STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

Nicole Hoeft, Strategic Communications Division Director

The team has experienced an increased call volume for emergency services, housing, and behavioral health resources. Call volume also nearly doubled in March compared to the previous 3-month average. The front desk team gathers real-time data about the types of calls that are received to improve public communication on issues that have noticeable spikes in inquiries.

In May, a member of the front desk staff joined the Aging Veteran Services team. There is currently recruitment open for a new Receptionist.

The team has continued to track the needs and outcomes of calls and walk-ins to the Salem office. This information is used to improve not only the front desk services ODVA offers, but the data also helps the communication team identify information that can be improved on ODVA’s website and other communication efforts.

This quarter, data indicates that:

• Nearly 10% of calls or walk-ins were inquiring about emergency assistance (55%), housing stability/homeless resources (41%) and behavioral health services (4%).

• 33% of calls are regarding claims or locating a Veteran Service Office; 17% are regarding Veteran License Plates; 14% are regarding ODVA’s home loan program; 9% about veteran health care.

Joe Glover, Division Director

Portland Appeals Team

The Portland Appeals team is a team of five subject-matter expert Veterans Service Officers (VSO) whose primary responsibility it is to conduct appeals in front of federally appointed judges at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) as well as conduct Higher Level Review (HLR) hearings with the and Pre-Determination (Pre-D) Hearings with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) These hearings all require extensive research and strong skill-based knowledge of VA law.

At the BVA level, this program works to help veterans and their families receive benefits that they are entitled to due to military service, but specifically target advocacy focusing on assisting veterans and families after they have received a denial or a less than ideal outcome for disability benefits as well as medical billing and benefits sought, and have filed a Notice of Disagreement with the BVA. These hearings are primarily conducted virtually where a claimant can join the hearing from any internet connected device. This Virtual Hearings model has been very effective in allowing claimants the opportunity to be able to conduct a hearing with minimal impact to home, family, or work life, and have eliminated the need to drive to Portland to attend a hearing in-person at the Portland VA Regional Office. During the pandemic this virtual model was particularly critical to the safety of claimants and ODVA staff who were able to hold these hearings uninterrupted while still being able to socially distance themselves in a protected manner.

From January through March 2023, the Portland Appeals team conducted 25 hearings.

Another key component to this program team is the advocacy work that is done through the mechanism known as the HLR. The pathway to the HLR is similar to a BVA appeal, but it has the additional requirement that no additional evidence can be submitted. For these HLRs, the Portland Appeals VSO must argue the merits of the case solely with the evidence of record and must show that the VA either misapplied the law or overlooked key evidence in the file at the original time of the filing.

From January through March 2023, the Portland Appeals team conducted 4 HLRS.

The third pathway that our Portland Appeals team assists veterans and their families is through a process known as a Pre-D hearing. When a veteran receives either a debt, a proposal for a reduction in benefits, or a proposal to deny medical benefits, before a decision is made, the VBA will submit a proposal. When addressing a proposal, it is critical that it be addressed within 60 days. If done so within this timeframe, it allows for the veteran or claimant to have a Pre-D hearing done without an immediate loss of monetary or medical benefits. Pre-D hearings are

Appeals And Special Advocacy

Joe Glover, Division Director

critical particularly when a veteran or claimant receives a debt notification because this Pre-D hearing can not only argue the validity of the debt but can also assist the claimant with establishing a manageable repayment plan to help ensure that the claimant is not put into a dire financial hardship or houseless situation to repay the money owed.

From January through March 2023, the Portland Appeals team conducted 4 Pre-D hearings.

Portland Appeals Team Success Story:

During this quarter, one of our Portland Appeals Team Veterans Service Officer (VSO) conducted an HLR hearing.

In 2022, the veteran claimed that they were suffering from leg conditions relating to a back injury sustained during their military service. The VBA agreed and granted the veteran service connection for both legs, with an effective date of 2022.

However, after the award was granted, the veteran contended that they should have received benefits back to their original date of discharge in 1999 and through their VSO filed an HLR.

The ODVA Portland Appeals VSO researched the veteran’s file and discovered that in 1999 the veteran indeed had filed a claim for both legs as secondary to a back condition and there was evidence in the record of the veteran having received medical treatment for the legs. Our Portland Office Appeals VSO argued that this condition had not been addressed in 1999 and showed that the effective date should be retroactive to their date of discharge.

The argument was successful, and this veteran received a $250,000+ retroactive payment and service connection established back to their original date of discharge.