VA Mental Health Provider Venting / Problem-solving / Peer Support Thread

[WisNeuro]

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My favorite are the V95.43 "Spacecraft collision injuring occupant" - there has never been a spacecraft collision (as far as I'm aware) and they wouldn't merely injure involved parties...

Depends on the definitions here. If spacecraft is more loosely defined, multiple people have been injured by falling debris from spacecraft/satellites.

 

[cara susanna]

So far, the proposed solution to the clinic requiring opening several heavy doors to open is essentially to functionally lock me in the clinic at the beginning of my TOD and let me out at the end (the clinic has no bathrooms internal to it).

I would absolutely not be okay with that. Due to medical issues, though, I have to run to the bathroom very frequently.

 

[Psychologist1234]

So now that it’s the start of the new fiscal year, any new updates/leaks/rumors regarding the VA reorg plans? 👀

 

[cara susanna]

I heard that our VISN is still thought to be overstaffed and we'll have to lose some newer hires. Which just boggles my mind, because our clinic is running on fumes.

 

[WisNeuro]

I heard that our VISN is still thought to be overstaffed and we'll have to lose some newer hires. Which just boggles my mind, because our clinic is running on fumes.

Because this sounds better when Leavitt delivers her daily gaslight briefing. Most of teh rubes watching don't really care what is actually happening on the ground. Same way the VA secretary said "no one is delivering care from a cubicle" farm when my friends and dozens of other providers here were doing exactly that, among countless others across the country. Not much you can do for a base that is willfully lied to with easily verifiable facts, but they still don't care.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I heard that our VISN is still thought to be overstaffed and we'll have to lose some newer hires. Which just boggles my mind, because our clinic is running on fumes.

Are there still a bunch of layers in the VA of mostly useless middle management? THAT is where they need to cut, NOT direct service staff.

 

[Psychologist1234]

Hey, some of us have dreams to eventually become that useless middle management.

Are there still a bunch of layers in the VA of mostly useless middle management? THAT is where they need to cut, NOT direct service staff.

 

[Sanman]

Hey, some of us have dreams to eventually become that useless middle management.

Why? Do you enjoy herding cats?

 

[Psychologist1234]

I was mostly joking.

Why? Do you enjoy herding cats?

 

[Sanman]

I was mostly joking.

Don't joke about such things. As someone that used to be middle management, we need young optimistic  suckers future leaders to replace us.

It is good practice for owning a group practice in the future though.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Front page of WaPo today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/inve...laims-fraud/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f001

From the article:

The investigation exposed an increasingly costly disability program prone to rampant exaggeration and fraud, which make it harder for veterans with legitimate claims to get their benefits processed. Bipartisan political indifference and a weak array of checks and balances have compounded the dysfunction.

Veterans’ advocates, for-profit companies and VA itself encourage vets to file as many claims as possible to milk the system. The documents and data obtained by The Post spotlighted other obvious signs of waste and abuse, as well as an internal awareness and tolerance of such problems.

 

[cara susanna]

Front page of WaPo today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/inve...laims-fraud/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f001

From the article:

Whoa, is it starting?

 

[WisNeuro]

Whoa, is it starting?

After they start getting angry calls/messages from Vets, the investigation into this will end pretty quickly in congress. There is zero political will to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse if it involves their own base.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Whoa, is it starting?

Based on the press secretary's overzealous response, I don't know that I'd bet on it. Although this was something Hegseth talked about, so who knows.

 

[cara susanna]

Based on the press secretary's overzealous response, I don't know that I'd bet on it. Although this was something Hegseth talked about, so who knows.

Yeah, I had the same thought after I saw it. Lol at them calling WaPo "liberal" (it used to be, maybe)

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Yeah, I had the same thought after I saw it. Lol at them calling WaPo "liberal" (it used to be, maybe)

My personal take: anything that provides any sort of opposing and/or critical opinion is liberal, fake news, or both.

 

[PsynofTimes]

Does anyone have a non paywalled version of that article?

 

[cara susanna]

Oof, this article is making the rounds on social media and people are not happy.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Oof, this article is making the rounds on social media and people are not happy.

Not happy in what respect?

 

[cara susanna]

Not happy in what respect?

The claims the article makes. They are saying that it's cherry picking and making disability fraud sound like way of a problem than it actually is.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

The claims the article makes. They are saying that it's cherry picking and making disability fraud sound like way of a problem than it actually is.

I certainly don't want to overstate the problem, but I'm guessing none of these people have ever worked or trained in the VA...

 

[WisNeuro]

I certainly don't want to overstate the problem, but I'm guessing none of these people have ever worked or trained in the VA...

Oh yeah, if anything, this article drastically understates the scope of the problem and the extent of WFA. We only ever saw the most extreme cases even investigated, like maybe the worst 5% only.

 

[docloufan]

The claims the article makes. They are saying that it's cherry picking and making disability fraud sound like way of a problem than it actually is.

I mean, there is no doubt that its abused. Literally, no doubt.

It's also probably very confusing to most people outside the systems, right? If you are collecting a "80-100% disability" income from the VA but also working full-time, most lay people are not going to understand that. And understandably so.

"VA disability" is literally an entitlement program for anyone that ever served. Some will think this is "right and just"... or whatever. Personally, I think it's a bunch of crap.

 

[Sanman]

Oh yeah, if anything, this article drastically understates the scope of the problem and the extent of WFA. We only ever saw the most extreme cases even investigated, like maybe the worst 5% only.

Nah, how could they be understating the problem with the high quality rates paid by loyal source, etc to complete disability evaluations. Who could turn down those wonderful flat rates?