Veterans Service Representative I

sjgov•Stockton, CA

About The Position

This examination is being given to fill 1 vacancy in the Veteran's Service Office department and to establish an eligible list to fill future vacancies. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. A completed application must be postmarked or received online by the final filing deadline. Pre-Employment Drug Screening and Background : Potential new hires into this classification are required to successfully pass a pre-employment drug screen and a background investigation as a condition of employment. Final appointment cannot be made unless the eligible has passed the drug screen and successfully completed the background process. The County pays for the initial drug screen. Veterans Service Rep I by Employment Services Team NOTE: All correspondences relating to this recruitment will be delivered via e-mail. The e-mail account used will be the one provided on your employment application during time of submittal. Please be sure to check your e-mail often for updates. If you do not have an e-mail account on file, Human Resources will send you correspondences via US Mail.

Requirements

Education: Completion of 60 semester (or 90 quarter) units from an accredited college or university with course work in military science, business or public administration, psychology, health science, social science or a related field.
Experience : Either 1) one year of clerical or administrative support experience in a county veterans’ service office, a veterans’ service contact office, or a Veterans’ Administration regional office; OR 2) one year of technical administrative experience in government, military, or in fields similar to health care or social services, disability insurance claims, or social security that included interviewing or obtaining information from clients to determine their eligibility for services or program benefits, as well as researching and explaining policies, laws, and/or regulations; OR 3) lived experience applying for a variety of veteran-specific benefits as a veteran or active duty service member with relevant experience and knowledge of military/Veterans Administration.
Substitution : Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis where one year of experience is considered equivalent to 30 semester (or 45 quarter) college units.
Special Requirements : Must complete a course of instruction in Veterans Benefits as prescribed by Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations 14.629 AND become accredited by the California Department of Veterans Affairs as a Service Organization Representative within one year of appointment. Failure to obtain and maintain accreditation may result in release of employment.
License: Possession of a valid California driver’s license.
KNOWLEDGE Basic veterans’ benefit programs and obligations; basic interviewing and public relations techniques; methods of data collection and evaluation; basic principles of human behavior; basic methods and techniques of maintaining records and filing systems; modern office automation technology and standard computer software programs.
ABILITY Read, understand, and apply laws and regulations pertaining to veterans’ rights, benefits and obligations; elicit information from veterans and their family members; collect, interpret, analyze, and assemble data from various sources into a claim; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; operate computers and related software and apply computer applications to departmental functions; make daily travel throughout San Joaquin County; make daily travel throughout San Joaquin County; prepare and give public presentations; prepare reports and correspondence; maintain records.

Responsibilities

Assists with the preparation of claims packages; completes claims forms and documents for submission to the Veterans Administration for a wide range of veteran and survivor benefits; advises claimants of required supporting documentation; insures documentation is included in claim package when possible.
Assists clients in securing evidence to complete claim package, including legal documents, medical records, service records and other documentation which supports entitlement to benefits.
Provides information regarding benefits available to veterans and/or their dependents, including conditions of entitlement; advises clients about and explains vocational, educational, financial, and medical rights and benefits; provides information regarding community resources.
Assists with verifying entitlement to benefits for non-veteran administration programs; invites claim action as appropriate; coordinates with other County agencies.
Assists with outreach; may address groups regarding functions and responsibilities of the office; may make visits to homes, hospitals or other sites as required.
May maintain liaison with veterans’ organizations and community organizations.
Prepares and maintains reports and correspondence.

Benefits

Employees hired into this classification are members of a bargaining unit which is represented by SEIU Local 1021 .
Health Insurance : San Joaquin County provides employees with a choice of three health plans: a Kaiser Plan, a Select Plan, and a Premier Plan. Employees pay a portion of the cost of the premium. Dependent coverage is also available.
Dental Insurance : The County provides employees with a choice of two dental plans: Delta Dental and United Health Care-Select Managed Care Direct Compensation Plan. There is no cost for employee only coverage in either plan; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.
Vision Insurance : The County provides vision coverage through Vision Service Plan (VSP). There is no cost for employee only coverage; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.
Life Insurance : The County provides eligible employees with life insurance coverage as follows: 1 but less than 3 years of continuous service: $1,000 3 but less than 5 years of continuous service: $3,000 5 but less than 10 years of continuous service: $5,000 10 years of continuous service or more: $10,000 Employee may purchase additional term life insurance at the group rate.
125 Flexible Benefits Plan : This is a voluntary program that allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses that are not paid by a medical, dental or vision plan (Health Flexible Spending Account $2550 annual limit with a $500 carry over); and dependent care costs (Dependent Care Assistance Plan $5000 annual limit).
Retirement Plan : Employees of the County are covered by the County Retirement Law of 1937.
Deferred Compensation : The County maintains a deferred compensation plan under Section 457 of the IRS code. You may annually contribute $22,500 or 100% of your includible compensation, whichever is less. Individuals age 50 or older may contribute to their plan, up to $30,000. The Roth IRA (after tax) is also now available.
Vacation : Maximum earned vacation is 10 days each year up to 3 years; 15 days after 3 years; 20 days after 10 years; and 23 days after 20 years.
Holidays : Effective July 1, 2017, all civil service status employees earn 14 paid holidays each year.
Sick Leave : 12 working days of sick leave annually with unlimited accumulation.
Sick leave incentive : An employee is eligible to receive eight hours administrative leave if the leave balance equals at least one- half of the cumulative amount that the employee is eligible to accrue. The employee must also be on payroll during the entire calendar year.
Bereavement Leave : 3 days of paid leave for the death of qualifying family member, 2 additional days of accrued leave for death of employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.
Merit Salary Increase : New employees will receive the starting salary, which is the first step of the salary range. After employees serve 52 weeks (2080 hours) on each step of the range, they are eligible for a merit increase to the next step.
Job Sharing : Employees may agree to job-share a position, subject to approval by a Department Head and the Director of Human Resources.
Educational Reimbursement Program : Eligible employees may be reimbursed for career-related course work up to a maximum of $850 per fiscal year. Eligible employees enrolled in an approved four (4) year College or University academic program may be reimbursed up to $800 per semester for a maximum of $1600 per fiscal year.
Parking Supplemental Downtown Stockton: The County contributes up to $20 per pay period for employees who pay for parking and are assigned to work in the Downtown Core Area.
School Activities : Employees may take up to 40 hours per year, but not more than eight (8) hours per month, to participate in their children’s school activities.