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

[futureapppsy2]

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So, I resigned and filed an EEOC complaint after they gave me no path to accessibility for at least a year, possibly longer. Hope I did the right thing.

 

[psy.d. 2021]

So, I resigned and filed an EEOC complaint after they gave me no path to accessibility for at least a year, possibly longer. Hope I did the right thing.

I think you gave them more time than some myself included would have to show some humanity.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

So, I resigned and filed an EEOC complaint after they gave me no path to accessibility for at least a year, possibly longer. Hope I did the right thing.

It’s very much the right thing to do.

 

[AsOneDoes]

Anyone else struggling to decide between TOA and monetary award for performance bonus? Comparing what each is "worth" shows monetary is better...but since losing telework, I feel like I need more days off...

 

[Sanman]

Anyone else struggling to decide between TOA and monetary award for performance bonus? Comparing what each is "worth" shows monetary is better...but since losing telework, I feel like I need more days off...

Worth is relative. A day off is worth more to someone early career with young kids than someone more senior with a ton of use or lose and no young kids at home.

 

[AsOneDoes]

Worth is relative. A day off is worth more to someone early career with young kids than someone more senior with a ton of use or lose and no young kids at home.

I dream of a day where I have use or lose...I only recently started accruing 6 hours AL per pay period

 

[WisNeuro]

what's the monetary award up to these days?

 

[AsOneDoes]

They have flat amounts across the whole VA system. For GA-13 with outstanding rating, options are 40 hours leave or $3,100.

 

[cara susanna]

Anyone else struggling to decide between TOA and monetary award for performance bonus? Comparing what each is "worth" shows monetary is better...but since losing telework, I feel like I need more days off...

Whoa, you got above fully satisfactory? How did you do it?

 

[Sanman]

what's the monetary award up to these days?

They have flat amounts across the whole VA system. For GA-13 with outstanding rating, options are 40 hours leave or $3,100.

Here is the fun part. I am hearing that regional HR will be reviewing high ratings. If the rating is subsequently changed, you owe the award back including the taxes they took out before you received the award. So, you could end up owing more to the government than you got if they change the rating.

 

[WisNeuro]

Here is the fun part. I am hearing that regional HR will be reviewing high ratings. If the rating is subsequently changed, you owe the award back including the taxes they took out before you received the award. So, you could end up owing more to the government than you got if they change the rating.

There's the VA I know! Everyone line up for your annual slap in the face. Make sure you say "Thank you sir, may I have another!," afterwards.

 

[AsOneDoes]

Whoa, you got above fully satisfactory? How did you do it?

I think my very thorough self-eval helped. I heard a lot got bounced back for modification in rating, but mine didn't.

 

[PsynofTimes]

any thoughts on the reorg email today? Are they getting rid of our supervisors?

 

[Sanman]

any thoughts on the reorg email today? Are they getting rid of our supervisors?

It said a lot of nothing and I don't believe what they say anyway, so more wait and see until details leak out.

 

[cara susanna]

Someone leaked it on Reddit. Looks like we'll be down to 5 VISNs

 

[Sanman]

Someone leaked it on Reddit. Looks like we'll be down to 5 VISNs

I imagine there will be a lot of redundancies of we are going from 18 VISNs to 5. Another year of confusion.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

There's the VA I know! Everyone line up for your annual slap in the face. Make sure you say "Thank you sir, may I have another!," afterwards.

VA was never in a hurry to correct payroll errors that favored employees, but I've never seen a government organization move more quickly than VA when it has to claw back money it overpaid its employees.

 

[WisNeuro]

VA was never in a hurry to correct payroll errors that favored employees, but I've never seen a government organization move more quickly than VA when it has to claw back money it overpaid its employees.

Yeah, an administrative error led me to not get paid for several months on postdoc. Had to go down and literally sit in HR to talk to someone as my e-mails all went unanswered.

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

I used to call it 'laying siege' to HR (or Payroll). Physically camp out / visit their offices to force contact.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Yeah, an administrative error led me to not get paid for several months on postdoc. Had to go down and literally sit in HR to talk to someone as my e-mails all went unanswered.

Yep, I fortunately didn't run into a mistake like that, but I think it was when I went to get the paperwork needed to transfer from fellowship to VA employment, I went to the HR office and sat there until the worker handed it to me.

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

Yeah, an administrative error led me to not get paid for several months on postdoc. Had to go down and literally sit in HR to talk to someone as my e-mails all went unanswered.

I had the same exact thing happen. I wonder if it's the same place, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised if it wasn't.

 

[cara susanna]

Same here! I kept joking that I was Milton from Office Space.

 

[cara susanna]

Welp, we lost all of our unfilled therapist positions.

 

[WisNeuro]

Welp, we lost all of our unfilled therapist positions.

I was told, by very reliable people in the current administration, that those positions weren't necessary and would not impact patient care in any way whatsoever. Also, we've always been at war with Eurasia.

 

[oliversacks4thewin]

I was told, by very reliable people in the current administration, that those positions weren't necessary and would not impact patient care in any way whatsoever. Also, we've always been at war with Eurasia.

I, for one, agree with my esteemed comrade. 2+2 has always been 5.

 

[Sanman]

Welp, we lost all of our unfilled therapist positions.

Won't impact care at all compared to right this minute. Nevermind, someone may have just left the position.

Just had a nurse position pulled in my program that was previously approved. The slow march toward killing the VA has begun.

 

[Shiori]

I am definitely job hunting while on leave. Private practice is still the goal, but I'm checking out the market again. I could probably take a $20,000 salary hit just for the commute alone and come out ahead depending on how I value my time. 10 hours a week plus gas and maintenance add up quickly not counting pure quality of life.

I haven't checked in to see if we're losing our open positions, but we're already down a few full-time providers. I don't know how it would be sustainable to lose those positions. I suppose that's the point.

 

[PsynofTimes]

Won't impact care at all compared to right this minute. Nevermind, someone may have just left the position.

Just had a nurse position pulled in my program that was previously approved. The slow march toward killing the VA has begun.

The VA has been in the sights for so long I never thought anyone would actually be able to kill it. But this time I think they will succeed.

I also think that once they have the corpse they will have no idea what to do with it.

 

[WisNeuro]

 

[Sanman]

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

The current administration want people to keep focusing on the deck chairs that got moved, and ignore that the ship is already sinking. The current administration already blew a hole in the side of the VA system, so it’s now about when it goes down.

 

[PsynofTimes]

The current administration want people to keep focusing on the deck chairs that got moved, and ignore that the ship is already sinking. The current administration already blew a hole in the side of the VA system, so it’s now about when it goes down.

Other than VA employees and some astute Veterans, I do not think people are noticing the ship sinking. I am wondering what we will see as a society when it does go down, given that there is this huge assumption that Veterans are going to be able to get quality care in the community that is, in my opinion, quite unfounded. Especially for what the new VA health insurance program will pay.

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

Other than VA employees and some astute Veterans, I do not think people are noticing the ship sinking. I am wondering what we will see as a society when it does go down, given that there is this huge assumption that Veterans are going to be able to get quality care in the community that is, in my opinion, quite unfounded. Especially for what the new VA health insurance program will pay.

It's...going to be interesting, to say the least.