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Archive for July, 2010
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
In the month of June, the army say their suicide rates rise to over 1 per day. According to Army statistics, this was the worst month they ever recorded, despite suffering 244 suicides 2009. The month’s final totals were:
- 32 total suicides;
- 21 were active-duty soldiers;
- 11 were National Guard or Reserve soldiers.
Of the total amount of suicides, 22 of those soldiers had experienced combat. Of those, 10 had a history of anywhere from 2-4 experiences in combat. A total of 7 soldiers who killed themselves did so while in combat.
Compared with 2009, the number of Army personnel committing suicide has declined. The sudden jump in numbers in June came as a huge shock to Army officials who saw their suicide prevention programs making progress among the troops through May.
The Army’s suicide prevention program attempts to reach soldiers on different levels using different approaches. The Army has identified specific stressors working against soldiers and veterans that can lead to suicide and has attempted to counter those. Two of the biggest problems facing soldiers and veterans today are:
- The ingrained military attitude that views psychological illnesses as weaknesses; and
- Mounting stress on soldiers resulting from multiple combat deployments.
The Army recently developed a training video focusing on combating military suicides. This replaces the Army’s earlier video, which fell flat with their audience. Approximately 22 soldiers per 100,000 take their own lives. This is above the civilian rate but just below the Marine Corps rate. Whatever the Army does, it needs to happen quickly; nobody wants to see another month like June.
If you are a veteran contemplating suicide, please know that there is help out there for you both within and outside the VA. In addition to counseling you may be eligible for vocational programs, housing programs, substance abuse treatment programs, and disability benefits.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Army, army suicides, PTSD, veteran suicide
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Iraq-Afghanistan War, VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) grants military veterans priority status when applying for government jobs. The Office of Compliance on the State of the Congressional Workplace recently released a report, which concludes Congress refuses to follow their own law.
Veterans applying to the following agencies are not given their mandated priority, in violation of the law:
- Architect of the Capitol;
- U.S. Capitol Police;
- Congressional Budget Office; and
- Various support offices in the House and Senate.
Congress has been applying VEOA to government jobs for years. Congress, however, continues to reject the notion the legislative branch should submit to the veterans’ employment regulations. Congress applied the VEOA to itself in 1998 but tempered the application of the law to the legislative branch by requiring specific steps be taken in order to apply to the congressional workplace. It has been several years, however, since Congress voted to pass those regulations.
The law’s focus is to offset any financial or economic loss veterans experience should they choose to leave their jobs to serve in the military. The law does not guarantee jobs to veterans, though. Without Congressional approval for these regulations, veterans will not receive their intended benefits. The idea that Congress is not following its own law is outrageous. That their refusal to do so is preventing veterans from gaining good employment makes the situation even more offensive.
There is no reason why veterans should not be able to exercise the benefits to which they are entitled through a job in the legislative branch of the federal government. According to Congress, they will not approve the regulations because of an “antiquated provision in the statute.” Congress, it seems, has failed to grasp the intention of the original law, however, The 1995 law was designed to prevent the legislative branch from exempting themselves from the laws.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: government jobs for veterans, VA Benefits, VEOA, Veterans Employment Opportunities Act
Posted in VA News | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Veterans and others will soon discover what $87 million buys these days in the way of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospitals. Doors are expected to open on the new 5-story, 245,000 square foot, state-of-the-art tower currently being constructed at the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center in May 2011. The new tower will completely modernize and revolutionize inpatient health care for the over 13,000 patients treated there every year.
The new tower will boast 226 beds, and will be the only VA medical center across the nation offering fully private rooms for all inpatient hospital stays. It will also offer a new, and much needed women’s clinic for the increasing number of female veterans needing health care. Additionally, the ground floor will provide focused medical services to include not only an expanded emergency room, but clinics specializing in:
- Ophthalmology;
- Urology; and
- Ear-Nose-And-Throat.
The location of the clinic is very fitting as the area encompassing North Florida and South Georgia constitutes the largest VA health care system in the United States. The strain put on the current facilities demanded upgrades. As of 2009, the Gainesville VA discharged 53% more patients than in 1999. In the same 10 years, outpatient visits to the clinic rose by 134%.
The new tower will provide rooms with private bathrooms, and a pullout couch for visiting family members. There will also be 5 rooms dedicated to treating spinal cord injuries as these are becoming much more common among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only will the new facility allow the VA to treat more patients, it will create approximately 300 new jobs.
This clinic is necessary to fully support and treat the growing number of veterans in the area. Because of this clinic, more veterans will be given more state-of-the-art treatment, and many will have to travel much less distance to get it.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, Gainesville VA Medical Center, VA Health Care System, VA medical center
Posted in Disabled Veterans, VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, July 26th, 2010
Suicide rates among military personnel have been studied more closely than ever over the last two years. The reason for the studies, unfortunately, has been because of the increase in both attempted and successful suicides among military personnel and veterans. The Marine Corps, however, just reported a significant drop in the number of Marines both attempting and completing suicides.
The U.S. Marine Corps documented their lowest monthly numbers of the year in July. For the entire month, the Corps suffered 1 suicide and 9 attempted. These numbers are considerably lower than reported in May, when the Corps documented 7 suicides and 16 attempted. 52 Marines took their own lives last year, which was the highest number of Marine suicides since 2001.
There are approximately 202,000 Marines, of which 22 have killed themselves and 102 have attempted. Nine of the Marines who had taken their own lives were combat veterans, 9 had no history of deployment, and 4 occurred in Afghanistan.
Research was critical in developing suicide prevention programs so that risk factors could be identified. The highest rate of suicides occurred in male combat veterans aged between 18 and 27. Of the Marines who have taken their own lives this year:
- 18 were white;
- 3 were black;
- 1 was Latino;
- 15 were between 17-25;
- 12 were single;
- 9 were married;
- 1 was divorced; and
- 13 involved the use of a gun.
Multiple deployments have been blamed for bringing on increased stress among troops. This has been recognized by suicide prevention programs and signs Marines are mentally struggling have been identified. Such signs include:
- Sleeplessness;
- Alcohol and drug abuse; and
- Isolating themselves from friends and family.
The Corps has launched multiple programs attempting to reduce the amount of Marines attempting suicide. These programs include psychological screening both pre- and post- deployment, and transcends all ranks. Hopefully this recent decrease in suicides is the beginning of a trend and not just a fluke. Military suicides accompany wars, but hopefully the Corps’ prevention programs are having the desired effect.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Marine Corps, soldier suicide, suicide prevention, VA health care, VA Health Care System, Veterans’ Mental Health
Posted in Iraq-Afghanistan War, VA News | No Comments »
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
The world of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seemingly grows larger every day. The more time spent researching PTSD, the more varied the treatments seem to become. A new study has produced results suggesting MDMA, or Ecstacy, a “club drug,” can aid veterans undergoing psychotherapy to treat their PTSD. Apparently the MDMA allows the subjects to lower their fear of revisiting their trauma, a necessary step in treating PTSD, without inhibiting their emotional state which helps them fully engage in their own therapy.
The study’s focus was on those veterans who have suffered from PTSD for an average 19 years and who have failed to respond to the traditional treatments of psychotherapy and medication. The study consisted of 2 8-hour experimental psychotherapy sessions a month apart where 12 patients were given MDMA and 8 patients were given a placebo. Subjects also underwent psychotherapy sessions weekly before and after each experimental session. Independent psychologists appraised the subjects before and after the sessions.
The results of the study were more than impressive. Not only did 25% of the placebo group no longer meet the criteria to be diagnosed with PTSD, but over 80% of the group given MDMA no longer met the criteria. Prior to the study, 3 subjects were unable to work because of the debilitating nature of their PTSD symptoms. These 3 subjects were given MDMA during the study and following the study all 3 were able to return to work. Not one subject reported any drug-related side effects or neurocognitive problems.
While the results from this study are impressive, this was a very small and limited trial. There are still many safety issues with using MDMA that must be addressed before further trials can be undertaken.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Ecstasy, MDMA, PSTD Treatment, Psychotherapy, PTSD, VA health care
Posted in VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was on a mission to modernize its financial management system. After spending almost $400 million on the project, the VA finally yielded and terminated the mission.
The official reasons given were the project’s “high risk of failure” and “resource constraints.” The VA then, has officially stopped its funding and development of both the integrated financial accounting system and data consolidation components which were both elements of the VA’s Financial and Logistics Integrated Technology Enterprise program (FLITE).
The FLITE program was to serve as a management tool for both physical assets and VA inventories. The VA fully intends to continue to develop FLITE’S strategic asset management system. This system gives the VA much better control over their general supply chain. The VA will also continue to fund smaller, more effective, and less expensive projects that will heighten the value of data used in their financial system.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a statement explaining they would be stopping all federal financial system modernizations. The OMB, however, did not order the VA’s modernization canceled. The culture lately has been one of canceling projects not likely to produce quality results on schedule.
Not one major task was ever awarded under the FLITE program. The VA will now focus their attention on strengthening weaknesses in their computer programs. More specifically, they will improve the accuracy of the system tracking where money is spent.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: FLITE, VA Financial Management Program, VA IT projects
Posted in General, VA News | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing new rules which will help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The new rules will make it easier for these veterans to get their owed benefits and according to Congressional analysts will costs up to $5 billion over the coming years.
Under these new rules, veterans will no longer have to document the precise event that may be the cause of the veterans PTSD. Veterans have long since complained about the difficulty and sometimes even impossibility of tracking down the records required to document such events.
The current rule even serves to discriminate in the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thousands of soldiers have returned and are returning to the U.S. suffering from PTSD but never served in combat roles. For these veterans, compensation for PTSD is impossible.
The new rules will correct this injustice. No longer will veterans have to prove the existence of a specific, traumatizing event. Instead, the only thing soldiers will need to show to be compensated is:
- They served in a war zone; and
- In a job consistent with the events they claim caused their PTSD; or
- They had reason to fear stressors (traumatic events) without even experiencing those events.
Initial opposition to the new rules cite the high cost as well as younger veterans becoming dependent on the compensation as opposed to seeking treatment. Treating someone as totally disabled when they are not is destructive. Proponents of the new rules believe veterans apply for compensation for the health care, not to make money off the disability checks. The majority of disabled veterans would rather be functional than doing nothing but collecting checks.
The new rule does include a fail safe for this very reason. Final determination for benefits rests with a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) psychologist or psychiatrist. This will ensure consistent standards for assessments as well as providing protection for veterans in need of services.
No longer are PTSD compensation benefits available only to combat personnel. These new rules ensure those veterans in need of benefits are given the most help possible.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, mental health treatment, PTSD, PTSD treatment, VA rules for benefits, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in VA News, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki admitted during a visit to Salt Lake City that the government did not treat veterans’ exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War as it should have. Veterans waited decades, and some are still waiting, for their various health conditions to be service-connected under VA standards to Agent Orange. While they wait, they are without the medical care and/or compensation they are owed in treating their condition.
At the same time, Secretary Shinseki stood by the VA’s policy of requiring proof of a disease before compensation. Per the VA’s policy, injured veterans must present “scientific” evidence supporting the connection between the exposure and the injury. Shinseki made a point to highlight the money the VA is currently spending researching service-related conditions Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are suffering from due to open-air burn pit exposure. At the same time, Shinseki reinforced the VA requiring “scientific” medical proof is required by law.
Under Shinseki, the VA continues to add to those conditions it recognizes as being caused by exposure to Agent Orange for which the VA compensates veterans. When pressed if the law requiring medical proof of the disease should change given how Vietnam veterans were treated, Shinseki refused to answer.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Agent Orange, Disabled Veterans, proof of disability, Vietnam veterans
Posted in Disabled Veterans, VA News, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may wait years for symptoms to become apparent. Once diagnosed, however, treatment is available, and depending on the severity of the injury, it can be successful. The VA is constantly developing new treatments for TBI.
The question becomes how the veterans handle life once their TBI has been treated. Colorado State University (CSU) has developed a program called “A New Start.” This program is tailored to helping people with TBIs adjust by giving them the skills they need to start educational and occupational phases in their lives.
A New Start is run by the Center for Community Partnerships. This is an outreach arm of the Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Applied Human Services. Not only does the program provide a “re-entry system” for veterans, it provides occupational therapy students at CSU a chance to perform fieldwork with the veterans. For the students it is a chance to learn how to work with particular disabilities.
The “re-entry system” provided to veterans involves helping the veteran find work whether it be full time or just an internship to get their foot in the door. Beyond that, the program provides the veterans with skills on how to deal with emotional issues such as anger and depression. The program seeks to show veterans why certain careers would be good fits for them, individually.
Many veterans with brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or anxiety can be triggered by any number of things such as loud noises, crowds, trees, dogs, etc. With so many potential triggers, it is not surprising many of these veterans have such a problem keeping a job. Many veterans also suffer from sleeplessness and short-term memory loss, which both increase the possibility veterans will not acclimate well to their new environment.
To combat these issues, A New Start gives these returning veterans a “battle buddy” to help negotiate many of the issues facing veterans so as to avoid triggers. These battle buddies also help line up internships and assist with scheduling. This type of personalized service is what sets this program apart from others. The program is also free to the veteran as it is paid for by the referring agency.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: A New Start, Disabled Veterans, job programs for veterans, occupational therapy, PTSD, TBI, traumatic brain injury treatment, VA health care, Veteran Mental Health Care
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
A leaked Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) internal department memo outlines how the VA delays and even denies medical care to sick veterans and then covers its tracks with fraudulent paperwork. The VA Inspector General, among others, have made this charge against the VA since the first soldiers began their return from Operation Enduring Freedom.
The memo was written by William Schoenhard, the Deputy Undersecretary for Health Operations and Management. Schoenhard learned of these unacceptable practices and dubbed them “gaming strategies.” Essentially the VA is giving patients less access to medical treatment in order to better their scores on various evaluative measures.
The memo identified 24 actions the VA was using but cautions there are most likely more. Schoenhard refers to the VA using the fine-print to cancel patients’ appointments as sinister. This happens when a patient arrives on time for his appointment and is told his appointment was canceled. The patient is referred to the fine print on the bottom of his form stating patients not arriving 10-15 minutes early risk cancellation.
VA employees also “game the system” by entering patients’ return visit dates months past the doctor specified date. Another “game” is marking patients’ initial treatment requests on paper as opposed to the computer system. Employees then call the patients months or a year later making that date their first request date. Federal law requires the VA see the patients within 30 days. Along the same lines, multiple patients are booked at the same time slot. Either the patients wait for hours or leave without service.
There is no doubt the VA is overwhelmed by the amount of veterans needing help. These practices, however, are despicable.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs, VA health care, VA medical facility, VA patient services
Posted in General, VA News | No Comments »
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