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Gaf Score

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chemdogg

Question

I recieved my VA assessment decision today. Does anyone know what GAf score represents in esy terms to understand. I was trying to look it up scale goes from 1-100. My score is 50, is there any place can look up GAF scores and see what that means, just curious is all. Thank you for all your help.

Have A Merry Christmas to you all.

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chemdogg

You can not put alot of weight in the GAF score. My srink was giving me a gaf of 22 to 26 for 2 years. At first they gave me 30% I filed a NOD they then moved me up to 50%. I filed for increase back in the summer and now my srink, another srink, and a social worker bumpted me up to 45%, 50%, and 55% after i filed for increase. I have no ideal what i will ed up with now.

Your shrink was probably hurting you, because they looked at your GAF and thought you should have already committed suicide or should have been in some rubber room somewhere!

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GAFs are subjective so you can go to one doc and get a GAF of 30 then a different one in the same hour and get a totally different GAF.

All subjective so i guess that's why there's "usually" less weight given for GAF. Almost always, the history and current medical notes are analyzed and used to decide the rating.

Jerr

chemdogg

You can not put alot of weight in the GAF score. My srink was giving me a gaf of 22 to 26 for 2 years. At first they gave me 30% I filed a NOD they then moved me up to 50%. I filed for increase back in the summer and now my srink, another srink, and a social worker bumpted me up to 45%, 50%, and 55% after i filed for increase. I have no ideal what i will ed up with now.

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Hi ya'll. I was given a GAF score of 55 after a QTC (Dr. hired by the VA to reassess their findings prior to making an award for my PTSD). I am going to VA group therapy at least once a month. I was not satisfied with the original score of 55, so I contacted the Wounded Warrior Program. They set me up with 12 sessions with a local psychologist who has experience with PTSD at no cost to me. After the 11th session, the doc offered to write me a letter after reviewing what the 15 minute mini assessment QTC doctor had written. His letter has a very well written narrative and he gave me a GAF score of 37-39 and clearly stated that I am unemployable.

I went to the State Department of Labor Vocational Rehab and they gave me a letter saying that based on this letter that they had no programs for me.

I got my Veterans Service Rep to request an audience with the VA Vocational Rehab Counselor and she too wrote me a letter stating that based on the psychologist's letter that VA could not offer me Vocational Rehab (not because I was over qualified, but handicapped). The VA Voc Rehab lady did say that the VA will contact me within 30 days and have someone come to my house to see if I needed anything to help with daily living. She asked if I needed a GPS or a laptop computer (I am still using Windows 98) so I am excited about getting their help.

My veterans service rep filled out the forms with me for a "reconsideration" of my 30% PTSD claim based on the letters from the psychologist, State VocRehab and VA Voc Rehab and said that I will definitely qualify for an increase. Because of my age (58) and also having a rating of 10% for tinnitus (currently 40% total compensation) I hope to get at least the 60% or 70% rating.

My veterans service rep also filled out the forms for unemployability and sounded as if it was in the bag as well since I can not be Vocational Rehabilitated.

My State Vet Service Rep is the office manager and is up to date on all of the changes so I trust him to direct me in the best way. He suggested the "reconsideration" rather than the Notice of Disagreement for several reasons, the first being that they will respond quicker, rather than to sit and wait for 18 months like I did for the first go around. Also, with the VA decision, I can submit to the Social Security Disability using this evidence. I understand that being older, the process to get SSID is a bit easier, but you still must be prepared to get a civilian lawyer sometimes.

Like many of you, the bills are stacking up, and they are not getting any cheaper. Perhaps some of these hints will help.

1. Many phone companies offer "Lifeline" for low income.

2. Verizon cell phone offers discounts on monthly service.

3. Many utility companies offer discounts to disabled (doesnt have to be 100%) and low income.

Perhaps some of these will help. Good luck to each of you. Do not give up! Remember, we all answer to a higher power! :P

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The GAF of 55 was probably the more correct GAF since you can type up a whole paragraph and explain your situation in great detail. A person with a GAF of 37 normally wouldn't be able to think clearly (confusement) enough to explain in detail their situation. Your post was very descriptive and thought out (clear minded). You probably should have been given a GAF of 50 since you're not working.

I think you probably do qualify for an increase though.

Just a heads up,

Jerr

Hi ya'll. I was given a GAF score of 55 after a QTC (Dr. hired by the VA to reassess their findings prior to making an award for my PTSD). I am going to VA group therapy at least once a month. I was not satisfied with the original score of 55, so I contacted the Wounded Warrior Program. They set me up with 12 sessions with a local psychologist who has experience with PTSD at no cost to me. After the 11th session, the doc offered to write me a letter after reviewing what the 15 minute mini assessment QTC doctor had written. His letter has a very well written narrative and he gave me a GAF score of 37-39 and clearly stated that I am unemployable.

I went to the State Department of Labor Vocational Rehab and they gave me a letter saying that based on this letter that they had no programs for me.

I got my Veterans Service Rep to request an audience with the VA Vocational Rehab Counselor and she too wrote me a letter stating that based on the psychologist's letter that VA could not offer me Vocational Rehab (not because I was over qualified, but handicapped). The VA Voc Rehab lady did say that the VA will contact me within 30 days and have someone come to my house to see if I needed anything to help with daily living. She asked if I needed a GPS or a laptop computer (I am still using Windows 98) so I am excited about getting their help.

My veterans service rep filled out the forms with me for a "reconsideration" of my 30% PTSD claim based on the letters from the psychologist, State VocRehab and VA Voc Rehab and said that I will definitely qualify for an increase. Because of my age (58) and also having a rating of 10% for tinnitus (currently 40% total compensation) I hope to get at least the 60% or 70% rating.

My veterans service rep also filled out the forms for unemployability and sounded as if it was in the bag as well since I can not be Vocational Rehabilitated.

My State Vet Service Rep is the office manager and is up to date on all of the changes so I trust him to direct me in the best way. He suggested the "reconsideration" rather than the Notice of Disagreement for several reasons, the first being that they will respond quicker, rather than to sit and wait for 18 months like I did for the first go around. Also, with the VA decision, I can submit to the Social Security Disability using this evidence. I understand that being older, the process to get SSID is a bit easier, but you still must be prepared to get a civilian lawyer sometimes.

Like many of you, the bills are stacking up, and they are not getting any cheaper. Perhaps some of these hints will help.

1. Many phone companies offer "Lifeline" for low income.

2. Verizon cell phone offers discounts on monthly service.

3. Many utility companies offer discounts to disabled (doesnt have to be 100%) and low income.

Perhaps some of these will help. Good luck to each of you. Do not give up! Remember, we all answer to a higher power! :P

Edited by jerrbilly
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The GAF of 55 was probably the more correct GAF since you can type up a whole paragraph and explain your situation in great detail. A person with a GAF of 37 normally wouldn't be able to think clearly (confusement) enough to explain in detail their situation. Your post was very descriptive and thought out (clear minded). You probably should have been given a GAF of 50 since you're not working.

I think you probably do qualify for an increase though.

Just a heads up,

Jerr

Thanks Jerr. I guess I should have put that it took me 2 hours to compose that. With PTSD, we do sometimes have moments of sanity. It is not a 24/7 x 365 thing. There area also many sides of PTSD, including anxiety and flashbacks which are my dominate secondary ailments. I have a friend that has totally isolated himself, another that is so violent that the cops know him by name, others that have been hospitalized and others that are just paranoid. Like I said, there are many sides of PTSD and the "experts" have their own narrative for each case. Time for my medication. Thanks for your comment.

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