VocRehab Page

DisabledVeterans.org Publishes New VocRehab Resource Page

VocRehab Page

With the new website design, we published a new VocRehab resource page for veterans seeking true information about VocRehab benefits. Here is what it has.

I plan to add new and modified resources based on some public data VA has already published about the program as well as some premium options for readers seeking more in-depth treatment of VocRehab.

VISIT: VocRehab Resource Page

This is all part of my Online Veterans Resource Center (Online VRC) initiative to create an access point for education about veterans benefits for veterans, veterans service officers, and lawyers.

The topics the system will address are VocRehab, Disability Compensation, Employee Rights, Clinical Appeals and Fee Basis Care, and Disruptive Behavior Committees. I may add some other topics as time allows.

Current VocRehab Resource Page

First, we have the M28R paginated manual. VA published the new version of its policy manual in 2014 but failed to create a public facing paginated version.

This means veterans seeking justice would have to download over 100 separate downloads and then search those documents to find the citation VocRehab used to deny their claim.

The requirement seemed unjust to me, so I bought software that would help download files like that quickly and then paginated the documents using Adobe Acrobat. All in, the process cost me about $200 and took six hours.

The benefit to veterans is that you will be able to search the entire 1,400 page document for the term or phrase VocRehab used to deny you but failed to cite.

You see, VocRehab Counselors are often not allowed to write detailed explanations of why they are denying a veteran’s claim. So, they will cut and paste the justification from the M28R manual without citing it. This sends most veterans on a wild goose chase, at last until now.

LEARN MORE: VocRehab Survival Guide

On the new page, you will also see my VocRehab Survival Guide. I wrote the guide to give veterans a framework to advocate for themselves when seeking VocRehab benefits. The guide is particularly useful for veterans dealing with stubborn counselors.

Beyond this, there is a Frequently Asked Questions section and a general news section along with links to a few free guides for veterans seeking to increase their disability compensation benefits or trying to get access to their VA records.

Online VRC Subscriber Backend

Some readers including policy gurus, veterans and attorneys will want additional resources, guides, etc.

The next iteration will be to upload advanced items to a subscriber backend that will have forums and other features like a VA employee ranking tool… kind of like Angie’s List except for VA employees including VocRehab counselors. This will be an enormous accountability tool moving forward.

This will be an enormous accountability tool moving forward. Can you imagine being able to publish a review of an abusive doctor or VocRehab counselor including video or audio clips? It will be great, like the Better Business Bureau of veterans rights.

The Online VRC will also include learning management system software that I’ve been fiddling with for the past year to help educate veterans, lawyers and reporters about VA benefits systems. My hope is to have that go live by the end of November if not sooner.

Community Feedback

What do you think about the new website design and resource ideas for veterans? Current analytics show time on the website has doubled since I made the changes to the design last week and feedback from some readers has been positive.

Sound off when you can!

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22 Comments

  1. I was just informed by my vet rep at college, that all of the full/part-time grants (i am assuming pell grant) that cover tuition only (the pell grant can be used for more than tuition)would be deducted from the tuition I owe for the spring, then the VA would pay the balance. I am a voc rehab student and was told by another voc rehab student from another college that chapter 31 pays the full tuition and I would be refunded the full pell grant. this happened for me in the fall. now, the policy has changed?

  2. I just reread all the comments , and they’re different . What’s up ? Oh well, I think it may take me a while to figure this new site out . Perhaps, the disappearing comments are in the cloud .

  3. Here’s a couple Utube videos to watch.

    1.)

    “Breaking: NYPD Blows Whistle On Hillary’s Emails: Child Sex Crimes, Exploitation…”

    From “Next News Network”, by Gary Franci.
    Nov 2, 2016 posted about 3 hrs ago.

    #2.)
    “Breaking: NYPD Just Raided Hillary’s Property. What They Found Will Put Her & Bill In Prison!”

    ——————-
    Re; remember the “Lolita Express” Bill took 26 times to that “convicted Pedophiles” Island?
    Seems there may be proof!

  4. Question on VR&E Ch 31 stipend.

    When the schools breaks for traditional holidays like summer break, VA stops stipend payments. From what I understand, they do the same over traditional Christmas holiday.

    When I looked this up in the MR28, it clearly states that traditional breaks in the schools schedules do not interrupt stipend payments. Am I wrong about this?
    Source referenced:

    M28R, Part V, Section A, Chapter 6
    g. Leave Approval Not Required
    • When a Veteran is pursuing a standard college degree, during weekends
    and legal holidays, or customary vacation periods.

  5. Ben, how come I cannot see your Facebook group? I get an error from Facebook every time.

    Thanks.

  6. Seymore
    Doesn’t it look like Obama is intentionally trying to start WWIII?
    This morning, on the “Herman Caine Show”, a ‘stand in’ was basically stating the obvious – IF Hillary Clinton is elected, we’re not only going to lose all our Constitutional Rights and Privileges. Our economic stability and standards. And lots more!
    We’re going to end up at war with everyone else!

    God Bless Our Country. We’re going to need “Divine Intervention” in the coming months. Especially, if “The Butcher of Benghazi” gets in office!
    _________________
    On those Utube videos, I’ll have the misses do it.

    1. Seymore,
      In case you’ve missed it.
      The FBI has released info over the “Mark Rich Pardon”, from 2001 (Jan).
      It concerns the amount of money, donated by Rich’s wife, going to the Clinton Foundation, as a (possible) ” Pay for Play Scheme”, just before Clinton pardoned him.
      Even though Mark Rich died in 2013, his wife is still alive. She, along with both Clinton’s could be in jeopardy over this(?)!
      Wikileaks is continuing its onslaught of “bad news” for Hitlery.
      I also noticed “Gov. Haley, (S.C.), has switched her vote FROM Hillary to Mr. Trump!” She said it was to “protect her citizens, and the citizens of the United States!” From the abhorrent Obamacare. She’s looked into Trump’s healthcare plan – and likes it. As do MANY in Congress, including Democrats!
      I really don’t mind if Trump can’t “…build the wall”! As long as he gives the “go ahead” to the border patrol back their power. And, they start taking the illegals back to the border and tell to “Go Home, back to where you come from!” Then, they can do what all the other people have done – come here legally!
      Lastly, I don’t give a rat’s ass how obnoxious or “politically incorrect” Trump is as long as he gets the job done –
      “DRAIN THE SWAMP!”

      I LIKE THIS SAYING!

    1. Reuben,

      From your post Clearly you have heard the same news I have. Just want to point out that there is some good news and some bad news for Hillary lately.

      The good news for Hillary, is that they do in fact allow pant suits in most Federal Correctional Facilities for woman.

      The bad news for Hillary, she will have to pay for her own Depends, for adults with major problem leakage.

      Hey Elf,

      Check this out: “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov5kvWSz5LM”

      1. Also you will want to check out which proves the video is true and very correct.

        “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vrSvFlNaaA”

        “https://vault.fbi.gov/hillary-r.-clinton”

      2. Elf,

        If you copy and paste the URL, with the quotes, into a google search it will lead you to a clickable link to the video. This is for real!

      3. Also Elf,

        Do you know where the Florida National Guard is now?

        “Obama’s Viet Nam: the Horn of Africa!”, October 17, 2016 Dr. Steve R. Pieczenik, MD, PhD

    1. It seems Clinton “tweeted” last night Trump had “…a secret server at Trump Tower…” attached to the Russians.
      Forgetting she had a “…secret server for convenience!” Which, by the way, allowed her to conduct State Department business alongside/with Foundation business.
      The FBI, immediately “debunked” that issue, after a lengthy investigation.
      So much is going on. So much criminality by the Clinton’s. It’s hard to believe she, and her cohorts, aren’t in prison.
      ABC, this morning, is claiming, If Hillary is elected, our economy will be destroyed. And, her time in office will be one catastrophe after another.
      Maybe it’s true, the MSM is “…turning against Hillary Clinton!”

  7. Great job, Benjamin!!! Website reboot is great, easy to navigate, and laid-out quite professionally.

    Question: Why is this even allowed?: “You see, VocRehab Counselors are often not allowed to write detailed explanations of why they are denying a veteran’s claim. So, they will cut and paste the justification from the M28R manual without citing it.”

    Is this out of sheer laziness of VocRehab Counselors or is it such that they are not required to give a clear answer for denial that specifically cites reason based on reg or policy? WHY? Or is it as basic as these VR Counselors do not have the proper training and knowledge of what they are supposed to be doing as far as assisting Veterans so making a denial nebulous as possible causes more Vets to just give-up and never try again?
    I guess I am asking why this took a chunk of your time and $200. in software to do something that the VA would no doubt contract a third party company to do for a few Million $….have the VA done their best to just make it impossible to navigate by design and also easily deny by design?

    Also Ben, I still cannot locate the old “DONATE” icon on your site that you used to have before this reboot.

    1. Good question about why VocRehab Counselors are doing that. My guess is most counselors do not feel comfortable making decisions that could be construed as “diagnostic” in nature. However, VA recently changed the regulations to allow VocRehab Counselors to make the same determinations as Counseling Psychologists except they lack the training…

      As for the “Contribute” button for my investigations, it was not used a lot, so I removed it for now.

      1. Next, the VA will have the VocRehab Counselors acting in the clinics as Psychologists for VA Telemedicine. Probably counts for 3x the Nonperformance Bonus for AFGE accounting use only.
        So these potentially undertrained “guidance counselors” at the VA are now wearing bigger hats and going full Freud? 🙂 Still waiting for the VA to install drive-thru Psych Counseling. You roll down window and a fembot from India greets you as a pharmaceutical aerosol jet hazes your cabin and you drive off. 🙂 Sorry, in a mood tonight.

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