The principal services offered by the Texas Veterans Commission are claims, employment, and education for our State’s veterans and their families and certification training for Veterans’ County Service Officers (VCSO).

The Texas Veterans Commission serves Veterans, their dependents and survivors, in all matters pertaining to Veterans’ disability benefits and rights. It is the designated agency of the State of Texas to represent the State and its Veterans before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The agency represents Veterans in filing VA disability claims, during VA appeals processes and assists dependents with survivor benefits.

As the State Approving Agency for Texas, the Texas Veterans Commission is under contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to determine those programs of education and training within the state which may be approved for Veterans training.

The Texas Veterans Commission offers employment services to Texas Veterans and helps employers find qualified Veteran job applicants. The goal of these services is to match Veteran job seekers with the best employment opportunities available.

The Texas Veterans Commission is the advocate for Texas Veterans, their families and their survivors. The Commission pledges to provide every Texas Veteran with quality service.

The cornerstone of quality service is the ability to provide Veterans needing counseling with a dedicated, professional and well-trained work force, at both the state and the county levels. To achieve this end the Commission provides both ongoing and initial training for both TVC Veterans Counselors and VCSO and their Assistants. This work force and the service it provides must be readily available to the population it serves. The services must be tailored to the needs of Veterans.

The Texas Veterans Commission takes the lead in coordinating efforts of service providers, sharing of resources, providing innovative and effective training, and developing a partnership with other levels of government, particularly at the county level, to achieve the highest quality in assisting the Veterans, their families, and their survivors.

 

There are two distinct consumers of Texas Veterans Commission programs: (1) Veterans and their families, and (2) Veterans County Service Officers.

Veterans & Their Families

As either a Veteran or a member of a Veteran’s family you have the right to expect the following services from the Texas Veterans Commission:

  1. We will interview you at our office or return your phone call within the shortest possible time.
  2. We will counsel you concerning your rights and entitlements and we will treat you with courtesy, compassion and respect at all times. We will communicate accurately, completely, and clearly with you by explaining the full range of benefits and services available to you.
  3. We will prepare your claims for benefits, which will be forwarded to the VA within one working day of completion of the application for benefits.
  4. We will provide you with a realistic estimate of how long it will take to process your claim or answer your request.
  5. We will keep you informed of the status of the claim or request, and clearly explain the reasons for VA decisions, your rights to appeal those decisions and assist you in preparing an appeal.
  6. We will provide you, your family, your fellow Texas Veterans and their families with public information pamphlets concerning the full range of benefits available from both the State and Federal government at all TVC office locations.
  7. We will provide useful information to you and your family at the TVC web site (http://www.tvc.texas.gov).

 

Veterans County Service Officers

At a minimum as a Veterans County Service Officer you should expect the Texas Veterans Commission to provide the following services:

  1. Within two weeks of the Commission’s notification of your appointment as a Veterans County Service Officer, we will schedule a staff assistance visit from a TVC counselor to introduce the TVC services available to you, to orient you to your new duties and to assess any special needs for your office.
  2. After the staff assistance visit and within six months of notification of your appointment as a VCSO, we will provide you, and all other recently appointed VCSO, with a four-day formal program of initial training.
  3. We will provide you with ongoing training opportunities twice each year.
  4. We will process the claims for the veterans in your county as expeditiously as possible.
  5. We will ensure you ready access to our services.
  6. We will respond to your telephone calls within thirty minutes.
  7. We will answer or acknowledge your benefit inquiries within two working days.
  8. We will represent the veteran claimants from your county before the VA and make every effort to ensure that they receive all of the benefits to which they are entitled under the law.