Va disability & C&P question regarding veteran with suicide risk

[Lagin02]

So my husband is going though the VA disability process. He began treatment in April doing CPT which aggravated his symptoms immensely. In May, he was fired from the job he has held for 8 years. In June, he was put on disability leave from his National Guard unit after command became aware of his suicide risk and they have mandated that he continues the therapy which is only making the situation worse. He has been in for 15 years and most likely will be medically chaptered out which has worsened his depression significantly. Due to his suicidal thoughts I am trying to manage this financial crisis as best I can because I’m afraid he is being pushed over the edge. He just stares off into space and sits in our basement. I filed for VA disability at the beginning of June because prior to all this he was our only source of income. I left my job a couple months before he was fired because my income was not enough to cover daycare after our son was born. I can’t leave him alone with the kids in the state he is in right now. I payed off our bills for a couple months with our savings but we only have a month left before we will be homeless. I also expedited his claim due to financial hardship in June. His claim seems open and shut to me. He did is C&P exam in July 31st but the VA still haven’t received the report (it was a VA doctor that did it not a contractor).  I called on Thursday to ask where it is and was told “it’s not ready yet” by the office where it was conducted. 

My understanding is you must prove three things:

The stressor:

His stressor occurred in Iraq in 2007. There was a CID investigation due to the circumstances around the event and there are still people in his unit that were in Iraq with him and knew what happened. I don’t want to write details because it would defeat the purpose of confidentiality but there is no denying that it was extremely traumatic and involved death and serious injury of service members in a small convoy. I also have a memorandum signed by the commander sending my husband to the combat stress unit in Iraq after the incident when he became suicidal. In my mind there is no denying the stressor. 

A current diagnosis: 

He is currently under treatment for PTSD at the VA doing CPT and is on medication. His team wants him to do an in-patient program in Chicago but as it stands with our impending homelessness, it just isn’t an opinion right now. 

The Nexus: 

He marked off symptoms of ptsd on his demobilization paperwork and stated he encountered stressors. In his periodic health assessment 6-month and also 1 year follow-ups for his Iraq deployment it shows he endorsed every symptom of PTSD and one Depression question. He was supposed to be referred to mental health according to this form but for whatever reason it slipped through the cracks. His current treatment is focused on the events that occurred during his first deployment. 

I called the VA homeless assistance line and was told that they will place my husband in transitional housing but me and our children (6-month-old and 9-years-old) will need to “find somewhere else to go.” I called the White House VA line and was told “I am so sorry but I don’t know what else I can tell you to do” His ebenifits portal broke 6 weeks ago due to duplicate files and was supposed to be fixed 3 weeks ago but is still broken. I have called veteran resources but all in our area require we have a “resolution” if they assist which we don’t because I don’t know if or when he will start to improve. 

So if your still with me, I have a couple questions: 

How long does it take for the doctor to send a C&P exam? Is it normal that it wouldn’t be don’t weeks after the exam? 

What are the chances that this will be resolved before the end of September when we will be homeless? If we do become homeless how do we follow up with the case with no address? 

Will the transitional housing be able to make sure he doesn’t follow through with his suicidal thoughts? I’m afraid that separating our family and having to toss everything we have build over the last 10 years will push him over the edge and I won’t be there to make sure he is okay. 

Is there anything else I can or should be doing? 

Is there any chance he could get better soon? Like it gets really bad but than starts then better? He has a bachelor’s degree and if he stops staring off into space and having these episodes he could get a job paying good money or I can work and he can watch the kids. I can’t imagine throwing everything we own in a dumpster, having my family torn apart, and taking my kids to a homeless shelter. I don’t even know how to explain it to my 9-year-old. He always struggled but at least he was functioning by numbing everything and isolation prior to opening this can of worms. We were financially comfortable so I just don’t understand how things got so bad so fast.

[Lagin02]

On 9/19/2019 at 5:40 PM, GeekySquid said:

I want to hear when that money hits and that your first move was to call the Senator.

The money hit our account today! The senator called me (the actual senator not an aid) on Friday and told me to call him if we have any further issues. I definitely expressed my appreciation for his and his office working so hard to make sure we were okay. He told me that our situation had his whole office upset and he’s happy they could help. I just sent my rent payment for October. I’m about to call my gas company to get my gas turned back on. I am so relieved. Thank you everybody!!!! You all saved me and my family from financial ruin!!! Every single one of you are incredible! 

[Berta]

Everyone here was on your side---and many of us know our prayers are heard!

This is wonderful news!!!!!!!

I am sure your husband will get very good care from the VA, or from any referral they make- for his PTSD treatment.

 

 

[GBArmy]

Lagin02 Yup, fantastic news. Cultivate your new friendship with the Senator. Follow up with a thank you note to him and ALL. Pay attention to when he might be in your area and when he does try to meet and greet. This is also a PR event for him, so he will also appreciate and remember in the future. Hopefully, you won't need his help again, but I kinda doubt that your relationship with the VA is somehow going to continue! You know?

[GeekySquid]

2 hours ago, Lagin02 said:

The money hit our account today! The senator called me (the actual senator not an aid) on Friday and told me to call him if we have any further issues. I definitely expressed my appreciation for his and his office working so hard to make sure we were okay. He told me that our situation had his whole office upset and he’s happy they could help. I just sent my rent payment for October. I’m about to call my gas company to get my gas turned back on. I am so relieved. Thank you everybody!!!! You all saved me and my family from financial ruin!!! Every single one of you are incredible! 

Congrats!!!!

now make sure you save that phone number to your contacts list! same old geekysquid, not letting up on that issue.

Breathe for a few days, treat yourself and your kids to something nice...not extravagant just nice. pay your bills. put aside some of that money. get your husband in to that in patient treatment.

things are looking up... smile!

[ShrekTheTank]

I am sorry I have been off of here are while.  My brother decided to end things last week and I had to go home to see him off.  I wanted to check up and see how you are doing?  

[GeekySquid]

1 minute ago, shrekthetank1 said:

I am sorry I have been off of here are while.  My brother decided to end things last week and I had to go home to see him off.  I wanted to check up and see how you are doing?  

sorry to hear that. hope you are doing okay