ptsd Ptsd & Federal Employment

[FedHopeful]

Hello All,

I'm a service connected Marine (70% for PTSD & Tinnitus) and applied to a federal position back in Nov of 2013. I was hired under a special hiring authority for Veterans who are 30% or more Service Connected. I'm still in the process with this agency (DHS) and whenever I call to check on my status they continue to tell me that I am still pending a medical clearance. Its been over 18 months and I have seen those without disabilities get aboard the agency quicker than I have. I haven't been disqualified but I haven't moved on in the process either, is this discrimination? Also am I correct to assume that I cannot be disqualified for PTSD under ADA Title 1?

Thanks in advance

[bionoce]

Definitely file a congressional inquiry.

[CHerv08]

In my personal opinion - working in the system 1 of 2 things are happening. You are either being strung through the ringer due to someones beaurcatic BS or they are hoping you decine the position due to the prolonged period. Did you formally apply for this positon through USAJobs? If so do you still have access to the annoucement number? You should be able to file a formal inquiry through the region that processed the staffing request which has to be answered by the person who is staffing the postion - this is also sent through that staffers chain. That is another option.

I recommended a congressional becuase - 1. your not an federal employee and have every right to do so in order to get answers to the questions that you are not reciveing. 2 It will make them bring you on board faster.

[FedHopeful]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

In my personal opinion - working in the system 1 of 2 things are happening. You are either being strung through the ringer due to someones beaurcatic BS or they are hoping you decine the position due to the prolonged period. Did you formally apply for this positon through USAJobs? If so do you still have access to the annoucement number? You should be able to file a formal inquiry through the region that processed the staffing request which has to be answered by the person who is staffing the postion - this is also sent through that staffers chain. That is another option.

I recommended a congressional becuase - 1. your not an federal employee and have every right to do so in order to get answers to the questions that you are not reciveing. 2 It will make them bring you on board faster.

CHerv, I believe "they" are hoping that I decline the position. I actually had to attend a job fair to interview for this position. I have my conditional job offer but no announcement number as non was generated. I do have someone looking in on it from the agency that is outside the hiring process. If that doesn't work I will file a congressional inquiry.

I just think it's wrong to ask veterans to furbish disability ratings so they could get priority hiring and then turn it around on them. If I didn't disclose any disability ratings I would have been working in the agency by now.

[USMC_VET]

I am a Fed employee with a clearance for who had a current rating of 50% opted when I applied for a clearance. Mine took 5 months however I had a clearance 2 years prior do that made mine easier I think. I answered no to the question regarding mental health counseling since 1 I was not receiving treatment (however this has triggered my reduction I think so keep that in mind) and 2 if the treatment or counseling is related to military trauma you are not required to answer yes from what I understand. Mine was granted. We will see in a decade when it's renewed.... hiring wise they cannot discriminate but for clearances they can deny and if your job requires it then that's all she wrote. If they haven't denied it yet I would talk to your congressman. Have you had your interview with the clearance investigator yet? Have they called family and friends? If so did mental health ever come up? Are you married to a foreign born wife? Is your family from the US? Any arrests in your p a st? Not trying to pry but those things can severely hold up a clearance. Was yours secret or ts?

[FedHopeful]

I am a Fed employee with a clearance for who had a current rating of 50% opted when I applied for a clearance. Mine took 5 months however I had a clearance 2 years prior do that made mine easier I think. I answered no to the question regarding mental health counseling since 1 I was not receiving treatment (however this has triggered my reduction I think so keep that in mind) and 2 if the treatment or counseling is related to military trauma you are not required to answer yes from what I understand. Mine was granted. We will see in a decade when it's renewed.... hiring wise they cannot discriminate but for clearances they can deny and if your job requires it then that's all she wrote. If they haven't denied it yet I would talk to your congressman. Have you had your interview with the clearance investigator yet? Have they called family and friends? If so did mental health ever come up? Are you married to a foreign born wife? Is your family from the US? Any arrests in your p a st? Not trying to pry but those things can severely hold up a clearance. Was yours secret or ts?

Thanks for the reply USMC_Vet,

I have already cleared my background investigation. It was for a TS. Like you I did not have to divulge for mental health counseling due to it being military related. What I cannot clear is the medical portion. I have been awaiting medical clearance for over a year now.

[Berta]

Have you formally applied for a federal position and then been found "qualified" by the OPM?

Under EEOC-ADA, that would set you up to receive an interview for the position.

Interesting that they have not posted the announcement number yet....keep checking the web site you are using for the posting.

Be prepared to have VA try to reduce your SC, if the fed gov hires you.

"I just think it's wrong to ask veterans to furbish disability ratings so they could get priority hiring and then turn it around on them."

And if they do (I had experience with DOL, Vietnam Vets Readjustment Acrt, Disabled Veterans Affirmative action laws, etc etc etc,,,,all lip service from the DOL./..

also EEOC experience twice (husband worked for VA) and also ADA discrimination -he was first ADA disabled vet discrimination case ,to win , here in NY, against a federal contractor.)

If you believe you are being discriminated against,by a federal agency , I posted the ADA-EEOC laws here some time ago available under a search, turn it on them and file for TDIU and SSDI.

The last day my husband worked for the federal contractor (ADA case) was the EED for 100% P & T SC PTSD, and also the EED for his SSDI award.

In one of 2 issues he had with the EEOC and the VA, they hired a relative for a position he was qualified for and he never got a job interview.

I had an argument with the personnel director who pulled out a form and said OPM stated he was not quakified.

I told her she was not qualified for her position because apparently she could not read and I shoved the OPM qualified" statement in her face.

She got canned and the VA director gave my husband a part time crap job until a full time position opened up.

Within months he got the proposal to reduce his then 30% PTSD to 10%.

I wrote the NOD and they dropped the idea within about 8 months.

I used their regs ( the PT job was no where near a substantial wage, compared to what he had earned before as a Nuke.

he had to get this crap job to prevent a EEOC case against them, although the personnel director was fired, and they also said his one semester of Voc Rehab made him a rocket scientist.

Well they didn't put it that way..I did,,in the NOD ,,one does not become amply "rehabilitated" by one semester in Voc Rehab.Ridiculous.

We have had many discussions here on this type of issue.

OPM takes a long time to follow through on the qualification statement they send out.

Also the security clearance was not even done when VA hired my husband. They called him into personnel a few months after his hire and he thought he was getting fired.or something ..It was only to tell him his security clearance (maybe I mean background check) went through with no problems.

I thought it odd that anyone could be on a VA job for months before they found out what type of person they had hired.

The vet center told me right away years ago that they had run me through the FBI when I was a volunteer there.

The team leader took my fingerprints. I wonder sometimes if they really did.'run me through'.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Berta