Jump to content
VA Disability Community via Hadit.com

VA Disability Claims Articles

Ask Your VA Claims Question | Current Forum Posts Search | Rules | View All Forums
VA Disability Articles | Chats and Other Events | Donate | Blogs | New Users

  • homepage-banner-2024-2.png

  • donate-be-a-hero.png

  • 0

Inappropriate Group Discussions?

Rate this question


purple

Question

If you are upset by or sensitive to discussions of homosexual topics; this could be triggering to you. Just be forewarned. Thank-you.

I was participating in a PTSD Women's group recently at the VAMC. The focus of the group was supposed to be trauma issues. During one group mtg a group member mentioned that she was/is homosexual. No big deal. Another group member made mention of the same...again, no big deal. However, they kept talking about their lifestyles and preferences throughout the group. I found it odd as I thought the group was about trauma. The tdoc said nothing.

The following week, one of these members made a very disturbing comment about having fantasies of a particular young girl she used to watch on TV and described what she was wearing, etc. Again, the tdoc said nothing.

I've never returned to the group. In my last appt with this tdoc I told her that I found this extremely disturbing and why didn't she do anything about it during group? Her comment was that there was nothing wrong with this other vets comments and that I should be prepared for diverse conversation during groups.

Really?

Am I way off base here or is my tdoc off her rocker????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Answers 35
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters For This Question

Recommended Posts

  • HadIt.com Elder
Yes...I plan to address it in my ltr to the director as one of the many reasons why I should be granted approval for fee-based care.

I may or may not talk to the pt advocate about it as I've been down that road too many times and it's a dead end road.

Purple, You have to submit your request to the right person! The Fee Base Office had me write them the letter, but permission/approval came from higher up (don't know who). I could have saved a month, had I known exactly who to address my letter to! Here's an abbreviated copy of my request, you can tailor it to your liking! ~Wings

October 7, 2008

VA Claims File No. SSN xxx-xx-xxxx

From: Veteran's Name and Address

To: Dept of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Dear VA Fee-Base-Care Staff Members,

Please consider my application for a VA Fee Base Card.

I’m a service-connected, woman veteran with severe PTSD and other health concerns. I’ve been 100% TDIU, permanent and total, since December 1999.

March 2000, your office issued me a Fee Base Card for routine medical care, not to exceed $125.00 per month. I was responsible with that privilege, and for 6 years appreciated the fact that I could use my familiar local xxxx Clinic, rather than drive (4) hours round-trip to VAMC xxxx.

The car ride to VAMC would not be so bad, if it weren’t for my horrible anxiety and panic attacks driving any further than the county line. I am chronically depressed, fear for my life and worry that I will not make it back home to care for my 13 y/o daughter. If something happened to her, I would not be able to reach her fast enough to make a difference.

For me, the VA Fee Base Card reduced PTSD “stress” and made going to a medical appointment an act of genuine self-care, rather than a desperate do-or-die attempt to “make it” across Donner Pass, especially in winter.

In order for me to consent to and participate in treatment for my PTSD and other woman veteran’s health issues, I really do need to see a woman health care provider. Presently, there is not one such woman health care provider at VAMC xxxxx.

One last consideration is that, in my case that Fee Base Card saves the VA money. The fact that I use the card responsibly, and actually go to a local medical appointment, means a healthier veteran in the long run. My health care becomes

pro-active, and I’m much more likely to follow up on routine care with VAMC appointments when it becomes necessary for the larger health care issues.

Please also consider an additional Fee Base Authorization for continued PTSD Counseling. I haven’t seen a Counselor for well over a year, and I am hurting myself and my family. I would like once again, to secure a local, community based woman therapist for psychotherapy, 2-3 times per month would help me be more sane and independent.

Sincerely,

Veteran's Name and Signature

FEE BASIS DETERMINATIONS

Under 38 USC 1703(a)(1)(A), before the Secretary is permitted to contract with a

non-VA facility in order to procure fee-basis care, it must be established not only that the applicant is a veteran and that s/he seeks treatment for a

service-connected disability, but also that VA facilities are either (1) geographically inaccessible; or (2) not capable of providing the care or services that s/he requires. Therefore, a determination as to an applicant’s eligibility for fee-basis outpatient care must necessarily include a factual determination as to whether either prong (1) or (2) has been satisfied.” (Meakin v. West, 11 Vet.App. 183, 186 (1998) citing 38 USC 7261(a)(4)).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks very much Wings!!

Yes, the pt advocate told me the Doc's name that I need to address it to (the chief of the mental health care), she said from there it would be forwarded to the facility chief and most likely disapproved. :D

I wish that the RN person that I used to see was still seeing pts because she had told me that she thought it was in my best interest to have fee-based care....but she isn't allowed to get involved at all now. So I'm going to scour my records to see if she happen to write it down anywhere. I thought I remember one place where she may have made a note of it...now I just have to find it....or it might have just been in conversation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder

x

x

x

Check this out http://search.vetapp.gov/

Your search for "eligibility for fee-basis" found 13 documents. (0.01 seconds)

See http://search.vetapp.gov/isysquery/f8cdf7b...b75a9091/3/doc/

The appellant again appealed, and the Court

reversed the March 1996 BVA decision and remanded

the matter to the Board for proceedings consistent

with Meakin v. West, 11 Vet.App. 183, 186 (1998)

(holding that Board has jurisdiction over all cases

involving eligibility for outpatient treatment,

not just cases involving eligibility for VA outpatient

treatment). Webb v. West, 16 Vet.App. 290 (1998)

(table), No. 96-502, 1998 WL 778288 (Oct. 15, 1998)

In April 1999, the appellant's private

ophthalmologist submitted a

statement noting the following:

(1) He has treated the appellant's eye condition

for more than 20 years; (2) a change in physicians

and place of treatment would be disruptive to the

appellant's care; (3) such a disruption makes the

Northport VAMC incapable of furnishing the care

needed; and (4) the distance from the appellant's

home to the Northport VAMC, when considered in

light of his [disabilities] eye disorder, blurred vision, and

headaches, makes that VAMC medically and geographically

inaccessible to the appellant.

In September 1999, the Board remanded the matter

for medical reassessment of the type and frequency

of care required by the appellant and a determination

whether the Northport VMAC has the capability of

providing that outpatient care.

Specifically, the Board directed the RO to take

the following action:

1. The veteran should be scheduled for a VA examination to

assess his outpatient needs. The examining doctor should

answer the following questions: Given the veteran's service-

connected disability (a right eye disorder), what specific type

of outpatient treatment is medically required for such ailment;

what is the frequency at which such services would be required;

and would the veteran medically be able to drive following

episodes of such treatment?

2. Thereafter, the director of the VAMC in Northport (or any

other appropriate VA health care official) should provide a

written statement which explains whether or not the Northport

VAMC has the capability of providing the outpatient care which

is medically required for this particular veteran. It should

also be reported whether the VAMC would provide transportation

for the veteran to and from that facility when he needed

outpatient care, and whether there are any other VA medical

facilities which are more geographically accessible to the

veteran's home and which would be capable of providing needed

outpatient care.R. at 507-08.

In April 2000, the Northport VMAC issued a Supplemental

SOC concluding that (1) its eye clinic could provide the

treatment required by the appellant and (2) the Disabled

American Veterans (DAV) organization provides free

transportation for veterans with appointments at that facility.

In May 2000, the appellant filed a Substantive Appeal

seeking reinstatement of fee-basis treatment status.

In accompanying letters, he asserted that his October

1999 VA medical examination was "not . . . professional"

and that VA had failed to comply with the directives set

forth in the Board's September 1999 decision.

In the May 2001 BVA decision here on appeal,

the Board again denied eligibility for fee-basis

treatment status; the Board concluded that "the [appellant]

does not satisfy the fee basis eligibility requirements

concerning geographic accessibility

and capability of the [Northport] VAMC."

In his informal brief, the appellant asserts that

(1) his fee-basis treatment status should not have

been discontinued because there have been no changes

in the circumstances under which he was initially

determined to be eligible for such status and

(2) the Board should have appointed a "non-bias[ed]"

member to review his case on remand.

II. Analysis VCAA Applies!!

Edited by Wings
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OutHere, Some groups can be like that. The group I goto is a group of all Vietnam guys, I'm at least 20 years younger than all of them. Most of them were in the group before I got there. We are kind of the same way, and have lost one or two guys even older ones, who came in and didn't think the group was serious enough. The Leader has a lot of experience, worked on a cancer ward for years before coming to the Vet Center. He keeps things pretty real for us, and is pretty capable of steering the conversations back on track. Our group has a lot of close relationships in it from guys just getting to know each other, and picking each other up on the phone chain. I'm glad I stuck with that group, as at the time there weren't a lot of younger guys coming in for help. You might just want to lay back a little and see how the group intermingles before giving them all of the low down. There will be a time very soon, where you can hurt like hell in front of them, and they will be there for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rarely go beyond the one section and I miss all the good stuff.

I am 100 straight or asexual who knows won't let anyone get that close due to my PTSD. I would make a comment concerning others that I found attractive but not sure I would say anything more he could park his shoes under my bed anytime. OR I might say nice butt.

I have no problem with a women or a man making a comment on the same sex in a generality like I did. Bit I do not want to here in detail your thoughts/wishes or desire, that you can keep to your self.

I would have said something to the effect, while I am heterosexual, I am not bias but I don;t wan to her about your fantansies. Then I would change the subject.

Most of the groups I have attended went in all directions and the therapist never said anything if it went on the wrong track, but there are some strong people in my group and they would let you know. Speak up and tell please keep your bedroom thoughts to your self.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use