STEPS TO ACCREDITATION

I. BACKGROUND  (38 CFR 14.629)

The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of General Counsel has recognized the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs (TDVA) as an accredited service organization.  As a recognized service organization TDVA is required to file with the Office of the General Counsel a VA Form 21 (Application for Accreditation as Service Organization Representative) for each person it desires accredited as a representative of that organization.

In recommending a person for accreditation, TDVA is certifying that the designee:

(1)   Is of good character and reputation and has demonstrated an ability to represent claimants before the VA.

(2)   Is either a member in good standing or a paid employee of the organization working for it not less than 1,000 hours annually.

In the case of a county veteran’s service officer recommended by a state organization, meets the following criteria:

(1)     Is a paid employee of the county working for it not less than 1,000 hours annually

(2)     Has successfully completed a course of training and an examination which has been approved by a Regional Counsel  with jurisdiction for the State; and

(3)     Will receive either regular supervision and monitoring or annual training to assure continued qualification a representative in the claim process; and

(4)     Is not employed in any civil or military department or agency of the United States.

As stated above, when a service organization wishes to recommend accreditation of an individual with that organization the certifying official for that organization (Assistant Commissioner Don Samuels for TDVA) must sign the completed VA Form 21 for that individual and forward it to the Office of General Counsel for approval.  The certifying official’s signature certifies that all of the above criteria have been met. 

TDVA can only recommend approval for certification within its own organization.  Accreditation with other service organizations must be recom-mended by the certifying official of that organization. For TDVA employees several service organizations have agreed to recommend certification based on your employment with the department. County Service Officers seeking accreditation with organizations other than TDVA must submit an individual request to each organization and meet the accreditation requirements established by that organization.

II. THE PROCESS

TDVA employees will be sent eleven VA Form 21s and a letter to the Office of General Counsel, signed by Mr. Samuels, recommending accreditation with TDVA.  The appropriate Form 21 for TDVA must be completed, signed and mailed directly to the Office of General Counsel along with the letter from Mr. Samuels.  The remaining ten forms will have the appropriate service organization identified on them.  You will have to complete and sign each form then mail them separately to the appropriate service organization.  A pre-addressed envelope will be provided to you for each organization.

County service officers must start by sending a letter from their county executive or mayor, on their letterhead, that certifies employment by the county and that you are working a minimum of 1,000 hours per year (20 hrs./week).  The letter should be mailed to the TDVA Claims Office, 110 Ninth Ave. South, Rm. C-166, Nashville, TN. 37043.  Attn: Bette Carter.  Once the letter is received, Mrs. Carter will establish a file for you and send you a certification test.  The test must be completed and returned to the Claims Office.  After successful completion of the test you will be mailed a VA Form 21 for accreditation with TDVA and a letter to General Counsel signed by Assistant Commissioner Samuels. You will have to complete and sign the Form 21 and forward it and the letter from Mr. Samuels to the Office of General Counsel in the envelope provided.  It is recommended that you keep a copy of both for your records. 

The other service organizations (American Legion, DAV, VFW, etc.) all have their own requirements for accreditation and as stated above, a County Service Officer requesting accreditation with them is required to submit their request directly to each organization.  For specific information on the requirements of each organization and where to send your request for accreditation with them, contact the TDVA claims office.

Once the Office of General Counsel in Washington has received the appropriate paperwork, they will enter your accreditation into the record and mail your credentials directly to you.  A copy of your credentials should then be sent to the TDVA Claims Office.  They can be mailed to the address listed above or faxed to (615) 741-6231. Upon receipt, the Claims Office will provide the documentation to the Nashville VA Regional Office which will allow you to access information for claimants that have filed the appropriate VA Form 21-22 appointing that service organization as their representative.