VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service !

[rainvet]

President Lincoln in his Second Inaugural Address indicated the importance of caring for the Nation's veterans with the following:

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan."

These words spoken by President Lincoln reflect the philosophy and principles that guide the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service as our endeavors are focused on serving our Nation's veterans and their families.

The Department of Veterans Affair's Veterans Benefits Administration's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) service is vested with delivering timely, effective vocational rehabilitation services to veterans with service-connected disabilities. Enabling our injured soldiers, sailors, airmen, and other veterans with disabilities for a seamless transition from military service to a successful rehabilitation and on to suitable employment after service to our Nation. For some severely disabled veterans, this success will be to live independently, achieving the highest quality of life possible with a realized hope for employment given future advances in medical science and technology. The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment service strives to exceed the service delivery expectations of veterans and their families.

VR&E's primary benefit program is vocational rehabilitation services for veterans who have a service-connected disability. To receive services a veteran must be found both eligible and entitled. The outcome of these services lead to suitable employment that is consistent with their aptitudes and interests, or achieving independence in their daily living.

VR&E also provides the following benefit services. Educational and Vocational Counseling is provided for eligible service members, veterans, and veterans' dependents. The outcome of this counseling is assistance in the selection of an educational or vocational goal and / or assistance in the selection of training institutions where this goal may be pursued. Additionally the VR&E program provides educational and vocational counseling benefits for eligible dependent children of Vietnam veterans born with certain birth defects or children of Vietnam or Korean veterans born with Spina Bifida. In order to be considered for this benefit program, you must be the biological child of a veteran who served in Vietnam or on the Korean demilitarized zone during certain periods in the 1960s or 1970s. You must have been conceived after the veteran served some time in one of those two places.

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/index.htm

[rhill357]

Hello, I am a retired 90 percent vet. I am receiving 50% for PTSD. I applied for IU, and was denied. I filed an NOD and waiting on an answer. I have an appointment with the voc rehab in atlanta on 24 June 08. Will the PTSD or the NOD affect me in any way from being approved? Thanks

[TinCanMan]

Certainly. The purpose of VocRehab is to return the veteran to the work force. It isn't intended as entertainment or extra cash income. Your counselor will determine what programs will help you return to work consistent with your abilities. If you are successful with your IU claim, there won't be much point in training when you cannot return to work anyway. In this case the Independent Living Program from the same office might be more appropriate.

I've seen instances where a counselor will permit VocRehab w/IU but that seldom happens and is even less frequently successful. If you are successful in convincing a counselor to place you in a training/educational program, it might have impact on your IU claim as well. You generally caannot have it both ways.

[rhill357]

Thanks, when I received my decision letter on IU, the VA informed me there was not enough evidence to approve me the IU, so therefore I filed an NOD, and also filed for voc rehab based on their decision.