Peterson

NEW ULM — Christopher Hinton of Waseca County and Greg Peterson of Brown County have completed the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO) year-long Certified Veterans Advocate (CVA) training course, according to MACVSO (Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers).

Hinton and Peterson join Lisa Klenk, CVSO of Sibley County (CVA-2017), as the only CVSOs in Minnesota to have completed this rigorous national course taught by the law firm of Katrina Eagle and Jim Radogna. Also passing the course were eleven CVSOs from California, Idaho, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Certified Veterans Advocate is an advanced training certification course for NACVSO-Accredited Veteran Service Officers. The CVA Program provides a high-level skill set unique to a CVSO to assist their claimant beyond the point of filing claims and Supplemental Claims or Higher Level Reviews.

The CVA training covers complex and comprehensive claims requiring the student to study case law from the Board of Veterans Appeals and US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims final decisions.

The CVA certification aims to enable CVSOs to analyze VA Benefit Decisions and strategize the best course of action for their client. CVSOs require at least five years in their position, be graduates of NACVSO’s Advanced Appeals course, and must be recommended by their peers for enrollment. They also must have a solid working knowledge of the subject matter in the National Veterans Legal Services Program Manual. Candidates attend at least three CVA training seminars, of which one must be in residence at a NACVSO Annual Conference.