Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VRE) Non-Participant Survey

VA_Surv4_VREBS_5.25.16_4pg Quex.qxp 5/25/16 5:41 PM Page 1

Vocational Rehabilitation
and Employment
Non-Participant Survey

MARKING INSTRUCTIONS
Please fill the response oval completely
and print clearly.

USE BLACK OR BLUE INK
(NO RED) to complete the survey.

CORRECT:

INCORRECT:

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OMB Control No. 2900-0782

Throughout the questionnaire, you may be asked to skip certain questions that may not apply to you.

Pre-Application Process
1.

How did you FIRST learn about the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) benefit program? (MARK ONLY ONE)
IF YOU ARE UNSURE, PLEASE INDICATE THE FIRST WAY YOU REMEMBER LEARNING ABOUT THE VR&E PROGRAM.

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Online (e.g., eBenefits.va.gov, VA website, etc.)
Mail (from VA)
Veterans Service Organizations (e.g., Amer. Legion, DAV,
VFW, PVA, MOPH, etc.) (Please specify): _____________________
In person with a VA representative (e.g., VA medical center,
VA Vet Center, Regional Office, TAP/DTAP briefing, etc.)
In person on a campus (VetSuccess on Campus)

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In person on a military installation (Integrated Disability
Examination System)
Other Veterans/Servicemembers
Friends or family
Other (Please specify): _____________________________________
Don’t know or not sure

Thinking about the factors you considered when deciding to apply for benefits, which of the following describes your
reason(s) for applying to the VR&E program? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)

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I had a good experience with the VR&E program in the past
The program was recommended to me by VR&E, other
Veterans, VSO, etc. (Please specify): _____________________

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VA makes it easy to apply for the VR&E program
Don’t know or not sure

Reasons for Applying for VR&E Services
3.

Were you prompted to apply to the VR&E program for any of the following reasons? (MARK ONLY ONE PER ROW)
a. Information you received during a Transition Assistance
Program/Disabled Transition Assistance Program briefing
Yes
b. Information you received in a letter from a VA Regional Office telling you
what information you needed to provide and what VA would do
Yes
c. Change in your life circumstances (e.g., marriage, divorce,
loss of job, severity of disability, etc.)
Yes
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

4.

Job aggravated your disability
Current employment did not meet your expectations
Recommendation or referral
VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC)
Integrated Disability Examination System (IDES)
Other reasons (Please specify): _____________________________________________

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Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

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No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

PLEASE ANSWER Q4 IF YOU SELECTED YES “CHANGE IN LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES” IN Q3. OTHERWISE, PLEASE SKIP TO Q5.
Which of the following describes the change in your life circumstances? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Marriage/Divorce
Moved
Severity of disability
Job (new job or lost job)
Retirement
Other (Please specify): ____________________________________

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© 2016 J.D. Power and Associates. All Rights Reserved.

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Reasons for Applying for VR&E Services (Continued)
5.

PLEASE ANSWER Q5 IF YOU SELECTED YES “CURRENT EMPLOYMENT DID NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS” IN Q3. OTHERWISE, PLEASE SKIP TO Q6.
In what areas did your current employment not meet your expectations? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)

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Experienced problems with supervisors
Did not utilize my skills/abilities
Level of pay
Level of responsibility

Type of job
Lack of benefits
Work hours or flexibility of
work schedule

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Job security
Problems on the job due to disability
Lack of growth potential
Other (Please specify): _____________________

Entitlement Evaluation
6.

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8.

How soon did you meet in person with a VR&E representative for your initial evaluation appointment? (MARK ONLY ONE)

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Less than 30 days
31 - 60 days

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More than 60 days
Don’t know or not sure

Did not meet with a VR&E
representative

PLEASE ANSWER Q7-Q8 IF YOU DID NOT MEET WITH A VR&E REPRESENTATIVE IN Q6. OTHERWISE, PLEASE SKIP TO Q9.
Why did you decide not to attend your initial evaluation appointment with VR&E? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)

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Transportation issues
Distance from VA office
I had a poor experience scheduling the initial appointment
I had a poor experience with the VR&E representative
Issues related to the application process (too time
consuming/complicated)

Concerns about my eligibility for the VR&E program
I was not contacted to schedule an initial evaluation
appointment
Other (Please specify): ___________________________________
Don’t know or not sure

Did your decision not to attend your initial evaluation appointment involve a change in any of the following life
circumstances occurring after you submitted your application? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Marriage/Divorce
Moved
Severity of disability
Job (new job or lost job)
Retirement
Other (Please specify): ________________________________
Which of the following statements is the most important to you in your decision to attend the initial evaluation
appointment? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Receiving a call from a VA Representative to schedule your
Current employment did not meet your expectations
appointment
Recommendation or referral
Change in life circumstances (e.g., marriage, divorce, loss of job,
Other (Please specify): ________________________________
severity of disability, etc.)

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Entitlement Evaluation Process
10.

PLEASE ANSWER Q10-11 IF YOU MET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE IN Q6. OTHERWISE, PLEASE SKIP TO Q12.
During your initial evaluation appointment, did the counselor have you participate in any testing or career exploration?

(MARK

11.

12.

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ONLY ONE)

Yes

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No (SKIP TO Q12)

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Don’t know or not sure (SKIP TO Q12)

Did the counselor explain the following...? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Purpose of the test
Next steps in the process
Results of the test
None of the above

How many appointments did you have with
a counselor before an entitlement decision was made?

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Don’t know or not sure

# of Appointments

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Don’t know or not sure

VA_Surv4_VREBS_5.25.16_4pg Quex.qxp 5/25/16 5:41 PM Page 3

Application and Evaluation Experience
13.

The following questions ask you to rate various aspects of your experience with Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment using a
scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is Unacceptable, 10 is Outstanding, and 5 is Average.
Please rate your experience with the VR&E benefit application process on the following items: (MARK ONLY ONE PER ROW)
Unacceptable
Average
Outstanding

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a. Ease of completing the application

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N/A
NA

NA
b. Timeliness of eligibility notification
NA
c. Flexibility of application methods
d. Overall rating of application process
Using the same 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is Unacceptable, 10 is Outstanding, and 5 is Average, please rate your experience with
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment counselors during the initial evaluation of your benefit application on the following
items: (MARK ONLY ONE PER ROW)
Unacceptable
Average
Outstanding

1

a. Promptness of scheduling appointments or returning calls
b.

Courtesy of the counselor

c.
d.
e.
f.

Knowledge of the counselor
Counselor’s concern for your needs
Timeliness of completing your initial evaluation
Overall counselor experience

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10

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N/A
NA

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NA
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Rehabilitation Program/Plan Selection
15.
16.

Did you sign a rehabilitation plan with your counselor? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Yes (SKIP TO Q18)
No
Don’t know or not sure (SKIP TO Q36)
Why did you decide not to complete a rehabilitation plan with VR&E? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)

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I had a poor experience with the VR&E representative
The VR&E program does not offer the services I need
I chose to enroll in the GI Bill Program
Issues related to the planning process (too time
consuming/complicated)

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Other (Please specify): _______________________________________
Don’t know or not sure

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Life circumstances

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Issues related to a medical condition

Did your decision not to complete a rehabilitation plan involve a change in any of the following life circumstances occurring
after you received your entitlement decision? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Marriage/Divorce
Moved
Severity of disability
Job (new job or lost job)
Retirement
Other (Please specify): ________________________________
PLEASE ANSWER Q18-Q35 IF COMPLETED A REHABILITATION PLAN IN Q15. OTHERWISE, PLEASE SKIP TO Q36.
Which of the following statements would you say was the most important to you in your decision to complete development
of a rehabilitation plan? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Access to an assigned VR&E counselor
Current employment did not meet your expectations
Receiving continuous contact from the same VR&E counselor
Recommendation or referral
Change in life circumstances (e.g., marriage, divorce, loss
Desire to further my education
of job, severity of disability, etc.)
Other (Please specify): __________________________________
Benefits of the plan
Was the counselor during the planning phase of your program the same counselor who conducted your initial evaluation?

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Issues related to transportation

ONLY ONE)

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Yes
No
Don’t know or not sure
Did your counselor provide you with information about eBenefits or the Veterans Employment Center in eBenefits?

(MARK

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Yes

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No

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Don’t know or not sure
© 2016 J.D. Power and Associates. All Rights Reserved.

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Rehabilitation Program/Plan Selection (Continued)
21.
22.

23.
24.

Did you register for eBenefits or the Veterans Employment Center in eBenefits? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Yes (SKIP TO Q23)
No
Don’t know or not sure (SKIP TO Q23)
Why didn’t you register for eBenefits or the Veterans Employment Center in eBenefits? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Not aware of eBenefits/Veterans Employment Center
Other (Please specify): _____________________________
Opted not to use eBenefits/Veterans Employment Center
Don’t know or not sure
Did your final rehabilitation plan include your original vocational training choice? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Yes (SKIP TO Q25)
No
Don’t know or not sure
Why didn’t your final rehabilitation plan include your original vocational training option? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Lack of employment opportunities in my area
Another vocational option
Other (Please specify): ________________
Medical reasons
suited my needs better
Don’t know or not sure

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Rehabilitation Experience
25.

From the time you signed your rehabilitation plan, how long did it take before you started your plan?
(PLEASE RESPOND USING ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES)

26.
27.
28.

29.

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Don’t know or not sure
# of Days
# of Weeks
# of Months
Did not begin one of the five rehabilitation tracks
Did you have the same counselor throughout your entire experience with VR&E? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Yes
No
Don’t know or not sure
Not applicable
Were you given a time frame from VA for completing the education/training phase of your rehabilitation plan? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Yes
No
Don’t know or not sure
Which of the following types of counseling or referrals has your counselor provided? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Education/training enrollment assistance
Referrals to employment agencies or job banks
Career counseling
Referrals to health providers (e.g., medical, dental, optical)
Personal counseling
Referrals to other counseling programs
Financial counseling
Referrals to Veterans Service Organizations (e.g., American Legion)
Problem-solving techniques
None of the above
Referrals to potential employers (e.g., government, private, etc.)
The following question asks you to rate various aspects of your experience with Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
(VR&E) using a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is Unacceptable, 10 is Outstanding, and 5 is Average.
PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION BASED ON YOUR BEST ABILITY TO RECALL YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR VR&E COUNSELOR(S).
Please rate your experience with VR&E counselors on
Unacceptable
Average
Outstanding
the following items: (MARK ONLY ONE PER ROW)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
N/A
NA
a. Promptness of scheduling appointments or returning calls
NA
b. Courtesy of the counselor
NA
c. Knowledge of the counselor
NA
d. Counselor’s concern for your needs
NA
e. Timeliness of completing your initial evaluation
f. Overall counselor experience
Which of the following benefits did you receive as part of your rehabilitation plan? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)

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31.

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Tuition
Subsistence allowance
Books/supplies
Computer equipment/software

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Health services (e.g., medical,
dental, optical)
Independent living services

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Employment services (e.g., interview
skills, resume writing, job
development/placement, etc.)
None of the above

Which of the following types of employment services did you receive as part of your rehabilitation plan? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)

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Resume preparation
Interview skills
Obtaining licenses/certifications
Job hunting strategies

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Information interview with potential employers
Job placement assistance
None of the above

VA_Surv4_VREBS_5.25.16_4pg Quex.qxp 5/25/16 5:41 PM Page 5

Rehabilitation Experience (Continued)
32.

Were the amount of services you received as part of your VR&E program less than, more than, or what you expected? (MARK ONLY ONE)
Less than
What I expected
More than

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The following question asks you to rate various aspects of your experience with Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
using a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is Unacceptable, 10 is Outstanding, and 5 is Average.
33.

Please rate your VR&E benefit entitlement (e.g., training and counseling) on the following items: (MARK ONLY ONE PER ROW)
Unacceptable
Average
Outstanding

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a.
b.
c.
d.
34.

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N/A
NA

NA
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While we understand there may be many reasons for not completing the plan, what was the primary reason you did not
complete your rehabilitation through the VR&E program? (MARK ONLY ONE)

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35.

Amount of benefits or services
Effectiveness of benefit/service in preparing and obtaining
suitable employment
Timeliness of receiving benefit payment
Overall rating of benefit payment/entitlement

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I had a poor experience developing my rehabilitation plan
I had a poor experience with the VR&E representative
The VR&E program does not offer the services I need
Issues related to transportation

Issues related to a medical condition
I was never contacted by a VR&E representative/counselor
Other (Please specify): _______________________________________
Don’t know or not sure

Did your decision not to complete your rehabilitation through the VR&E program involve a change in any of the following
life circumstances? (MARK ALL THAT APPLY)
Marriage/Divorce
Moved
Retirement
Other (Please specify): _______
Job (new job or lost job)
Declared bankruptcy
Severity of disability
_____________________________

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Overall Experience with Benefit Program
36.

Thinking about ALL aspects of your experience with Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits, please rate VA
overall, using a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is Unacceptable, 10 is Outstanding, and 5 is Average.
(MARK ONLY ONE)
Unacceptable
Average
Outstanding

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Overall Experience with VA
37.

Taking into consideration all of the non-medical benefits (e.g., education, compensation, pension, home loan guaranty,
vocational rehabilitation and employment, insurance, etc.) you have applied for or currently receive, please rate your
experience with VA overall, using a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is Unacceptable, 10 is Outstanding, and 5 is Average.
(MARK ONLY ONE)
Unacceptable
Average
Outstanding

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38.

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Now think about your experiences with all the services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (which include
healthcare, benefits programs, or memorial services). Please tell us how you feel about the following statements.
(MARK ONLY ONE PER STATEMENT)

Strongly
Disagree
a.
b.
c.
d.

I got the service I needed
It was easy to get the service I needed
I felt like a valued customer
I trust VA to fulfill our country’s commitment to Veterans

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Disagree

Neutral

Agree

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Strongly
Agree

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© 2016 J.D. Power and Associates. All Rights Reserved.

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Overall Experience with VA (Continued)
39.

Do you have any other comments or concerns about your experience?
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About You
40.

Are you currently employed? (MARK ONLY ONE)

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Prefer not to answer

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT STUDY.

Please return to: J.D. Power and Associates Survey Processing Center
P.O. Box 510030 • Livonia, MI 48151-9907
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234332/0216/4

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