Career Impact Allowance (CIA)

Vet1234 wrote:I wouldn't go to an OSI clinic!  They are on VACs payroll in my opinion.  You don't need to see a different psychologist at all.  Tell your CM that you don't feel comfortable seeing a different psychologist.  You get anxiety opening up about your mental health and if your CM doesn't like it, too bad.  Tell your Psych that your CM wants a "second opinion" and have your psych call them.  CMs have the bad habit of thinking they are medical experts and trying to control vets rehabilitation and condition management.
In short...  you don't need to go to an OSI clinic.  Your psych is good enough.
You can say no to your CM.  You can apply for your PIA online and your CM does not make the decision.

VAC gave me a list of psychologists to choose from, so now they don`t like the one I picked because they don`t like his assessment of me. Probably because I currently hold down a job but the psychologist feels the type of work is damaging to my health. Maybe I don`t even qualify for PIA because I am not unemployed?

I also don`t have a family doctor.

don't know your CM so hard to say . I have a good one and when one of my doctors reports went in it wasn't worded properly so she held on to it and my application and said go see this guy he knows how to right this stuff . I did . she got it and all went well .

of course she did tell me why when she called that's why I did it .

so it all comes down to why she is asking you to do this .

I would just call her and ask why before anything else .

propat

I wouldn't go to an OSI clinic! They are on VACs payroll in my opinion. You don't need to see a different psychologist at all. Tell your CM that you don't feel comfortable seeing a different psychologist. You get anxiety opening up about your mental health and if your CM doesn't like it, too bad. Tell your Psych that your CM wants a "second opinion" and have your psych call them. CMs have the bad habit of thinking they are medical experts and trying to control vets rehabilitation and condition management.
In short... you don't need to go to an OSI clinic. Your psych is good enough.
You can say no to your CM. You can apply for your PIA online and your CM does not make the decision.

Can you have a job and still collect PIA? I`m working but that doesn`t mean I don`t have a condition that caused me to be released from the military prematurely.

I recently saw a psychologist for 14 sessions after which he submitted a letter to VAC/CM detailing my issues which would qualify for PIA. My CM wants me to see a different doctor for an assessment, is this the norm? Is one professional`s opinion not enough for VAC or do PIA etc. assessments only valid if conducted at an OSI clinic ?

well I had all benefits available completed with decisions before my release . THIS should be mandatory before release .

but ya failing that they should be automatic for all 3-b releases and paid in a non-refundable manner until the point all application and redress options are exhausted .

either way the GOC will be paying a military salary or benefits to some needlessly I get that but I believe it will keep a lot of guys from falling through the cracks . to me that alone is worth it but I guarantee you it would have an added effect of speeding up the claims proses .

the GOC should have to pay for the GOCs ineptitude not the vet as is the case today .

propat

"So, if I did not learn and apply by myself, they would not have cared one way or another. In fact I missed a full year of pay missing out on ELB. They leave it up to the Veteran to apply, and could care less if I was on that program or not".
Try missing 6 years! VAC sent the package for ELB, but my negligence, I didn’t respond and they didn’t care to contact me, so advocate strongly and assertively for yourself.
If you are injured get what you deserve and no less! Wither it is medical, vocational, financial or whatever! You deserve the best.

Thanks for the input guys, but VAC makes this process very difficult.

Example. I am almost 18 months into SSIP, I got ELB one year into my post release, I applied for ELB after reading stuff on the forum here. So, if I did not learn and apply by myself, they would not have cared one way or another. In fact I missed a full year of pay missing out on ELB. They leave it up to the Veteran to apply, and could care less if I was on that program or not.

My point in some ways Bigrex is that it should be automatic if you qualify for a program or a payment and we as veterans should not be put into a position to apply for things that we have no idea if we qualify or not. To me the system is f_cked and out of control.

Steelgunner
My first application was denied because they had "no current psychological assessment within 2 years"
My CM ordered a nursing assessment and no Psych evaluation. They denied me without having all the information necessary to make a decision. I found this forum and learned that I needed to take care of my own file. I reapplied, and got a current evaluation, and was subsequently granted PIA. My CM told me that I wouldnt be deemed TPI after reading my psych evaluation. I tossed some parts of it on here for advice and came to the conclusion that my CM was wrong.
I asked my CM to initiate a TPI decision. Every veteran has the right to do so.
The system is broken and there are some bad case managers. I've done more with the help of the people on this forum, than my CM has ever done for me.
I'm appealing my PIA date through the ombudsman. I shouldnt have been denied the first application. They didn't have enough information to make a decision, yet still made one.

when i was first let go and put on long term disablitlyity it took two years of ltd making sure that i was not able to be gainfully employed and doc appts before making me tpi as soon as i was tpi they put me on pia and pias, vip and caregiver i had one of the few good cm at the time that you did not have to ask they told me which is a very very rare to find.

Steelgunner, the only problem with making things automatic, is some Veterans may feel that VAC would be too intrusive by keeping tabs on your personal situation. It's bad enough that they require semi regular follow ups for those who have gone through the extensive application process to prove permanent conditions, so I could imagine that opening up the benefits to everyone, would start spot checks, bi-annual medicals and only God knows what else, to find people who they feel are undeserving.

Vet1234 wrote:I applied Aug 4 2016.  My Medical documents were received by VAC on September 26, 2016.  I had my decision the 31 October 2016.  
I was denied my PIA/S in the October decision because I had not been deemed TPI.
I was designated TPI 5 Nov, 2016 and re applied for PIA/S through MyVac the same day.
I was granted PIA/S within a week of being deemed TPI.  The PIA/S was dated back to the date which I was deemed TPI.
There is no waiting for PIA/S.  If you receive PIA and are TPI, you will get your PIA/S shortly after you apply.

Okay, at first I see you were denied.  Who makes the redecision to make you  TPI ? CM, Doctor, file.
So they go from not approving to approving for what reason?  

I saw an earlier post say apply for As much as you can at once , which I just did today.  In the form it ask you if you are TPI,  

On this topic I am actually not seeing it squarely, it seems there are so many things to apply for and it hinges on a lot by one person going over your file maybe to quickly because of the back logs. I like many of you revert to this web site (CSAT) to make sense of VAC endless machine that has so many curves and not enough straight aways on common sense issues/forms and a package that should be brought forward to the Veteran.  Why should we have to fight to understand what's available and try to understand that what we can be approved for.  VAC should give ever Veteran what he is eligible, not what he applies for, it should be automatic and then you would see the VAC bashing and back logs disappear.  

That's my gripe and like the Military taught us all, I offer VAC a way to fix it.  Give the programs automatic, quit fighting us.

That sounds about right to me Binrat. I'm not a fan of OSI clinics though. I'd rather go to a private psych.

For me I'm going for my TPI designation right now, and my CM sent me 2 reports to get filled out,
1 was by my family Doctor, and the 2nd one I had to get the psychologist at the OSI to complete it

Once then my CM will setup a meeting of the interdisciplinary people, go over my reports / finding
and should have an answer from them hopefully within a weeks time