In this edition of Chats with the Chief, VHA Chief of Staff Jon Jensen sits down with Cheryl L. Mason, the first woman chair of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. She talks about recent and coming improvements to the board and what brought her to work with Veterans.
Founded 88 years ago, the board provides fair settlement of Veterans’ appeals at no cost to the Veteran. The board focuses on holding hearings and deciding appeals. The processes, people and technologies put in place have allowed the board to decide over 100,000 appeals during each of the last three years.
This year, the board has held over 22,000 hearings, more than have ever been held in the history of the board.
Mason, appointed in late 2017, and her team of more than 100 judges, 900 attorneys and 200 administrative and operational staff are working hard to continue delivering timely and accurate decisions to Veterans.
In 2019 the board implemented the Appeals Modernization Act, which allows Veterans more choice, clarity, and control over their appeals. Recently, the White House also approved 20 new judges to join the board, increasing the total number by 20%. Mason is recruiting more judges this fall to ensure more Veterans get their requested hearings and receive their appeals decisions.
She also looks forward to continuing to innovate and implement new technologies. This includes artificial intelligence to serve Veterans better and more quickly.
Mason’s passion for serving Veterans is rooted in her childhood. When she was just 4 years old, she lost her father, a Veteran, to suicide after a battle with adult-onset schizophrenia. A little more than a decade later, she lost her older brother to suicide.
Growing up in a small town where there was stigma surrounding the idea of mental health, Mason found that the Veteran community was the only group to embrace her family. Today, she uses her experience to give back to Veterans and serves as a passionate advocate for mental health.
She tells her story to illustrate how important it is to reach out and check in with people and talk about mental health and suicide.
One of Mason’s priorities is hiring military spouses for the board, the VA and beyond. A military spouse herself, she understands all too well the challenges they face when looking for employment.
Even before the pandemic, Mason used her leadership role to make the board more telework friendly. This allowed military spouses to apply for jobs and work regardless of where their spouse serves.
Mason understands that military spouses bring talents and insights that are valuable to the board.
“We owe it to military members and military families to support our military spouses,” she said.
To view previous Chats with the Chief blogs, visit https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?s=chats+with+the+chief.
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I realize with the virus issues and the workload the VA has to face that it's difficult to review all the claims and appeals within a shorter period is almost impossible, yet it would be great to see what progress is being made. I have an appeal submitted in 2011 that was updated June 2, 2021 and still waiting for a law judge to review. My appeal was remanded and have not heard a word or received the letter that was to be sent within 90 days. I'm supposedly advanced on the docket. Can anyone help. THANK YOU
Since January of this year, I have noticed a steady and disappointing trend from my VA here in Orlando. I have appealed to the Patient Advocate about problems relating to the O2/BiPAP support and all they did was pass it along to my PCP who felt that she was to blame for the incident. I even sent my concerns to the VA OIG who advised me to take it up with my medical team. Bottom line, I think the VA is losing their ability to care.. not the VA as a whole, but enough people within the VA to have a negative and depressing impact on my life. The urology clinic comes to mind as well as the mental health clinic.
On the issue of filing an appeal, I did earlier this year and I received a letter on 25 SEP 2021 stating I had 30 days to provide evidence of my health problems and their connection to my dates of service. The date of that letter was 27 AUG 2021. I don’t know what kind of games are being played, but the feeling I get is veterans are being neglected.
I would send my concerns to my Congresswoman (Stephenie Murphy) but I don’t feel she will be helpful…like the VA OIG.
Do these "improvements" mean a veteran like me can go back to my separation and request for a disability discharge and now get 100% disability paid to me retroactively? Or are you wiping the butts of today's afghan and iraq veterans?
I think it's wonderful to have someone who understands the needs of veteran.
I been in front of the bva judge since January of 2020 and jumped to the front of line in April of 2021 and what is the chance I could still hear something this year.
Oh yes I agree with this because military spouse do understand but I feel there shall be a difference department for widow who lost their spouse the mild then like a solider when they trying to apply and understand there benefits at the same time
Yeah you're doing such a great job how come my video conference was like a goddamn circus!!!!! My BSO cut my throat couldn't do his damn job didn't have my damn records didn't know what branch of service I was in!!!! He was no help at all!!!! The judge had nothing in front of me about the appeal that we were going for and I've been waiting 10 God damn years!!!!!!!; Talk talk you haven't improved the VA system in 30 God damn years since I've been with y'all!!!!!!!!! My records read like a goddamn horror story!!! Of what your personnel have put me through and how many God damn hamster wheels I had to f****** run!!!!!!! You can contact me you can call me you can email me I'll get my God damn records and prove to you you all ain't done a God damn thing for me it's that run me the f*** around!!!!!!!!
What the hell's with the math!!!! What you think we're morons now!!!!! Y'all make yourself look good but you ain't that damn thing for the veterans! You kicking my hospital it's all over the news!! But you tell the news you're doing things you can't even fix your goddamn phone system!!! And it's been messed up for God damn 10 years!!! Your computer system with your travel pay! It locked up my goddamn computer I had to pay for it myself to unlock the damn thing!!! All I hear from your people is a God damn excuse all way be working on it we know the problem well why didn't the hell you tell people about it before they God damn logged on to it!!!!!!! But it's all the goddamn veterans fault;!!!!!; Well I got documentation at the ass and this judge had to stop everything because of my BSO didn't do his God damn job cut this veterans God damn throat!!!! I told that vso too much prior to my God damn appointment that my records show I was tested PTSD positive I was diagnosed this Mr Kirk I'll get your records that mother f***** didn't do a goddamn thing!!!!!I had to take it upon myself to send my God damn information because that vs didn't know his God damn job I had to do it for him now I've done sent the papers to the judge saying that I was bipolar diagnosed for a goddamn veteran doctor and I have PTSD that also was God damn diagnosed by one of your God damn doctors but nobody had my God damn records up there!!!!!!!!! But I'm supposed to be calm and everything I've been waiting 10 God damn years for this this is my God damn life!!!!!!! Which I got them deserve!!!!! Why the hell do I have to keep fighting for it!!!!!!!!!!!;;;
Again with the math come on now. And if you're doing so much change to the board of appeal how come your judge had nothing in front of her when my case came up, 1st of September 2021. she had nothing in front of her about me because the vso their Derek Randall,didn't know his damn job!!!!!!! Explain that to me!!!!! Didn't have any of my records didn't have nothing about my PTSD!!!!! Thought I was in the damn Navy I was air traffic controller in the Air Force I was the elite!!!!!!! So now I'm still waiting on the judge make a decision I sent the paperwork that she needed myself!!!!!! I faxed it the 29th of September 2021 I have confirmation that she's received it!!!!! Now do I have to wait another 10 years!!!!!!!!!!!! Military told me documentation, documentation, documentation!!!!!!! I have all the documentation I have all the proof it's right there in black and white and my records and I'm still waiting!!!!!!!! But you're doing great changes to the VA!!!!!! I need somebody to explain this to me cuz I'm confused!!!! How can you have all the documentation and being Dan limbo!!!! Somebody please answer my question!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to know when you're VSO, screws up doesn't know his job doesn't get the information he was told to get. Which screwed up the veterans life!!!! How come nothing's ever done to that VA person that did all the damage to the veteran, because he didn't know his job didn't do his job!!!!!!!!!!?????????? But if a veteran does something wrong!!! They get chastised they get thrown to the curb and they get handcuffed!!!!!! Answer that question for me how come nothing's done to the people that do the damage from the VA to the veterans!!!! Why is the veterans always having to do the veterans administration or the employees jobs for them!!!!!!!!!!! No one can answer these questions even your patient advocate said!! Quote!!!!!!(we really can't go against the doctors) unquote!!!!!!!¡!. . Answer that one for me!!! See you can't do it y'all don't do a thing to your personnel when they screw a veterans life up!!!!!!!! All y'all do is talk talk put the veteran down!!!!! I'm disgusted with my healthcare on the way I'm treated!!!!!! You have to give respect before you get respect!!!!!!! And the veteran administration has no respect for the veterans!!!!!!!!