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.

[vetquest]

That's awesome.  You say you do not want to humiliate your family by having the media document your being kicked out.  Do not feel that way, if the VA causes this look at it as a strike against the VA.  I had a newspaper article of myself on the front page of the Navy Times and I believe it helped change the treatment of heat stroke and prevention methods.  It is funny to see yourself bearing all for the world to see but sometimes it leads to help for other vets.

[GeekySquid]

6 minutes ago, Lagin02 said:

So I just checked my husband’s ebenifits and we finally have movement! It went into preparation for decision! Estimated completion between 9/17-9/23.   

that looks great!

now call the Senators Aide and ask them to contact VA directly. This is to let the VA know that the Senator is watching that date. It is very intimidating to the VA if you can get them to do that.

[GeekySquid]

Just now, vetquest said:

You say you do not want to humiliate your family by having the media document your being kicked out. 

I agree with @vetquest the possible "humiliation" you suspect you will feel is nothing to what you will feel if you are homeless, hungry, on the street with your kids.

It is  useless emotion when the choice is between a roof and food or a suspected reaction from some stranger or neighbor. Your friends won't look down on you unless you really caused the situation, and from all you said this is at the feet of the VA NOT YOU!.

 

[Buck52]

Please Note* I am not a Medical Dr or Phyistrist or medical Doctor of any kind  this post is just from my experiences in dealing with VA MH Clinics

Just my opinion only.

Lagin02 Quoted

''The VA doesn’t really tell me anything and he doesn’t talk to me so the only things I know, I’ve read in his blue button notes.'' 

You should go sit in with him during his therapy sessions  if the therapist will allow it? we can't trust what is said in the blue button notes.

I am not sure what type of therapy he is getting but if it seems its not working and only exacerbating his symptoms  this is when you can ask the therapist about it.

Medication can cause a lot of problems and can be a big factor in his symptoms , this is when he needs to see the VA License Psychiatrist 

They have different types of PTSD Therapy depending on the veterans needs and symptoms, chronic phyisco mania PTSD with Major Depressions is very hard to figure out what type of therapy he needs  especially if he has a TBI? Usually they call that unspecific (disorders)

Some types of therapy only exarabrates our symptoms  or any unnatural negativity and the VA MH therapist should be trained to watch for this type of behavior(jmo) anxiety and depression/stress are obvious!!!

we have to rely on these professionals for help at least learn the coping skills it takes to deal with our messed up mind. but we also need to understand they can't perform miracles or truly understand just how our mind works ( so-to-speak) Unfortunately   the mind is and can be very complicated and present some very hard medical issues to figure out.

I went through 2 different types of therapy before I started to feel better, we never will be cured of this horrific  disease but (IF)we can find the tools to help us better cope with it and  hopefully live a better way of life and possibly save our life.

your hubby needs to get into the right type of therapy that fits his symptoms. for the correct medications and also learn the tools to help him better cope with this horrific disease.

Despite med adjustment and therapy if he continues to report residual Sx with  periodic intensification and functional impairment he needs to see the psychiatrist as soon as possible (the therapist should see this?)

Combat PTSD is very hard to find a solution or find what works?   each veteran is different   in what works for some may not other wise work for the other.

I believe your hubby should seek help(which he has) but be more concerned with his well being  and work these claims later or find a good experienced VSO you can trust  to continue his claim  while he seeks medical attention. to hopefully get him self better.

Just a side note*

Also I might add  if and when he wins his claim for PTSD being he has been diagnose for TBI  there are other secondary claims he can file  on behalf of his SERVICE CONNECTED CHRONIC PTSD.

if he starts to have other conditions that may arise later on in his life.

[Buck52]

 Remember this 

in case of emergency 911 is always an option

 he can go to any ER .Private or VA

The national  veterans crisis Line  #

1-800-273-8255 then press #1

[Lagin02]

24 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

You should go sit in with him during his therapy sessions  if the therapist will allow it? we can't trust what is said in the blue button notes

I want to but I have to take care of the kids and I don’t want the baby to distract from his sessions. We don’t really have a lot of social support mainly because he has pushed them all away. 

 

26 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

I am not sure what type of therapy he is getting but if it seems its not working and only exacerbating his symptoms  this is when you can ask the therapist about it.

It’s Cognitive Processing Therapy. His spiral started as soon as he started going to the VA. He hasn’t talked about what happened with anyone. I found out about it from other wives in the FRG. I think just having to talk about it has exacerbated his symptoms. The therapist isn’t focusing on the stressor anymore and mainly just coping strategies until he can go to the program they are recommending in Chicago. 

 

31 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

Medication can cause a lot of problems and can be a big factor in his symptoms , this is when he needs to see the VA License Psychiatrist 

He is seeing a VA psychiatrist for his medication but the guy spends about 20 minutes with him and he only sees him once a month. 

 

33 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

Some types of therapy only exarabrates our symptoms  or any unnatural negativity and the VA MH therapist should be trained to watch for this type of behavior(jmo) anxiety and depression/stress are obvious!!!

 

37 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

Despite med adjustment and therapy if he continues to report residual Sx with  periodic intensification and functional impairment he needs to see the psychiatrist as soon as possible (the therapist should see this?)

I don’t understand this either but he doesn’t tell them everything. I interrupted his session to report he was making comments about suicide and he was pissed off at me for doing it. He yelled at me to get out. Once I left, he did disclose what he was thinking in regards to ending his life. The therapist developed a “safety plan,” which didn’t really do anything. He admitted to being aggressive towards me and others but not the severity of it. If I could give them information I would but I don’t want to do it while he’s there because honestly he scares me when he gets angry. He hasn’t been this bad in a long time. I don’t even think it was this bad when he first came home. 

42 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

I believe your hubby should seek help(which he has) but be more concerned with his well being  and work these claims later or find a good experienced VSO you can trust  to continue his claim  while he seeks medical attention. to hopefully get him self better.

He actually wants to go to the program in Chicago because he’s afraid of his aggression while being in treatment (at least according to what he told the therapist.) He has told me that he plans on going but not the reason. I wish we could have him go before the claims are worked out but that means leaving me to try and move out of our house with our young daughter and  infant son. I literally can’t do it by myself. I’m still recovering from the preeclampsia I developed during my pregnancy with our son last December. 

 

57 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

Combat PTSD is very hard to find a solution or find what works?   each veteran is different   in what works

He wants to do electroshock or ketamine something? He keeps saying that he can’t talk about it and views these as alternatives that can treat it without having to face it.