ptsd Camera's In Ptsd Group Meetings?

[shrlee]

My husband has been attending a bi-weekly PTSD Group Meeting at our

local VA for the last eight years.

When he attended yesterday he noticed they have installed camera's

which were scanning the room. He asked the phychologist if they were

on and yes they were. About ten or twelve vets are in the group. The

vets are uncomfortable with the cameras and several of them has quit

venting and are careful of what they do say and most don't talk at all.

The phychologist, whom the vets respect and trust, now also is careful

of what he says.

Were we behind times or is it common to have camera's in the PTSD Group

Meetings?

[yoggie2]

I've had not the same issue as the cameras, but a "condidentiality" issue arise in my therapy group. A new member joined our group......and brought along her "significant other". Our PhD that "leads" the group says "Say hello to our new group member, Ms ****, and her "friend", Ms *****.)

Confidentiality?

Medical Treatment Privacy?

I my self already have a mistrust for the VA and I would not stand for it knowing any little miss statement of actions could be used against you specialy now a days.

I also want to play the DEVILS advocate and this may be the VA's case is to learn from the affects of PTSD and progress and skills that can be learned and applied from these group session. But what they do not understand is the comfort zone you may or may not feel there, but I can say for certain (I do the one on one every week) when I hit that door to leave a different person exits......

[halos2]

Rights? Big brother listening in? No thanks.

I too let it out in therapy gps but not to be taped or used as a teaching tool. I am different prior to entering the gp and again after exiting it. The safety and security net in the gp is the time I can be true to myself and my feelings...I don't have to hide there, it is my protective area where I am not judged nor am I treated like I am "crazy."

If they want to tape it, if I had to attend, (as needed for comp status to remain as justification of attendance) I would be silent. My life and experiences are so personal there are few that are priviledged to hear. Exposing this PRIVATE delicate information without my approval would compromise my freedom rights and hamper my therapeutic status. My confidentiality is just that, mine.

Our gp informs us if a Phd candidate is doing an internship there, and we have the choice/right to allow this person to attend or not. Nothing is forced upon us, and I don't care what rights they think they have over me DO NOT TAPE ME ! Ask me and I will tell you, no thanks. If you want to use me as a guinney pig step off!

You fight me all the way with my claim and then would want to use my life and experiences as a teaching experiment no way hosea!

No big brother here. No thanks. No conversation would occur!

This is just my opinion. It belongs to me and I am an american and a disabled veteran and have a right to my opinion and my treatment.

Democracy and my opinion are mine. Each person has their own opinion and that's what makes us all unique.

As Bon Jovi says... Its my life.

Edited September 18, 2008 by halos2

[Berta]

I am surprised to hear this-

when I was a vet center volunteer- nohing like this ever happened in the combat PTSD group meeings- as a matter of fact-I had to be voted into the group by each vet-because I was non-Vietnam vet and civilian-

What happens in any form of therapy group should stay in that group-

if they started doing this at AA and NA meetings- many would just never come back-

my husband had the employee shrink at VA because he was a VA employee- the man didnt have a clue on PTSD and it took Congressional intercvention to get him a real PTSD shrink- th employee doctor refused to document anything at all- this became a problem for Rod with his claim- but the reality was that although this doc didnt understand PTSD -he himself had little trust in having anything documented that the VA could use on an employee.

9-11 changed our privacy rights in countless ways-

I watch lawyer shows at night regarding civil actions- It just amazes me how much is being recorded on us out there-

in stores, malls, etc-and even our cell phones ping from the cell phone towers and the ping can put us at specific places at specific times-not to mention how our hard drive can never be fully erased-and PCs have opened a new field of crime forensics.

This all becomes evidence when they are looking for suspects for a crime-

Still- I feel that this camera violates ethical principles of therapy-

the VA HAS to surveil its premises but this is ridiculous.

It is probably just a camera and cant pick up audio-but many can-I got a small surveillance camera the other day- and it says it picks up noises outside too-

I didnt see how it could that- but I just turned up the volume and sure enough-I can hear birds chirping across the road-

I think these vets in this group should push the doc to get that camera out of there- or meet elsewhere.

I wonder-Are there cameras over the stalls in VA bathrooms now?

[john999]

The VA may be recording the groups as a training tool, but they need to get informed consent from members. I would not want a camera on me recording what I say to my VA shrink. Is this going to be used one day to reduce my compensation because my shrink told me a joke and I laughed at it. The same as a group. The VA must be crazy to do these things. Are they trying to discourage people from using mental health clinics? VA is like FEMA. They never seem to learn from past disasters. The budget overhang is all they are concerned with in my opinion. The costs trump all other concerns. Privacy be damned.

[carlie]

shrlee,

A VA employee at Bay Pines (VAMC) that has worked in the Clinic Mods for over

twenty years, told me several years ago that they have cameras actively recording

everywhere except for the elevators.

I did not inquire if that included the bathrooms.

Members of the PTSD group can easily request from the group facilitator to move

the group right outside, there are usually some benches scattered around VAMC's

properties away from the public.

Just knowing that cameras are recording - irregardless of whether audio duplication

is included will surely hamper the groups productivity and progress.

This here of course is only my opinion, I feel a main reason VAMC's have cameras most

places now is to protect both themselves and others at the facility if something goes wrong.

Several years back I was at the VA pharmacy section when a disruption occured.

It was all on film, (BTW - I've seen a copy of the film and there was no audio, but this

was from about 5 years ago) and VA Security Police were called - the VA Security Police

pretty much clobbered the Veteran that was being a bit disruptive. VA provided the Court

with their evidence (the film) to show that the Veteran was hostile and creating

problems in the pharmacy area. Well this film turned around and showed that the,

1) VA Security Police were very physically abusive to the Veteran

2) VA Security Police did NOT follow proper procedures

and this cost VA lots of do-ra-me, in several ways.

So in this particular case, the camera's provided great results for the Veteran and provided protection to the Veteran. Without the camera's I feel the VA would have won in this Court Case.

In the world we live in today, we as likely as not are on camera whether we're dropping kids off at day-care, putting gas in our cars or even something as simple as grocery shopping.

Now as far as the PTSD group - Privacy is an extremely important issue, just like someone mentioned as in AA or NA groups. What happens there - stays there and isn't supposed to leave

the group.

I feel the group members must force the facilitator (doctor or whatever) to do THEIR JOB

and ensure their privacy rights are protected. The facilitator is responsible to the group.

jmho,

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie

[Tbird]

if they are filming you, they have to give you a reason and you would have to sign a consent form if not it seems break their ethics code