Assists a Veterans Benefit Specialist and/or a Field Office Manager in advising, counseling, and assisting veterans, their family members, and beneficiaries to obtain benefits granted under Federal or State laws.

Positions in this class will also be responsible for performing the data collection, reporting, and administrative functions of the office.

Interviews and counsels veterans, family members, and beneficiaries on rights, privileges, and benefits provided under existing laws;

Advises contacts of applicability of numerous and varied laws, methods needed to substantiate eligibility and methods and procedures used in filing applications for claims; provides information on benefits payable under old and new laws and consequences of selecting appropriate entitlement;

Obtains various supporting documents required for completion of claims and researches sources of documents and substitute documents which may be acceptable;

Maintains a system of contacts on a one-to-one relationship with all departmental representatives of veterans at local levels such as Employment Security veterans representatives, Department of Social and Health Services, Veterans Organizations, post service officers, attorneys, medical doctors, county commissioners, or assigned representatives in administration of Soldiers' and Sailors' Relief Funds; maintains contact with various military records centers, servicemen's life insurance centers, etc., on a national level;

Maintains, in a confidential manner, pertinent information, certifications, and records;

Performs other work as required.

Knowledge of: principles and practices of interviewing; individual and group behavior; services available through organizations which assist veterans.

Ability to: interview effectively; establish and maintain successful relationship with others; speak and write effectively; understand and apply a body of rules and regulations; recognize and overcome attitudes or emotions that hinder effective communications; secure information by personal or telephone contacts, often from unwilling claimants; deal tactfully and effectively with representatives of other organizations.

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

A Bachelor's degree in counseling, business administration, public administration, social science or closely allied field.

OR

Four years of experience in social or human resource services, public relations, or public contact work.

College-level course work in business administration, public administration, counseling, social science, or closely allied field may substitute, year for year, for up to three years of the required years of experience specified above.

Qualifying volunteer experience is acceptable.

Revised minimum qualifications: 9-1-66
Reviewed: 3-1-68
Revised minimum qualifications: 1-7-72
Revised definition and title change (formerly Veterans Contact Representative 1): 7-26-73
Revised minimum qualifications: 8-27-76
Revised definition, minimum qualifications, general revision: 5-12-77
Revised definition, added distinguishing characteristics, title change (formerly Veterans Benefit Specialist 1): 2-9-79
Revised definition and minimum qualifications: 3-15-91
New class code: (formerly 37450) effective July 1, 2007

Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.