About Department

The mission of the Berks County Department of Veterans Affairs is to administer a comprehensive array of benefit programs and provide counseling services to the veterans of Berks County, their dependents, widows (ers), and orphans.  These benefits include those provided by federal, state, and local governments.

Some Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits provided are as follows:  service connected compensation, non-service connected pension, burial allowances, vocational and rehabilitation training, insurance, health care, tax exemptions, educational gratuity, emergency assistance, paralyzed and blind veteran’s pension, specialized veteran’s license plates, flag holders and headstones.

Goals

This is a human service department that is concerned with maintenance management and service management.  The maintenance portion is mandated by the State of Pennsylvania who requires that the County of Berks provide funding and other resources.  By using the patterns of input, throughput, and output -- we know that the maintenance and service resources must work together to obtain the most positive results.  The input represents the availability of resources; throughput is how the organization utilizes these resources; and the output determines the degree of service effectiveness.  An effective organization or department must take into account dynamic interrelationship of these factors.

This department has effectively used its resources in the past years.  Respondents to survey questionnaires sent periodically to individuals who have used the services provided by this department, testifies to this fact.  It is stressed in this department that the ultimate purpose of human service management is to promote and enhance effective service.  Therefore, efficiency and maintenance must be viewed as a means to that end, rather than as goals in themselves.

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