The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) Southeast Parish Service Offices will be closed Dec. 5-6 for that region’s annual training conference being held at our Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve, Louisiana.

Those LDVA Parish Service Offices will be closed so Veterans Assistance Counselors (VACs) and Paralegals may be educated on the latest U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs policies, programs, and procedures that could potentially impact Louisiana’s military families.

“We don’t have a choice but to train,” said LDVA Secretary Joey Strickland. “If we don’t train our VAC’s and Paralegals, then we’re doing our team members and the military families that they serve a disservice.”

The purpose of LDVA’s training conferences is to bring together all LDVA leadership, VAC’s, Paralegals, and subject-matter-experts to train on the latest compensation and pension claims procedures, education benefits changes, and to learn about policies that effect veterans and their families.

“While we strive to keep our offices open as much as possible, this training is required in order for us to maintain our U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs accreditation’s,” said LDVA Deputy Assistant Secretary of Benefits Vanessa Melancon.

The parishes that will be affected during this training conference are: Ascension, Assumption, East Jefferson, West Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebone, and Washington.

If you should need immediate assistance during this time, please call our LDVA Headquarters, at: (225) 219-5000, and dial zero for the operator.