informed about veterans
benefits and how they may be obtained. Services also include extensive
outreach efforts to ensure that benefits information and assistance are provided
to the educationally disadvantaged, the disabled, the elderly, former prisoners of
war, female veterans, the homeless, and other specially targeted groups. To
assist clients residing a great distance from a regional office in obtaining benefits
information and assistance, toll-free telephone service is provided nationwide.
Interview Units and Telephone Units are separated in some stations and
combined in others depending on station size, workload, and building
constraints. The ideal situation is for a Veterans Benefits Counselor (VBC) to
have one desk where all duties are performed. These duties are: conduct
personal interviews, answer phone calls; reply to veterans assistance inquiries;
and respond to incoming correspondence. This saves the VBC time by not
having to relocate as workload fluctuates. Currently, VBA is developing a team
management approach to serving veterans whereby Veterans Services Division
and the Adjudication Division will cross traditional division lines and share duties.
This may mean physically combining the two divisions and establishing teams of
adjudicators and VBCs or by sharing job responsibilities and leaving the existing
layouts intact.
The Veterans Services Division receives the highest amount of visitor traffic
and should be located as close to the main entrance as possible. This division
requires an appropriate waiting area for veterans and their families and design
should inhibit visitors from wandering into office areas. Interview stations must
offer conversational privacy yet be open enough for staff to view the VBC with
the client. Some stations have separate telephone and interview units. If units
are separated, situate Telephone Unit away from public area. Provide two
means of egress from division, with one of the exits not through waiting area.
This division requires open office area to accommodate systems furniture and
private offices for the Division Chief and Assistant Division Chief.
VBA Design Guide
Page 2-35
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