Caught off Guard at C&P exam for increase in mental health

[Bedells 0]

Recently attended a c&p exam for mental health. Had already submitted DBQ that my VA psychiatrist wrote up along with sworn statement from my wife and employer letter from my last employer 3 years ago. First question was followed by a statement from my examiner: Are you now or have you recently had suicidal thoughts or ideations? Before you answer yes to this question you need to know that I will have to stop this interview here and have you hospitalized immediately. I really felt like this was like a threat that if I answer yes to her question the c&p exam would be over and i would be hospitalized. I have had suicidal thoughts and ideations for several years with no plan or attempt and all this is in my records from 3 years of regular visits with my psych doc and mental health social worker as well as documented in my DBQ from my VA psych doc. Also in my private medical records for the last 20 years. This caught me so off guard and I said no to the question because I did not want to be hospitalized. Two or three questions later she asked if i could handle my own finances and again before I answered she made this statement: If you answer no to this question we will have to set you up with ongoing financial counseling today. Again thrown for a loop. I told her i did pay 3 bills that were set on auto pay out of my direct deposit from the VA and did limited transactions on my debit card but my wife handled our finances because i was not mentally able to handle the anxiety nor did i have the ability due to my issues with memory and cognitive issues issues. I put my family in financial trouble do to my stubbornness that its the husbands job to handle the bills when i knew I could not keep doing it.

C&P exam was 2 weeks ago. I had a veteran tell me that i should call the VA patient advocate to let them know that these things happened at my c&p exam and i felt like leaving off the suicidal thoughts out of my assessment would hurt my claim.

Just a note: After my first 3 visits with my va psychiatrist 3 years ago he was baffled and a little agitated with the fact that I was only rated at 50%. His DBQ laid out the case for a 100% rating.

Thanks for the help! Barry

Edited March 2 by Bedells
delete because i already posted

[Guest]

Unfortunately these are questions we have to answer from time to time.  Be open and honest. No one wants to be in the hospital but there are times we need to be.  Most 100% mental health ratings will end up being found incompetent.  Your wife can be your fiduciary (The one to controls your VA money).  IMHO, no need to contact the patient advocate because this is just an exam and your records should speak for themselves.   Just be prepare for VA to say that you might be found incompetent to handle your own funds and if they do tell them you want it to be your wife.

[Dustoff 11 102]

These are standard questions asked of mental health disability vets by most MH providers including MH social workers, Nurse Practitioners and even MH Pharmacists consulting with you about your MH medications.  They have told me they are most interested in your PRESENT DAY situation about your SI/HI feelings.  I understand they ask these questions of many other non MH vets also.

Past feelings or actions  of SI/HI episodes are important and  are noted if not already in your health records.

[ruby 12]

I haven’t a clue what you can do but I would file a letter in your file that the examiner stated they would hospitalize you if you admitted you have had suicidal  thoughts in the past . I would call your psy doc or your mental health professional get an appt and have them put it in your file you were afraid of beIng hospitalized so you said no never.

i have those thoughts all the time and I do have a plan and it’s all documented in my file.  But I’m not suicidal at my psy visit  just severely depressed at times and I have a pact that I will call her first before I execute my plan and I will.

I believe I was asked if I was currently suicidal in my C&P.  I would get it corrected immediately.  I’d file addition evidence titled statement of correction saying that your understanding from what she said you would be hospitalized if you admitted to suicidal thought within the past 3 yrs.  

I don’t think the patient advocate can help.  Go to medical records and tell them you want have a statement put in your records.  Get a copy when it’s done and send to VARO or your VSO

im sure it’s documented in your records you have these thoughts and now your saying no basically you lied.

Get it corrected!

 

[Buck52 2,890]

I had a QTC Examiner ask me these questions too   I was honest with her when she ask me if I had suicidal thoughts or ideations? 

I Said yes mam I sure have at times,

she never threaten me to put me away in a hospital./ward ..she was a full PHD Phyistrist in her own private practice with over 20 years experience  because I had ask her before the exam about her credentials..

You should just be honest with her(or the examiner) on all her questions  if you had these thoughts at the time she ask you  you should have been honest with her .

These are trap questions to scare the veterans  because they know why your there and most of these examiners work for the VA.

SO JUST ALWAYS BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF that is the best way to get your deserved benefits.

The only way they can take you away and put you in the hospital is that you start to get unruly or mad and mean and not understand commands ask of you,  or try to jump up and fight  being unruly will sure get you put away  they call in the police or security guards.

when you take any kind of VA C&P exam it pays off to always be honest with yourself...your there for a reason and that's  to let the examiner know about your medical problems..its up to the VA Raters to decide what rating you will get  according to the symptoms you show and they are suppose to go by your symptoms already placed in your records.

the examiner is supposed to confirm these symptoms.