TDIU for PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

If you are here because you have been denied veterans’ benefits for PTSD, you are not alone. In 2012, the VA claimed its own claims error rate was 14%. However, the VA’s own inspector general found a claims error rate of 38%.That means by even the VA’s own estimates they make mistakes in almost 4 out of 10 benefits claims cases! Additionally, appeals represent a third of the VA’s pending disability claims which means 1 in 3 cases the VA is processing are veterans appealing a denial.

A TDIU Vocational Evaluation can assist you greatly in gaining Objective Evidence of your Psychiatric Limitations/Mental Health Issues, to get an Objective Diagnosis, severity of issues and how they affect your employability and in Vocational Terms

How Do I Get Veterans’ Benefits for PTSD?

To get veterans’ benefits for PTSD, you need to establish a service connection between your PTSD disability and your time in service. PTSD is unique among veteran disability types because of the importance placed on stressors in diagnosing PTSD. So, in order to get VA disability benefits for PTSD you will need to get a service connection by establishing a stressor or stressors that qualify you for a diagnosis of PTSD.

There are essentially 3 different approaches to proving stressors.

The first type of stressor involves a situation where a combat veteran describes a stressor that is consistent with his or her combat exposure.
The second type of stressor involves a situation where the veteran describes a stressor that is not associated with his verified combat exposure.
The third type off stressor involves cases where the veteran’s PTSD stressor is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity while stationed in a combat theater of operations.

Credible supporting evidence is important in getting approved for PTSD VA benefits. But in practice, the “credible supporting evidence” requirement has been a major impediment to many Veterans receiving compensation for their PTSD diagnosis. Frankly, many things that happen in the service are never properly documented or recorded. As a result, it can be very difficult to prove that the stressor took place. Fortunately, in July 2010 the VA issued a new rule making it somewhat easier to prove that a stressor event happened during service. Under the new regulation, if a Veteran’s claimed stressors are related to the Veteran’s fear of hostile or military or terrorist activity then he could qualify for PTSD based on this as a stressor.

Additionally, in order to get VA benefits for PTSD, you might also need to get a private VOCATIONAL EXPERT OPININON to establish a connection between your service and your diagnosis and Vocational Limitations.

What Are PTSD Veterans Benefits?

Veterans benefits for PTSD are granted based on graduated disability ratings of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% or 100%. Veterans who receive a disability rating of 0% do not receive disability benefits because there is little or no impairment. Disability benefit payments begin at 10% and increase at each rating level.

Veterans have a wide range of benefits available to them. They range from VA pension benefits (non-service connected) and VA compensation benefits – to vocational rehabilitation and grants for adapted vehicles, housing and equipment.

Why Did the VA Deny My Veteran’s Benefit Claim for PTSD that a Vocational Expert and Help with?

The most common reasons why the VA denies benefits for PTSD are:

The VA also likes to deny PTSD claims on the grounds that you don’t have a diagnosis of PTSD. In many cases, however, if you are not diagnosed with PTSD you may be diagnosed with depression or generalized anxiety. You would benefit from a TDIU Vocational Evaluation that tests for psychiatric/Mental Health issues and lists their severity and relationship to vocational limitations.
Another reason why the VA denies PTSD benefits claims is because many veterans make the mistake of re-filing PTSD benefits claims without any new evidence or they submit evidence that is not really material to their PTSD, South East VE can provide you with New Objective Evidence.

In order to ensure the greatest degree of success in re-opened disability claims, we recommend that you look very carefully at the reason why the VA denied your claim the last time. For instance, if the reason they denied you before was because there was no evidence of a present disability, then submitting a new medical record showing a diagnosed condition could potentially aid in getting your claim reopened. The new evidence you submit should address one of the reasons why VA denied your benefits before.

SouthEast Vocational Experts can provide Objective Evidence of your PTSD and level of severity through our objective Testing.

GET TDIU for PTSD

The VA, Veterans Disability and what is needed to get a PTSD Disability Rating for VA Disability and TDIU:

In the past, the VA has maintained strict requirements for claiming PTSD disability but in recent years these have become less stringent. Since 2010, veterans are no longer required to prove that the PTSD-triggering event actually occurred. This applies to combat veterans and any veteran who experienced fear of hostile terrorist activity.

The way to create A DIRECT SERVICE CONNECTION FOR PTSD, VETERANS MUST HAVE:

A current PTSD diagnosis
A statement about the event that caused their trauma
Consistency between the veteran’s statement and the conditions of their service
A medical opinion that the stressor had a sufficient enough impact on them to cause PTSD

We use Advance Forensic Mental Health Evaluations to give objective evidence of your PTSD and other Mental Health issues and are able to relate these issues and limitations in Vocational Terms. This is something other professionals can Doctors cannot do, and what the VA ALJ’s are trying to do in a vacuum unless you have a Vocational Expert outlining the issues in Vocational Terms.

you can also get PTSD from MST see: MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA (MST) AND PTSD

If you have a PTSD Rating and you are having problems Obtaining or Maintaining Employment due to your Service Connected Disabilities and the VA is not increasing your disability rating you should consider a TDIU Vocational Evaluation

See: TDIU Assessment Process

See: Why Us for PTSD TDIU Veterans Disability

We can provide PTSD evaluations, TDIU Evaluations, and Veteran Disability Evaluations nationally.

Social & Industrial Survey is one of the structured interview styles the VA wants to have done.

Total Disability Individual Unemployment – Vocational Expert Services for Veterans Disability

A veteran is entitled to a 100% disability (Total Disability) rating if he can establish that his service-connected disability[ies] preclude him from substantial gainful employment, Individual Unemployment

We have been providing Vocational and Occupational assessments for over 17 years. We have also served as an unbiased expert for the U.S. Government in more than 1,000 cases. We have performed over 3,000 assessments.

We can provide a Vocational Evaluation (Social & Industrial Surveys) in Veteran’s Disability cases to prove Total Disability Individual Un-employability in (TDIU) Cases.

Total Disability & Individual Unemployuability (TDIU)

VA adjudicator must consider a report documenting the Veteran’s un-employability from a Vocational Expert.

∞ TDIU Vocational Evaluation

A Social & industrial survey (Vocational Evaluation) done by a Vocational Expert can be used as valuable evidence to support a veteran’s TDIU Claim, and help get Faster Decisions.

Many times the VA uses a Social Worker to fill a basic form out, but a Social Worker isn’t an Expert in Medical & Psychological issues in disability nor are they an Expert in Vocational Issues. This is why you need this performed by a Vocational Expert.

Forensic Vocational Experts have the clinical knowledge and expertise to bridge the gap between a person’s medical & psychological limitations and how they will affect the persons employability, so that the VA Adjudicator will be informed as to how the medical and psychological limitations affect a person’s employability.

Vocational Expert in Veterans Disability & TDIU Assessment

We serve Veterans with disabilities & Veteran Advocates nationwide, including clients near all VA regional offices and their areas of jurisdiction: places such as Montgomery, Alabama; Houston, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Anchorage, Alaska; Phoenix, Arizona; Little Rock, Arkansas; South Carolina; North Carolina; San diego, California; San Fransisco, California; Los Angeles, California; Oakland, California; San Diego, California; Denver, Colorado; Hartford, Connecticut; Wilmington, Delaware, Washington, D.C.; St. Petersburg, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Honolulu, Hawaii; Boise, Idaho; Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Des Moines, Iowa; Wichita, Kansas; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Togus, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; Detroit, Michigan; St. Paul, Minnesota; Jackson, Mississippi; St. Louis, Missouri; Ft. Harrison, Montana; Lincoln, Nebraska; Reno, Nevada; Manchester, New Hampshire; Newark, New Jersey; Albuquerque, New Mexico; New York City; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Fargo, North Dakota; Cleveland, Ohio; Muskogee, Oklahoma; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Providence, Rhode Island; Columbia, South Carolina; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Tampa, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Houston and Waco, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; White River Junction, Vermont; Roanoke, Virginia; Seattle, Washington; Huntington, West Virginia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Atlanta, Georgia; Columbus, Georgia; Savannah, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

TDIU Veterans Disability Claim – VA Disability Unemployability

Many Vets are lost when it comes to applying for Veterans Disability especially VA Disability for TDIU or Individual Unemployability. Often these claims are denied because the veteran has put into much documenation most of which is needless to the VA adjudicator but overwhelms them just the say. Also, many vets do not get the right kind of documentation that the VA needs to process the VA Disability Claim. Having Medical and Psychological Evidence isnt enough, because the VA adjudicator is trying to determine what these disabilities means in terms or work and they are going to give full wait to a Doctor or Psychologist saying a person cannot work when determining a vocational limitation is in the pervue of the Vocational Expert. Yet many Vets are unaware of what a Vocational Expert and Vocational Evaluation can do for them.

VA adjudicator must consider a report documenting the Veteran’s Individual unemployability from a Vocational Expert as EVIDENCE. Create 5 star evidence for the VA that will cut the decision time on your VA disability claim.

TDIU Vocational Evaluation

A Social & industrial survey (Vocational Evaluation) done by a Vocational Expert can be used as valuable evidence to support a veteran’s TDIU Claim, and help get Faster Decisions, in short you can cut months of your VA disability claim decision.

Many times the VA uses a Social Worker to fill a basic form out, but a Social Worker isn’t an Expert in Medical & Psychological issues in disability nor are they an Expert in Vocational Issues. This is why you need this performed by a Vocational Expert to document your disabilities in worker trait and outline individual unemployability.

Forensic Vocational Experts have the clinical knowledge and expertise to bridge the gap between a person’s medical & psychological limitations and how they will affect the persons employability, so that the VA Adjudicator will be informed as to how the medical and psychological limitations affect a person’s employability. With the right documentation and evidence it can cut the VA’s decision time in processing your VA Disability Claim.

FACTS- Veterans Disability – What is TDIU – Individual Unemployability

INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY
WHAT IS INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY (IU)?
IU is a part of VA’s disability compensation program that allows VA to pay certain Veterans compensation at the 100% rate, even though VA has not rated their service-connected disabilities at the 100% level.
WHAT IS THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY?
A Veteran must be unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his/her serviceconnected disabilities. (marginal employment, such as odd jobs, is not considered substantial gainful employment for VA purposes). Additionally, a Veteran must have:
• One service-connected disability ratable at 60 percent or more, OR
• Two or more service-connected disabilities, at least one disability ratable at 40 percent or more with a combined rating of 70 percent or more.

HOW DO I APPLY?
• Submit VA Form 21-8940, Veteran’s Application for Increased Compensation Based on
Unemployability.
• Send your completed application to your nearest VA regional office or call 1-800-827-1000.

WHAT IF I DON’T MEET THE PERCENTAGE CRITE RIA?
Special consideration will be given for Veterans when the following criteria are met:
• The Veteran is considered unemployable due to a service-connected disability(ies) but fails to meet the minimum percentage standards, OR

There is evidence of exceptional or unusual circumstances to impairment of earning capacity due to disabilities (for example, interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization)
Note: Veterans may have to complete an employment questionnaire once a year in order for VA to determine continued eligibility to IU.

Veterans Disability – Service Connected Condition

The Veterans Administration (VA) provides disability compensation for deserving veterans who have disabilities related to their military service. These conditions include those that developed while serving in the military that were not caused by active duty, and conditions that were caused or exacerbated by military service.

The Veterans Administration recognizes the following list of conditions as having developed in veterans because of their active service in the military. If you have a service-connected condition and having problems Finding and Maintaining Employment you may be eligible for 100% Veterans Disability due to TDIU, and could benefit from an evaluation.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Related to combat service or personal trauma

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Often diagnosed, but generally related to concussion resulting from explosion

Why us for Veteran Disability Evaluations

Chronic Diseases:

If diagnosed within one year of separation from service

Anemia, primary
Arteriosclerosis
Arthritis
Atrophy, Progressive Muscular
Brain Hemorrhage
Brain Thrombosis
Bronchiectasis
Calculi of the kidney, bladder, or gallbladder
Cardiovascular-renal disease, including hypertension
Cirrhosis of the liver
Coccidioidomycosis
Diabetes mellitus
Encephalitis lethargic residuals
Endocarditis (all forms of valvular heart disease)
Endocrinopathies
Epilepsies
Hansen’s disease
Hodgkin’s disease
Leukemia
Lupus erythematous, systemic
Myasthenia gravis
Myelitis
Myocarditis
Nephritis
Other organic diseases of the nervous system
Osteitis deformans (Paget‟s disease)
Osteomalacia
Palsy, bulbar
Paralysis agitans
Psychoses
Purpura idiopathic, hemorrhagic
Raynaud‟s disease
Sarcoidosis
Scleroderma
Sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral
Sclerosis, multiple
Syringomyelia
Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger‟s disease)
Tuberculosis, active
Tumors, malignant, or of the brain or spinal cord or peripheral nerves
Ulcers, peptic (gastric or duodenal)

Tropical Diseases

If diagnosed within incubation period of illness following service in a tropical region

Amebiasis
Blackwater fever
Cholera
Dracontiasis
Filariasis
Leishmaniasis, including kala-azar
Loiasis.
Malaria
Onchocerciasis
Oroya fever
Pinta
Plague
Schistosomiasis
Yaws
Yellow fever

Diseases Specific to Prisoners of War

If held captive more than 30 days and diagnosed at any time following separation from service

Psychosis
Any of the anxiety states
Dysthymic disorder (depressive neurosis)
Organic residuals of frostbite
Post-traumatic osteoarthristis
Atherosclerotic heart disease
- Hypertensive vascular disease
- Hypertensive heart disease
- Myocardial infarction
- Congestive heart failure
- Arrhythmia
Stroke
Osteoporosis
Avitaminosis
Beriberi (including beriberi heart disease)
Chronic dysentery
Helminthiasis
Malnutrition
Pellagra
Other nutritional deficiency
Irritable bowel syndrome
Peptic ulcer disease
Peripheral neuropathy (except if related to infectious causes)
Cirrhosis of the liver
Osteoporosis (on or after September 28, 2009)

Atlanta, Georgia Veterans Disability

Don’t Let the VA Employees be the only one to decide a Veteran’s Employability. There are some claims, a veteran establishes that he is unable to return to his former employment because of his service-connected disability. However that is not the only issue involved in unemployability, the question then becomes whether the veteran has the education, work experience, transferrable skills and adequate physical or mental ability to secure and maintain Other Work. The VA often relies on their VA physicians or Social Workers’ to answer this question. But, in fact, vocational experts are the only ones who are qualified to provide an opinion on this issue.

Vocational experts can evaluate the opportunities in the contemporary labor market against the veteran’s peculiar circumstances, offering an opinion as to the veteran’s potential for obtaining another job.

When the VA obtains there opinion its often in a report known as Social & Industrial Survey , to support a veteran’s claim of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. However, the person the VA has completing this form rarely had training, education, or experience in vocational issues, vocational limitations, nor medical and psychological aspects of disability.

The United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) is a government run military benefit system that is responsible for administering programs for veterans’ benefits, their families, and survivors. VA regulations state that “all veterans who are unable to secure and follow a “substantial gainful occupation” by reason of a service-connected disability shall be rated totally disabled.” (38 C.F. R. Sect 4.16).

“Individual Unemployability” or IU is a way for the VA to compensate veterans at the 100 percent rate who are unable to work because of their service connected disability. This is the fasted-growing part of the disability compensation program.

Entitlement to TDIU requires evidence of unemployment due to the disability in question and medical evidence that a veteran’s service-connected disability renders him or her totally disabled and unemployable. A Vocational Expert report can assist in documenting Total Disability.

The recent US Court of Appeals case of Smith v. Shinski (No 2010-7145) using Social Security case law indicates the Veteran’s Administration does not have to use Vocational Experts in TDIU (Total Disability, Individual Unemployability) cases but that the VA adjudicator must consider a report documenting the Veteran’s unemployability. It is clear from this decision that the ultimate question is the employability of the Veteran, not the availability of jobs they can perform.

Specifically, 38 C.F.R. § 4.16 states in part, that if a veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of service-connected disabilities, he or she may be assigned a TDIU rating. Of course there are other requirements for IU benefits, but even if those requirements are met, if a veteran is still able to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, then IU will be denied.

VA Unemployability = Total Disability Individual Unemployability TDIU

Forensic Vocational Expert has the clinical knowledge and expertise to bridge the gap between a person’s medical & psychological limitations and how they will affect the persons employability, so that the VA Adjudicator will be informed as to how the medical and psychological limitations affect a person’s employability.

Vocational Expert Services are Vital in VA Unemployability Claims

SSVE TDIU Vocational Evaluation

Total Disability Individual Unemployability(TDIU)

A veteran is entitled to a 100% VA Unemployability – TDIU disability rating if he can establish that his service-connected disabilities preclude him from obtaining/maintaining- substantial gainful employment, Individual Unemployment

VA adjudicator must consider a report documenting the Veteran’s un-employability from a Vocational Expert.

SouthEast Vocational Experts: Leaders in VA Unemployability -TDIU Veterans Disability, Forensic Mental Health & Vocational Evaluations. We provide a Comprehensive Evaluation that will give the veteran Objective Medical Signs and Symptoms as required by the Code of Federal Regulations.

TDIU Vocational Evaluation

A Social & industrial survey (Special Vocational Evaluation) done by a Vocational Expert can be used as valuable evidence to support a veteran’s TDIU Claim, and help get Faster Decisions.

Many times the VA uses a Social Worker to fill a basic form out, but a Social Worker isn’t an Expert in Medical & Psychological issues in disability nor are they an Expert in Vocational Issues. This is why you need this performed by a Vocational Expert to fully document your TDIU issues.

VA Unemployability – Total Disability Individual Unemployability(TDIU) serviced in South east as well as nationwide.

South Carolina Vocational Expert Disability Evaluation

– Divorce, Veteran, LTD, SSA/SSI –

SouthEast Vocational Experts: Leaders in Forensic Mental Health & Vocational Evaluations.

Disability Evaluation process and procedures differ depending on the Venue as well as the issued involved in the case.

this will cover the major aspects – each case is different and therefore will have different needs, we do not have a one size fits all assessment process.

Disability Evaluation – Forensic VOCATIONAL EVALUATION PROCESS

1) Document Review – General list:

Hospital, Physician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, & Counselor records, Disability Forms.

2) We Use Both a Structured and Unstructured Diagnostic Vocational Interview

This will be a review of the Veteran’s history and will also outline the Veteran’s age, education, current work status, past work experience, skills, current medical & psychological impairment(s), treatments, and physical & psychological limitations.

(This can be in-person or through SKYPE)

3) Assessment of Current Information and determining if more documentation is needed.

– If needed we will create Medical and/or Psychological Source forms and/or Mental Residual Functional Capacity (MRFC), Physical Residual Functional Capacity (RFC). This will be the disabled individual or their Representative responsibility to get completed and returned to us.

4) Vocational & Forensic Mental Health Evaluation (Psychometric Assessments) (most cases will require one or more tests)

Based on the case we will determine what assessments need to be completed. We will assess not only aptitudes but also may measure Attention, Concentration (ADHD), Memory, Cognitive Abilities, IQ, Mental Health / Psychiatric Measures (Depression, Bi-Polar, Acute Anxiety, GAD, PTSD, Schizophrenia, etc.)

5) Perform a Vocational Diagnostic Assessment of Residual Employability.

this includes a Transferable Skills Analysis

6) Labor Market Research (if needed)

Private, local, state, and federal government labor market studies to determine if any significant number of jobs exist that the claimant can perform in the local and national labor market.

The results of the vocational evaluation enable the Vocational Expert to render an opinion as to the employability of the permanently injured veteran’s and their ability to perform substantial gainful work activity based on quantifiable, accurate, and current information using Veteran’s Disability standards.

Alabama Vocational Expert Disability Evaluations