ptsd Claims Handout For Ptsd Group Members

[Guest jangrin]

This past week at his regular PTSD group meeting, my husband was able to share that he has finally recieved his rating from the VA. There were many in the group that did not know what TDIU was, there are also many in the group who have been attending that have never filed a claim. Also men using orthodics that didn't know they were entitled to a clothing allowance.

Chuckles came home disturbed that these men although attending this PTSD VA group session were still in the dark about their due VA benefits. He was asked by the group with the permission of the doctor running the group to put together an informational handout.

I want to put the Hadit logo and header on the handout (maybe Tbird can help me with a link)but do you all have any ideas of what would be the correct information on this handout. I can print in color and it will be for two or three different groups in our area. Please help with this so these veterans can get the help they need.

I appreciate your ideas. Thanks- jangrin

Edited May 5, 2007 by jangrin

[Berta]

GEEEZ- this was not a vet center group-was it? I assume by a VA group that meets at a VAMC?

I will be happy to try to help you Jangrin-

One thing I can suggest right off the bat-

the local vet reps around here have started some sort of outreach program- they put an ad in the PennySaver-(these are small newspapers that we get in the boonies)

telling vets when they will be at the local American Legion to talk about filing VA claims.

This group your husband is in could sure benefit by this from DAV, VVA, AL, any state or county reps that know the basic VA claims process-in an outreach gesture like this-

to come to the group and speak-

But I do like your idea of handouts too- because it gets it all on paper-easier not to forget the points-

This all doesn't surprise me at all-

A WWII vet I know from the VA Chapel services has been a long time VA volunteer.

LAst year he became even more disabled than he was and had to limit his VA volunteer work.

The last time he made it to our services I was ASTONISHED to learn that he had just been diagnosed with PTSD from WW II- has residual problems from a GSW, has major hearing loss (certainly due to his MOS inservice and he said he had hearing loss and tinnitus documented when he was discharged)-numerous other potential SC disabilities and in ALL the years he worked at the VA as volunteer, and was a patient there- NO ONE ever asked him if he had ever filed a claim.

I thought for sure he had already been compensated long ago.

We have a coffee hour after services-and every vet at the coffee hour was as shocked as I was too----a WW II vet-no one at this VAMC had ever told him anything about filing a VA claim----

I am beginning to think that the local vet orgs themselves certainly might have some sort of handouts

-there is a good PTSD handout -printed years ago---I will see if it has been updated-

Can I donate to you some money for printing costs? Do you still have my email addy?

I will call the county service agency Monday AM to see what they have to offer as to any printouts that might help too----

but then again last time I checked they just had the Federal Benefits pamphlet which really doesnt explain the claims process-in detail.

GEEEZ- this was not a vet center group-was it? I assume by a VA group that meets at a VAMC?

I will be happy to try to help you Jangrin-

One thing I can suggest right off the bat-

the local vet reps around here have started some sort of outreach program- they put an ad in the PennySaver-(these are small newspapers that we get in the boonies)

telling vets when they will be at the local American Legion to talk about filing VA claims.

This group your husband is in could sure benefit by this from DAV, VVA, AL, any state or county reps that know the basic VA claims process-in an outreach gesture like this-

to come to the group and speak-

But I do like your idea of handouts too- because it gets it all on paper-easier not to forget the points-

This all doesn't surprise me at all-

A WWII vet I know from the VA Chapel services has been a long time VA volunteer.

LAst year he became even more disabled than he was and had to limit his VA volunteer work.

The last time he made it to our services I was ASTONISHED to learn that he had just been diagnosed with PTSD from WW II- has residual problems from a GSW, has major hearing loss (certainly due to his MOS inservice and he said he had hearing loss and tinnitus documented when he was discharged)-numerous other potential SC disabilities and in ALL the years he worked at the VA as volunteer, and was a patient there- NO ONE ever asked him if he had ever filed a claim.

I thought for sure he had already been compensated long ago.

We have a coffee hour after services-and every vet at the coffee hour was as shocked as I was too----a WW II vet-no one at this VAMC had ever told him anything about filing a VA claim----

I am beginning to think that the local vet orgs themselves certainly might have some sort of handouts

-there is a good PTSD handout -printed years ago---I will see if it has been updated-

Can I donate to you some money for printing costs? Do you still have my email addy?

I will call the county service agency Monday AM to see what they have to offer as to any printouts that might help too----

but then again last time I checked they just had the Federal Benefits pamphlet which really doesnt explain the claims process-in detail.

[Berta]

PS Jangrin- the Gov Printing Office as I underdstand it printed out thousands of pamphlets that explain the VCAA to vets.

I dont know of a single vet who ever got one.

It would be really important to have vets who are going to file claims know what this -the VCAA-is all about.

I wonder how I could get some of these pamphlets-for you-

or I could just define what the VCAA is myself and you could add this to the handouts

so that they know what to expect with a legal VCAA letter and election notice.

[Guest jangrin]

The center has three different groups tha meet here. It is a small satilite office, but yes VA. I think they have some idea of what is going on, but very erroneous information on things.

I thought I would download Vike17's "what happens with a claim from hadit" and then the Hadit.com info. If you could do some thing about the VCAA letter they should be getting-(what to expect?) kind of thing.

Tbirds FAQ'smight be good (with her permission).It is only for about 20-30 vets total- so it can be more than 1 or 2 pages. Just needs to catch thier eye and hold their attention where they can see the need to help themselves in pursuing their benefits.

Then the VA web site info and also SO information. We have a SO in the building there. I think he is a good guy, but when he saw chuckles award, he doesn't realize that the TDIU IS 100% he thinks chuckles only gets the benefits of the 60%. So I wonder what other things he may not be totally informed about.

Also they had no real understanding of secondary conditions. So we might need a blurb on that.Just something to give them that they can take home and start the process like the rest of us had to do. You know going on the internet and learning is better than having someone just tell you to do something. Participation in the process is not only smart but it is rewarding as well.

[Berta]

Yes- I just realised too that the last thing these guys need is a lot of reading material-

links to hadit, and to sites like:

http://www.ptsdmanual.com/index.htm

can help alot-

I will write a brief overview of what they can expect from the VCAA and something on how secondary conditions can be service connected and attach it to a post here for you Jangrin.

[Berta]

I attached an overview of the VCAA Jangrin-

later I will see if I have time for the secondary explanation-stuff- it might be here at hadit in a past post-

VCAA_Jangrin.doc

[Guest jangrin]

The handout is almost complete, does anyone have a SPECIAL website they feel is useful that you would like included for these veterans? We are providing a useful links page. Please provide the address for us and we will include it in the handout. Thanks everybody.

Jangrin and Chuckles