The purpose and mission of a County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) is to serve as the liaison between veteran benefits and those who may be entitled to them. CVSO's are veteran advocates, and as such serve to assist veterans and their dependents in any way possible. While often assumed to be federal or state employees, Wisconsin CVSO's are employed at the county level per state law. Each county is responsible for hiring it's own CVSO and providing appropriate staffing, facilities and budget to enable the CVSO to best serve the veteran population of the county. State law requires that CVSO's be veterans of active service with honorable discharges, and that they be stand-alone departments within their respective county governments. Additional requirements and specific qualifications are at the individual county's discretion. CVSO's and their assistants are afforded initial professional training by the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs (WDVA). CVSO's who attend this initial training are, with additional experience, professionally accredited by Veterans Affairs (VA) through the WDVA to act on veteran's behalf in the processing of federal claims. CVSO's are also routinely offered additional professional training by WDVA , national veteran service organizations (American Legion, VFW, Disabled American Veterans, National Association of CVSO's, etc.) and federal entities twice or more each year to maintain proficiency and ensure working knowledge of federal and state program and policy changes. CVSO's deal with a large variety of benefits and programs for veterans. They process Veteran Affairs (VA) disability and pension claims, assist veterans with G.I. Bill education, VA home loans, medical care, nursing homes, obtaining replacement discharge certificates and military medals, death benefits, veteran cemeteries, funeral honors, life insurance, employment, vocational rehabilitation, and a host of other federal programs. On the state side, they assist veterans in obtaining home loan entitlements, emergency aid grants, participation in veteran assistance programs for the homeless, state nursing home care, education programs and state eligibility applications. At the county level, CVSO's are involved in emergency financial assistance, and in providing assistance to any veteran or veteran's dependent in need. Veterans, their dependents, and the survivors of veterans are encouraged to contact their County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) to inquire about benefits to which they might be entitled. Their CVSO will explore all possible eligibilities, and will complete all the paperwork necessary in obtaining those benefit(s). You can locate your CVSO under the "county government" listings in your local phonebook or via the CVSO Association of Wisconsin website (see link below). http://www.wicvso.org/
For additional information regarding Sauk County social media and our policy, please follow the link below. https://www.co.sauk.wi.us/general/sauk-county-social-media-information
