Rater HQ: After Dark

I wanted to take time and personally wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. For me, Memorial Day hits different and I tend to keep to myself, but I will be attending the Memorial Day live stream later on today.

I hope you and your families can enjoy the day while remember those that have sacrificed.

Rater.

1 week ago | [YT] | 143

Rater HQ: After Dark

Going to go live for a little bit here in 12 minutes.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 14

Rater HQ: After Dark

I won't have time later to put the videos out, so I just pushed them now.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day.

Rater

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 46

Rater HQ: After Dark

Happy Mother's Day

Taking the rest of the day off for "honey-do" list for Mother's Day.

Rater

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 43

Rater HQ: After Dark

Introducing: Rater's Parking Lot Chronicles

I think today I'm going to post a member only video. I will be posting two videos on the same topic though, so the information will be distributed evenly to both non-member and members. The first video will be the politically correct way to discuss the topic which will be open to everyone, and the second will be my unfiltered swearing tirade on the topic which will be members only. The information will be exactly the same, but I've created both videos and thought I would upload them both.

I'm not doing this to try to get more members or anything like that, but maybe membership could include more of my personal beliefs on topics since many people don't want to hear about how I feel on things.

I will post both videos at 5pm Eastern time today.

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 81

Rater HQ: After Dark

I thought I would take a poll as to what you would like to see for my next video that is not about how is it rated. I know someone is going to create a video based on these topics now, but it's cool.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 48

Rater HQ: After Dark

I am still ill currently or else I would go live to celebrate that the channel just crossed the 14k subscriber count. This is a pretty big deal for my channel being faceless and having the format of being strictly educational. I'm pretty stoked though, and I thought I would make a post thanking you all for letting me make educational content to help Veterans better understand the VA process. If we get to 100k subscribers in the way distant future I've made the promise that I would try to make videos of me talking on camera, and although I have waves of nausea thinking about that, I am a man of my word, so that's something to look forward to, I guess.

Thanks again for all of your support,

Rater

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 195

Rater HQ: After Dark

I took some time and reviewed the Spicer Job Aid on the VA's intranet again and I still have concerns regarding the new language that was added to the M21-1 The job aid does not discuss in any context the added language of "would not have occurred" or how it is to be interpreted which is concerning, because that means it's open for self-interpretation by raters.

Typically, when the VA adds language to the M21-1, they make sure that the meaning of something as strict as that language would be defined to prevent improper application, but no such clarification has been presented formally in the M21-1 nor on the job aid.

Why this matters to me, "would not have occurred" is a highest evidentiary standard and more closely aligns with the evidence must establish the fact without question, which is a clear and unmistakable threshold of evidence review. V.ii.1.A.1.i. Standards of Evidentiary Proof

If I were still at VA, I would be mentoring people to review the evidence in a stricter way toward secondary conditions based upon the VA's implementation of this language. It would be the safest way to proceed to reduce the likelihood of a quality error.

These are just my opinions though, you are free to believe what you want.

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 81

Rater HQ: After Dark

Doing a short notice live stream to get my head out of claims. Going live in 6 minutes.

1 month ago | [YT] | 18

Rater HQ: After Dark

The imagine I see when "experts" at companies who have never worked a VA claim before scream to anyone who will listen "that's not how the process works" and try to counter people who have actually processed claims before. You can have confidence and you can have your opinions on things but at the end of the day, they're just your opinion. Skill comes from actual experience. Be sure to ask those "experts" who have never been on the inside of the process how they know what they know and check their resume.

Don't be the victim of "experts" over inflating their knowledge.

They can apply at the VA like many of us if they want the knowledge and expertise. www.usajobs.gov

Rater

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 93