IDVA reviews new accreditation requirements for county veteran service officers; county officer reported compliant

Cambria Sparks of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs told the Dearborn County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 20 that new accreditation standards for county veteran service officers require 1,000 hours of service per year (about 19 hours per week), posted office hours, dedicated private interview space, and mandatory use of the IDVA claims-management system and required technology.

Sparks said the standards also include annual district and state training requirements and outlined a process for addressing noncompliance that can lead to revocation of accreditation after notice and an opportunity to remedy deficiencies. "If the county veteran service officer is not in compliance, they can lose their ... accreditation," she said.

According to the presentation, the county's veteran service officer, identified in the meeting as Dave, is meeting the stated performance indicators and training requirements. Commissioners expressed agreement that the officer is in compliance and commended the work.

Sparks urged counties to track training, technology and office-hour compliance and said the IDVA can request activity and performance reports to verify adherence to the standards. The county accepted the informational presentation; no formal action was required.