I have recently been awarded 50 percent PTSD disabled for a Plane Crash response during my active duty AF time serving as a Fire Fighter.
I have been employed with DOD as an Aircraft loader now for almost 15 years as a WL-8. My pay is good, but the job stress is staring to get to me. Some days its very fast paced with a lot of going on. I am able to do it, but it seems to be getting harder each year.
I have applied to Voc Rehab to try to get a job with computers. I really enjoy them and its a very stress-free enviroment for me.
Will they accept my application? I have 23 years in so far under FERS, but I would like to Defer my retirement, go back home, go to school and get back into federal service in a computer related field.
I feel horrible to even apply seeing there are other candidates that just wish to have a steady job.
Voc Rehab is about getting the disabled veteran gainfully employed in an occupation they can be successful in over a normal career lifetime. You have to have an occupational restriction that supports Voc Rehab and that restriction needs to be the result of you military service.
From your post, it sounds like you found gainful employment after military service for 15 years but now claim a disability related to your federal civilian job. If that’s true, you’ll probably not get Voc Rehab until after OPM declares you disabled under FERS, and only then if you can prove your disability is a result of your military service. How well have you documented this in your civilian medical records?
While you might be interested in working with computers, the VA may not see that as the most appropriate skill for you. They will probably make you take a Strong’s Inventory and other personality / personal aptitude tests and then tell you the types of careers where you might do well.
Like anything else, your success will be based in large part on how well you can document and sell your case – i.e., making the Voc Rehab counselor want to work with you and giving them the needed justification to support your claim. Good luck.
I was approved for Voc Rehab Feb 08. I too have been a federal employee, but only for the last 5 years or so. I recently moved with my military spouse and couldn't find employment, plus the job I had left was agitating one of my disabilities. I had to take a few tests and hand over tons of copies of certain papers, but after about 6 or 7 months they approved me. I do believe that you have a certain amount of time after you leave service to qualify for Voc Rehab though. It's something like 10 or 12 years. I hit the 10 year mark this year and I have 2 years to complete my degree. I've lucked into a really good case manager and I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not. She's willing to bend over backwards to get me into certain classes and seems to really care. Good luck to you and hopefully you get approved. It seems to be a really good program if you can get into it.
