Mh Progress Notes

[hurryupnwait]

Hi All

In my mental health notes it states.

Axis 1 depression NOS, R/O mood, D/O secondary to GMC,

Anyone have any idea what this means?

Happy Trails

Paul

[tssnave]

T&B,

The GAF score is really just the examiner's assessment of where you are at emotionally based on your occupational and social limitations and your symptoms. It is really just basically a SWAG (scientific wild ass guess). They don't "test" you for it, it is simply their observational assessment of you when they see you. As I understand it, VA shrinks give you a GAF at almost every session you have with them though a civilian shrink typically doesn't.

And yes, I agree with others here who state that the GAF scores given by the VA are inconsistent based on the subjective view of the examiner. In an ideal world, multiple examiners at the same session would give you the same GAF but that's just not the case. In an effort to get more standardized GAF scores, the VA supposedly uses the following tool to help determine your GAF score:

http://www.desertpacific.mirecc.va.gov/gaf...-scale-6-07.pdf

However, a quick look at the three indexes they are supposed to use lined up with your symptoms and limitations and a little quick math (figure out where you are on each of the three indexes, add them up and divide by 3 to get your GAF score) will show you that often the VA gives you a higher GAF than their own chart would deem appropriate.

Now, a couple things jump out at me about your C&P exam. Yes, I agree that saying you had a cushy job was stupid of the examiner, but it makes me assume they at least understood the military which is something.

I did not have the PTSD exam, I had the standard mental health exam.

Have you reviewed the PTSD exam to make sure you were asked all the questions required on a PTSD C&P exam?

Have you gotten a copy of your C&P exam to see just what was written?

These are two critical things I learned here on hadit that helped me fight my rating.

Here is a link to the VA PTSD initial exam.

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/disexm43.htm

If yours was a follow on exam there is another worksheet that you can get at the VA website as well.

The other thing to do is get a copy of your C&P exam. You can call the place you took the C&P or you may have to call the hospital that is the parent unit of the C&P examination site. Don't let them tell you that you have to ask the VA, that's bs. You can ask them and they have to give it to you. Once I got the right person (many, many phone calls and much frustration, if Pete and other hadit members had not kept encouraging me to get my C&P exam I would have given up so let me say up front - don't give up until you have a copy of it) he faxed me a release form and mailed it out that day and I had it in a couple of days.

Low and behold, while the VA had rated me 50% the C&P examiner stated I was 100% disabled which is part of what I used for my NOD.

Now, I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with my opinion and information. The two most important things to take away from this are: make sure you understand the PTSD worksheet that they were supposed to use and that you were asked every question so you had a chance to get your answer on record and two, get a copy of your C&P exam.

Are you going to NOD the percentage or is it an accurate reflection of your sx?

Good luck and keep us posted,

TS

[tssnave]

T&B,

I concur with John. If you are going to put in a NOD then you need a good IMO. I found a shrink who does SS claims and while it was spendy ($125/hr for every hour he talked to me and/or my spouse plus the same for the time it took him to write the report - the IMO paid for itself after a couple of month 100% P&T vs 50%).

Keep us posted,

TS

[tagandbag]

TS, no you didn't overwhelm me with your post, if anything I would say impressed. I haven't read my c-p and actually have not seen my c-file. I have put a nod in last April for rating, since then I have hired an atty. and we have put another nod in. Right now I am waiting for the c-file as is my atty. I have contacted IRIS and they said I should be getting a letter soon. Hopefully that is regarding my C-file.Thanks.

T&B

Edited December 8, 2008 by tagandbag

[tssnave]

T&B,

Keep us posted on how things go w/ the attorney. I got my c-file in about 4 weeks the first time and the second time (after my final decision) it was delayed because they wanted $10 since I'd already gotten a copy. I sent in a money order and it arrived in another couple of weeks. But I got a copy of my C&P exam from the major hospital that the C&P unit is affiliated with well before I got my c-file. Needless to say, I was amazed to find out that there were questions about my ability to function independently that I had NOT been asked and low and behold, that was the rationale they used to lowball me 50% (that my disability did not affect my ability to function independently). That's also how I found out that the C&P examiner stated I was 100% disabled because I couldn't work due to bp sx. The rater just ignored that part as well as the reg that says a rater cannot use their own opinion in the face of a medical opinion. If the VA would just follow their own rules our claims would be properly adjudicated in the first round but that's no secret to any vet who's worked a claim.

Good luck and do let us know how things go with the attorney.

TS

[tagandbag]

Thanks TS, next week when I go to group, I'll see if I can get a copy of my CP.

TB

[poolguy11550]

tssnave, can u pm me your shrink who does SS claims? Thanks.