ptsd Ptsd Claim Approved- Hoow Do I Get Into Group Therapy Sessions?

[mrs rockman (widow of vet)]

I am writing this for Rockman.

I was not sure if this was the right forum or not. If not, you can place it where it does belong.

Rockman went to his his last one on one CPT therapy on 03/07/11 at our local CBOC with his mental health lady.

The mental health lady had him make an appointment for one month out. That way he could see how he was doing without coming to her.

His PTSD C& P was on 03/08/11. When he went back to see her, he asked if she could see in his file as what he should do next. He told her that the examiner did diagnose him with PTSD. She had no clue as to how to look it up in his file. Rockman asked her about group therapy and she did not know what to do. She said that she would find out and call him. He called her back several days later and she did not know anything and it was like don't call me, I will call you. It is like she is saying" thank you for your insurance money and you have a good day now and the heck with you. I am done period. "

She did say that the group that comes weekly near our house is more of a social gathering. He would not mind that, but right now knows that he needs more. He may be able to go to both.

What should he do now? Should he try and call his PCP @ the same VA CBOC or could that cause trouble? We do not want trouble, he just wants to attend group therapy.

It took him almost 40 years and now he wants to, it just seems that she could care less.

The longer he waits for group, he has more of a possibility of going in the reverse direction and undoing it all. If he does that, he may say- heck with it all.

At the end of his PTSD C&P C-File, it has this:

5. If possible state prognosis for improvement of psychiatric condition and impairment in functional status:

The prognosis for him is guarded.

I believe that this says it all.

Help-I feel for him and want to see him get the help he needs and deservers.

Mrs. Rockmsn

[mrs rockman (widow of vet)]

One thing you don't want to do is to let the VA make the claim that it is the stress of his job that is the reason he is becoming unemployable. You want to relate everything to his service experience. If he sees inmates as the enemy it is because of military experience. If he has PTSD it is not due to working with inmates but due to military. When a cop files for PTSD the VA may say that his experience as a cop is the true stressor and cause of his current PTSD. The job may aggravate his PTSD but it should all point towards military experince as the principal cause. Rockman should always keep this in mind every time he opens his mouth at the VA. You want a papertrail but you want one that helps you.

I think I understand what you are saying. You are saying that his PTSD is aggravating his stress level and making it hard for him to work, are you not? He has an appointment with his outside doctor on Monday. He has to get a medical leave slip if he takes off more than 3 days. He will be taking off the next two weeks for a stress leave. Is there any certain way he should tell his doctor? We want to make sure that it is worded the best way if he ever needs to show it. By sometime in July, he should have used all of his time off.

When he is ready to file for short term disability with his job, do you have any suggestions as to how that should be worded also?

When we file for SSDI, he has a compassionate disease, the pulmonary fibrosis. He also is 60% on his IHD. His PTSD is @ 30% ( we thought that it should have been at least 50%). We do not know whether we should list the lung & the heart and then the PTSD or not. I know you want to have what your service-connected conditions are as your sole reason for filing SSDI. If we list the pulmonary fibrosis-which is chronic- it is not service connected. If the lung was service connected, then we would not have a problem what we list as his disabilities.

We are just confused the proper way to do this. I will post later on trying to get his lung as secondary to his heart ( provided that the cardiologist says that it makes the heart worse and it is in his medical records).

Thank you for your help. Rockman would have answered you himself, but he is at work today.

Mrs. Rockman

[john999]

Any records you are going to use for VA purpose you want it to be about SC conditions only. You don't want to give the VA alternative explanations for a TDIU claim. If you are going to use SSD records then make sure they are for SC conditions. If there is anything in your evidence for IU that is not SC the VA will pounce on that to deny TDIU. If you have enough to get TDIU without SSD and non-service connected issues you don't have to worry. If Rockman has any problems with work point the finger at his military PTSD. If he retires on disability make it for SC conditions.

[mrs rockman (widow of vet)]

Any records you are going to use for VA purpose you want it to be about SC conditions only. You don't want to give the VA alternative explanations for a TDIU claim. If you are going to use SSD records then make sure they are for SC conditions. If there is anything in your evidence for IU that is not SC the VA will pounce on that to deny TDIU. If you have enough to get TDIU without SSD and non-service connected issues you don't have to worry. If Rockman has any problems with work point the finger at his military PTSD. If he retires on disability make it for SC conditions.

Thank you for your imput. This answers my question about what to file his SSDI with. The only reason he was going to do the pulmonary fibrosis was because it is on their compassionate list and they (Social Security) are to expidite your claim. This tells us what we need to do. Have a good day!

Mrs. Rockman