Before becoming a Veteran Coach himself, Jaime Castro first came to VA Claims Insider for help with what he expected would be a routine increase to his lower-back rating. But during the review of his documents, his coach noticed something he hadn’t considered.
“She looked at all my paperwork—my medical history from the military and the VA—and she’s the one who suggested, ‘Why don’t you go for mental health?’” Jaime remembered. He had
thought about it before, but never seriously. “That typical veteran attitude comes in…thinking other people have been through worse, or that you don’t deserve it, or you won’t get it.”
His coach explained why it mattered: he had already been receiving treatment through the VA and had a documented diagnosis. The logic made sense. Jaime decided to move forward and filed his first mental health claim—something he hadn’t originally sought help for—but he remains grateful he did.
That early success gave him confidence to keep going. His coach encouraged him to submit a Higher-Level Review, and Jaime followed her guidance. At the same time, he filed the claim he originally came in for: his lower back. “The Higher-Level Review takes longer,” he said, so he completed the full process for the back condition first. “That’s what got me to 100%.”
The moment he saw the result is something he’ll never forget. “I screamed,” he said. “My wife thought I hurt myself and came running. She’s pointing at the monitor—‘What? What?’—and I couldn’t even speak.” The impact extended beyond him. “It was life changing…for me, my wife, and my son, who’s 20 right now.”
That experience sparked his interest in becoming a Veteran Coach. Even before he won the mental health claim, he found himself drawn to the work. “I asked her what the job was like because you’re helping veterans. We have the same lingo, we understand each other, we relate so much.” She told him he’d be great at it. Jaime applied at the first opportunity—quietly, not wanting her to feel pressured by the conversation.
Now, as a coach, he finds meaning in helping others through the same struggles he once faced. “There may be a veteran suffering from lower-back pain every day. Immediately, I can relate. I know what he’s going through.” His own journey—from uncertainty to a 100% VA rating—is now part of how he supports others on theirs.
