As a Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation) you will: serve as a member of the Public Contact Team, located in the Veterans Service Center. The incumbent provides in-depth information and comprehensive assistance to veterans their dependents and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits and related non-VA benefits.

Duties

Counsels Veterans, their dependents, and their beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits available through other agencies. Explains the types of documents necessary to facility timely processing of claims and provides assistance in obtaining and completing such document and forms as required by the type of claim being submitted or services requested. Serves as facility Point of Contact (POC) and advocate for veterans and their beneficiaries in their dealings with other VA elements and organizations that may affect their claims. Explains decisions made by the VA and communicates the reasons to the claimant for these decisions, orally and in writing. Advises on the right of appeals and assists claimants in making appeals. Develops a network relationship with the state and private Veteran's organizations to broaden the scope of outreach and increase the community awareness of the role VA plays in being a resource to the community. Provides community outreach counseling and in-home counseling to those who are geographically isolated or physically unable to go to a VA facility due to physical or mental incapacity. Participates in large scale outreach activities (claims clinics, tribal events, etc.), to support claims intake and benefits counseling. Analyzes inquiries, researches issues involved, consults with other federal, state, and local agencies as necessary and prepares written replies or furnishes replies by telephone or other medium to congressional or White House staff members.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Office of Personnel Management's group coverage qualification standards, associated individual occupational requirements (IOR), and individual qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found here. To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves (1) Working independently when providing customer service, benefits counseling, and claims processing. (2) Researching and interpreting local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine eligibility for benefits programs (3) conducting interviews that produce the necessary exchange of information needed to address the issue(s) or questions(s) posed by the caller or interviewee (4) Preparing and/or manage the preparation of materials that convey complex, technical program information to diverse audiences with varying levels of understanding and interests. Or applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-10 level: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related Or applicants can combine education and specialized experience to qualify for the position. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education AND specialized experience described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. To do so, first calculate the percentage of qualifying education you have as a percentage of the education required. Next, calculate the percentage of specialized experience you have as a percentage of the experience required. Then, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% for you to qualify for the position at the GS-10 grade level. If you qualify based on a combination of graduate education and specialized experience, you must submit a copy of your official college transcript with your application.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for federal employment. You can verify your education here. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Contacts

• Address VBA Human Resources Center - Central Office 810 Vermont Ave NW Washington, DC 20420 US
• Name: Mara Budweg
• Phone: 515-323-7575
• Email: [email protected]