Veterans Affairs Compensated Work Therapy

[betrayed]

Why does anyone know about it, info I have found so far is scarce>>>>>>>>>>>>I havae a appt with my voc rehab counselor on friday. I got my official voc rehab not feasible for rehab or to work last week...........so far the only value is it looks pretty much like official va form letter that belongs on the outhouse nail or in the round file..................seriously anyone know anything about the work therapy program?

[john999]

What I am trying to tell you is that you don't want to give the VA any reason to think that your disability has improved. You performance in this program is probably going to be used as evidence of the severity of your disability. This is my thinking on it. Maybe Alex or someone who really knows more about this program would have a better idea about it. I just think that any time you are doing anything with the VA that involves compensation I would watch out. I actually like the idea of work therapy but you don't want them to use that to reduce your compensation. I am suspicious of the VA by nature. Are you getting SSDI or any other disability compensation?

[wayne]

John999,

I agree with you 100%!!!!!! ANYONE considering this program BEWARE!!!! You know how tricky and low down Mr. Buyer is. Could be one of his underhanded tricks!!

WAYNE

[Guest DON20906]

CWT is not VocRehab. It has nothing to do with C&P. CWT is for severly and chronically mentally ill , ETOH and drug dependent veterans being treated by VA in hospitals to try to restore them to a minimal level of social functioning by teaching basic skills like getting up in the morning and not going postal on staff and coworkers. CWT vets work in hospital food service and housekeeping for the most part. A veteran being considered for CWT has far more serious issues than unemployablity because of service-connected disabilities. In fact SC status doesn't factor in at all except in determining Priorty Group status and eligibility for medical care.

Why does anyone know about it, info I have found so far is scarce>>>>>>>>>>>>I havae a appt with my voc rehab counselor on friday. I got my official voc rehab not feasible for rehab or to work last week...........so far the only value is it looks pretty much like official va form letter that belongs on the outhouse nail or in the round file..................seriously anyone know anything about the work therapy program?

[john999]

How would getting this compensated work therapy affect get SSDI benefits. I am a mental case for the last 35 years. I would love some work, but I physically can't do it. So much for that. I will just let my hair and beard grow until I am just a ball of fur. Maybe I can get help then.

[betrayed]

I will just let my hair and beard grow until I am just a ball of fur. .

we think alike!

All I know is the shrink says it would be good for me...................if it puts a little $$ in my pocket then cool because they sure are short changing my whole dam compensation benifits...........I am still waiting to hear about my SSDI. I had a meeting with a staffer from my congressmans office, I gave them a copy of my appeal with a point by point blow of every mistake the VA has made (and they made allot). They asked me what I wanted................I blew a cork

here is my email verbatim

"Stuart you asked me what I want, also you asked me what I wanted back in February (I still haven’t figured out if you blew me off or didn’t send me a copy of the letter "YOU WERE GONNA WRITE") ..............................

Penni, yesterday you stated you want? And I stated a meeting with the director of the VA Regional Office in Detroit, an answer to my 6-week-old letter requesting that meeting.

Please listen to the following if you do listen to any thing else........

What I want is to be treated with dignity and respect that I earned after 28 years of active duty. What I want is the benefits the under CFR 38 which I am entitled to..............this is not an if, a but if or, a how come. These are benefits that under the laws of this country I am entitled to.............and because of the incompetence of the Detroit VARO I am being wrongfully denied these benefits. Everyday that I am denied more and more food is taken out of my family's mouth. Everyday my stress-meter goes up one more notches and my health meter drops two more notches. It is as if the VA is playing a waiting game, pay him or wait and see if he dies, maybe we can save a little $$$..........And by the way in my case there is no back pay for retirees.

I want my meeting as I requested. I also want Congressman Rogers to know of my situation and the asinine crap that is coming out of that Detroit Office. I recently received a form letter from the VA, the letter was directed at vets in 5 states, all the Midwest, and it went on to say that if you lived in one of these 5 states you had rights.............seems like if you live in one of those 5 states you have a better chance of the VA screwing up your claim for benefits.....................Then it went on to make political excuses.........you guys know the type, excuse for everything under the sun.

Bottom line is incompetence.........I worked with GS Civil Servants, I hired them, never fired one, its to hard......................but yet I believe that with my case alone there is ample justification to fire a few civil servants.

Back to what I want.....................I want the system fixed, I don’t other vets still going through this same crap in 20 years................ Congressman Rogers needs to know what is happening in the Detroit Office. I just got a letter yesterday about the 26+ million disabled vets whose personal information had been stolen...........

So bottom line I want Stuart to get me my meeting...........and I want Mike Rogers to say to that Man in Detroit "what the hell are you guys doing here?"

Stuart while on the phone you told me you had not read what I gave Penni,

Penni did you read it......................

The most it would take you to read it is 20 minutes, Am I not worth the time?

If I am wasting my time with you, or maybe you guys look at it as I am wasting your time please let me know...I have been turned down by everyone I have asked for help, including Livingston County Veterans Office. However I did get advice and help from Oakland County Veterans Service Office...................

Someday, somehow I will find someone to listen to me. Perhaps Fox News’ Ruth to the Rescue?"

They still have not responded to my email.............gee maybe someone will listen before I run a muck and end up going postal on staff and coworkers

DON20906

CWT is not VocRehab. It has nothing to do with C&P. CWT is for severly and chronically mentally ill , ETOH and drug dependent veterans being treated by VA in hospitals to try to restore them to a minimal level of social functioning by teaching basic skills like getting up in the morning and not going postal on staff and coworkers.

Don tell me what you know about it...............I told my VOC REHAB Counselor in a email and she told me she didnt think it was for me, or I would like it...........I meet with her tomorrow..............

[Guest DON20906]

I don't know about SSDI but CWT earnings don't count against IU or the unemployability factor in 100% schedular ratings for mental conditions, but it's not permanent. Between the VDBC and the hard look to be taken at IU, everything's on the table. In addition to CWT, VA has a study of Sheltered Supported Employment Initiatives underway right now and one of the topics under consideration is the effects of receipt of disability compensation on employment seeking. Sheltered Supported Employment has been very effective in local mental health programs.

VA's focus in mental health is changing from maintenance to recovery and reintegration. Same as the rest of the psychosocial helping professions. See: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/reports.htm. That means the objective is to help CMI/SMI veterans get well, not by reinforcing maladaptive behaviors with open-ended compensation.

If by getting help, you mean getting to a schedular 100%, wouldn't you feel better if you could bootstrap yourself into some meaningful occupation and get rid of your dependence on VA? I am a consumer of mental health services myself, and I'd take a job shovelling shit into a windtunnel rather than allow my self-esteem to slide into that crapper. That's just me, though.

Ever heard of a guy named Dr. Fred Frese? He did it. I've met him. Quite a character; totally schiz and crazier than a shithouse rat. He was a LT in the Marine Corps guarding the wire at Guantanamo back in the 60s when he reported to his superior officer that the Cubans were sending him messages through the air into his helmet. Next thing he knew he was locked up on the 14th floor at Bethesda. For a very long time. Now he's world class shrink who is huge in the recovery model movement and gets called on by VA, NIMH and others as a consultant. Check his bio out at http://www.fredfrese.com/.

How would getting this compensated work therapy affect get SSDI benefits. I am a mental case for the last 35 years. I would love some work, but I physically can't do it. So much for that. I will just let my hair and beard grow until I am just a ball of fur. Maybe I can get help then.