|
I got my TDRL review paperwork back today. They want to drop me from 70%, TDRL to 10% getthefuckout. Should I lawyer up? They give me the option to accept, request a formal hearing, request reconsider with or without a hearing after. Obviously, Request Reconsider with Formal if not? I am straight up freaking out they are coming for my retirement
|
#
¿
Feb 10, 2017 22:23
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 22, 2024 17:47 |
|
|
There are some provided navy counsels in the packet, guess I'll just send one of them an email. Should I be freaking out or are is this just a lowball offer? My VA Rating for the unfitting condition is 70% and no I didn't just magically get better by retiring. It's such a wild review I'm guessing this is just to weed out any vet too lazy to sign and send back within the 15 days. Zero VGS, anybody else on TDRL?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 10, 2017 23:57
|
|
|
I'm fighting the Navy. I'm in CO, but the Naval Hospital I've done my medboards and exams has been San Diego.Yeah, I already went through all my C&P - like I said, the same condition is rated by the VA at 70%. I think the medboard just arbitrarily picks some percentage they feel like it's worth. I just want >50% so I can be retired. I spent my 20's serving in their loving wars and they shitcanned me when they were done with me, like yo I was an E6 at 11 wtf dudes. I hope I just shoot this thing back for a reconsider and I dunno, I'll take any % PDRL they'd give me.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 12, 2017 01:28
|
|
|
I agree. There are 3 handling Sandy Eggo Naval Hospital cases in the little packet at no cost to me, I plan to make calls Monday.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 12, 2017 01:45
|
|
|
Ok, I called the attorney and he told me now I have to request a formal board and maybe fight the Navy in court for my retirement, and that reconsideration by the medboard may or may not get me anywhere, but that my attorney for the formal board is provided by the Navy. Vet Center in my city was only able to recommend some law offices down in Denver
|
|
#
¿
Feb 14, 2017 00:06
|
|
|
Pesticide20 posted:Outside of veterans choice and emergency care I've found that the therapists at vet centers are pretty good I actually use the Vet Center for my weekly headshrinking, and just do psychiatric through my insurance lucky me update to mine: sent back the packet to ask for a reconsider from the PEB. Why not. I gathered from the attorney and the lady who took my paperwork at the TDRL office I'll be going to court (formal PEB) in May or June, should take about six weeks to get a date. Luckily it's during break from class It seems like they go out of their way to say that if you pick the fight over the severance, You'll have to take your rear end to appear at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C. Just imagine some E-3 with no time gets dick cancer and gets tdrl'd and these fucks send this letter to intimidate him out of fighting for his pittance of a retirement. Hell, bad enough some loser schmuck lifer like me gets shitcanned before his 20 is up and this is what they do. Maybe I'm just coloring it this way because I'm angry and feeling betrayed.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 17, 2017 21:40
|
|
|
.
US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 19:43 on Feb 18, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Jul 22, 2021 18:07
|
|
|
.
US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Feb 18, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Jul 25, 2021 02:29
|
|
|
.
US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Feb 18, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Aug 3, 2021 17:11
|
|
|
.
US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Feb 18, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Aug 3, 2021 17:40
|
|
|
.
US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Feb 18, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Aug 3, 2021 20:02
|
|
|
.
US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Feb 18, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Nov 5, 2021 17:07
|
|
|
Is anyone familiar in any way with Compensated Work Therapy (CWT)? I had an appointment with the local VRE folks to try to beg some housing stipend to go back to school this fall, and the counselor wants me to go thru CWT first. They described working part time in housekeeping at the local VA hospital for minimum wage, which makes me feel really down about the decisions I have made in my career life lol
|
|
#
¿
Jun 16, 2023 20:39
|
|
|
Queer Grenadier posted:Yes - but CWT is separate from VR&E. Thanks for the advice. Yes, I applied for Ch 31 VRE benefits and the appointment I mentioned was with a VBA VRC for VR&E. He told me to go through my mental health provider to get referred to CWT and that they (the local VRE folks) would only really help me with an education plan after I had done a deal with CWT. I actually started my community college night school and job hopping saga the past couple of years bc I didn't like my job... in environmental on a hospital campus. I'm a bit hesitant to sign myself up for the same job at a poorer institution for way less money and also have shrinks ask me about it every week. I am struggling to find work I can stick with (a psychosocial barrier to employment stemming from persistent and severe mental illness, if you will), but ultimately this program doesn't seem like a good fit for me. I was trying to avoid burning the very last of my Ch 33 benefits, but I guess I've just reached the end of the money printer.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 17, 2023 01:28
|
|
|
TheWeedNumber posted:check the dms. Queer Grenadier posted:I still recommend connecting with a VSO to discuss your situation in depth. It can be easy to be siloed in programs, but have someone with a fresh set of eyes review and advise you outside of the VA. They can help advocate alongside you. Thank you both for the advice and resources on VRE. I'm signed up for the classes I want for the fall, and with 60 days left til they start I am pretty sure help from VRE is off the table for this semester already. I think my best option right now is to entertain the CWT route since maybe the part time work at the VAMC will be enough money and a flexible enough schedule to get me through for now. If I talk to the CWT folks before class start and it doesn't seem like such a good option, I'm already applying for day jobs and I can drop some classes. I've been working on this degree for a year now in night school without the VA's help, I'm pretty sure I can finish it without their help in the next year-ish or two in the worst case. It's a community college AS degree with trivial cost to attend without regard to my living expenses. The part that upsets me about all of this was the VRC's insistence that I not exhaust my GI Bill since I would need the eligibility to get the good housing stipend from VRE in the future -- lol cough up then! Ultimately he's right on that tho and it's why I've been working on the program for a year without their help, so I could get all the intro stuff done in order to get a full time, in person course load teed up to claim some benefits. I've been avoiding using the last of my Ch33 bc I didn't want to waste it on a half time schedule or an online-only stipend rate and was still hoping to get VRE lined up for these last two terms. Still tho I'm gonna have to get paid somehow, so if CWT takes too long to set up, or it doesn't pay well, or it's just straight up inappropriate for what I've got going on, I'm considering certifying GI Bill as my nuclear option while I've got a full time in person courseload lined up for at least one semester. Queer Grenadier, do you have any more info about CWT? I just don't have a good idea of what to expect because I can find very little info. My guess is it's for unhoused or substance abuse disordered people who have just been flat out of the work market for too long to really put together a resume and need a hard reset. I'm not trying to live in a halfway house, nor am I interested in a makework program but I think my current understanding of CWT is colored by my being cranky about not getting what I wanted from VRE. That said, I do struggle with work life because of my disabilities and maybe CWT would be good for me in terms of rehabbing me vocationally. But maybe also the VRC is just ducking my case. If I try to parley with VRE again in the future I will do so a little better equipped on the process and 100% will go through a VSO on my next try. Real talk though, I think I'm done with the VRE people as far as this project goes regardless of whether I get into CWT or use GI Bill.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 17, 2023 21:00
|
|
|
Queer Grenadier posted:Honestly, not much more. But, I will say this. I was limited in my last reply. I was thinking of only the CWT-Transitional Work track at the VA Medical Center. There are also other tracks. I say give it a shot and hear them out, can always not go the CWT route. CWT is separate from VR&E, though. So don't feel you can't pursue VR&E later. Ok, thanks. Yep, this is the same link the VRC sent me. I'll just have to see what the CWT people at the local VAMC have to say. TheWeedNumber posted:they WANT YOU to be tired of their poo poo. and buddy I am I tried to get VRE back in 2015 when I started at Cattle State Research University studying geology. The counselor told me they didn't really recommend university attendance for me, so I said thanks for your time and used my GI Bill to get that degree. Then, I had a VRE claim about 2 years ago. As I mentioned, I didn't like my job pouring biopsy tissues pickled in methylated spirits from little drums into big drums, so I came up with a plan to get a vocational certificate in GIS from the local public university CE program. The VRC approved of it and told me I was good to go, so I resigned from my job. Then the university postponed class starts for two weeks, and then on the day classes were supposed to start... whoops, we can't certify this. The program, the CE school, they aren't in WEAMS. Would've been nice to know, but I never heard of it and didn't know I had to look that up, so I never did. Hell, they got an extra two weeks where they could have told me! Lol. At this point, obviously, it was way too late to line up a slate of classes there or anywhere else, so I just asked VRE to close my case and set about looking for work. The actual financial fallout was not too bad, but I think I am still kind of reckoning with the damage to my work history, as I've only been able to get hired for a couple of temp contracts in the in the meantime. Luckily the spotty employment I'm getting gives me plenty of time to work on getting myself through a community college program. I have been setting myself up to get a full time in person semester together to get that GI Bill money this fall, but I was already not really relying on VRE to come through for me. I filed this latest VRE claim because the state veterans employment dude told me to when I filed for unemployment at the end of my last temp job. They've never been helpful for me in the past and I didn't really expect them to help me this time. I'm glad y'all are getting good effect on target, but I'm just explaining my history with the Chapter 31 program and why I'm just as happy to move on without their help.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 18, 2023 17:21
|
|
|
LtCol J. Krusinski posted:If you are willing to fight, you can win. Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, I don't want to seem like I'm one of those vets who's super salty about the VA in general. The GI Bill got me an expensive and prestigious undergrad degree, and I love my primary care doc who I actually see at the VA as a preference over whatever I would get through Tricare. I know Ch 31 has been useful for many of the GiP crew and I don't want to put the program down in general terms, so let it suffice to say that I haven't gotten any mileage out of my three claims. I was hoping to get VRE lined up this school year, but also kind of expected it wouldn't shake out and had back up plans before I even put the application in. The machine itself doesn't have any feelings, so I'm trying not to take it personally.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 18, 2023 18:08
|
|
|
maffew buildings posted:Reading this makes me think I should start planning now for 18 months out when I'm applying for voc rehab for medical school, tia Please don't let my experience put you off of it. I've heard lots of voc rehab success stories right here in this subforum.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 18, 2023 19:32
|
|
|
US Berder Patrol posted:Is anyone familiar in any way with Compensated Work Therapy (CWT)? I had an appointment with the local VRE folks to try to beg some housing stipend to go back to school this fall, and the counselor wants me to go thru CWT first. Update: I'm at the end of a program of engaging with some CBT type stuff, and on the agenda for my last appointment this morning was time to ask my counselor for any other referrals I may want to pursue. It seemed like perfect timing to ask about CWT but unfortunately not only did they not know how to refer me for it, they're pretty sure it's on the Benefits side of the VA. Lol edit: Since I have the last post, I'll just edit in Update 2: I have recently been seeing an occupational therapist at the VA who has been talking to me about memory, organization, and attention stuff, all of which I struggle with as a mentally ill weirdo. Since they are an occupational therapist who works in "Occupational Health" at my local VA, I thought they would be a good person to ask for the CWT refer. They don't know, either. Starting to think the VRE people have me outfoxed, here. US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Jun 24, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2023 01:18
|
|
|
TheWeedNumber posted:how did i miss this? I sent my Primary Care doc a message to ask about the CWT, and I think 3 different providers is enough asking from my end. If the doctor doesn't know, then I'm done pulling on the CWT string. Based on what I heard from the last guy I asked, CWT is something you get set up with on the way out of a rehab or hospitalization or homelessness intervention type of situation, and not something an intermittently depressed guy asks his doctor for. My best guess is that VR&E knew that this was going to be a snipe hunt for me and sent me chasing this as a way to get my case off their desk without officially denying my claim (which maybe they are not allowed to do). I can only speculate at their reasoning, but what I know is that they're not trying to help me. I don't have any kind of plan from them, next steps if the CWT doesn't work out, they didn't even offer me a point of contact at CWT, etc. I scheduled a call with the VRE office to ask for documents and the person who called me (not my VRC) told me to FOIA req the information from them lol. I appreciate your offering to help, but this isn't going to be productive. edit: I also think it's possible the VRC was making a decision that they believed in good faith was the best way to help me and so I want to make an earnest effort to at least get in touch with the CWT folks and see what they have to say even if this isn't as fun of a way to gripe edit2: but even in the charitable interpretation the VRC is still trying to get rid of me lol US Berder Patrol fucked around with this message at 06:20 on Jun 27, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Jun 26, 2023 18:00
|
|
|
TheWeedNumber posted:are you asking me to stand down on the CWT front or the VR&E front homie? I respect your decision either way but I will always encourage you to fight VR&E. The other program, ehhh idk enough about it to feel one way or the other about it. Well, you can stand down on the CWT thing. You need a VA doctor's note to get you in. The Occupational Health guy found out and got back to me and in fact got in touch with my PC doc for me. Our VA has the following flavors of CWT: Transitional work experience, supported employment, and homeless veterans supported employment. They sent me a screening questionnaire (are you homeless, are you on drugs) and I guess I'll hear back from the CWT people soon. I don't know what to think about the program just yet in the absence of actual evidence, but my gut feeling is still that this isn't for me. I can update if it actually interests you or anyone else. On the VR&E thing, they sent me a decision letter, quote:Based on a review of these laws and regulations, I have decided that I must discontinue further action on your VR&E claim... I don't know what "discontinue" means in official terms, so I'm not sure if I would have to have them close the claim and make a new one, what. I'd say I have to follow the CWT thing to some conclusion first and I guess contact the VRC back afterwards. The problem for me there is I don't want to do business with this VRC whose immediate plan from our very first meeting was to shuffle my case off to somewhere else. I think if the CWT doesn't work out, I will just continue to pursue night school classes after work at whatever job I can get. Likewise, if CWT's "transitional work experience" or "supported employment" does seem like a useful option, then I'll continue my night school classes while I do that. It was good timing for me to try for the VR&E and a fulltime class schedule because I got laid off from my last job a few months ago and I'm not working now anyway, but I can make do without them. It's a cheap community college, and I don't need the tuition paid for me. gently caress VRE if they don't want to help. They have hosed me bad in the past and are giving me obstacles to my goals now. I reserve the right to talk mad poo poo about them and their work for the rest of my service-connected disabled life lol
|
|
#
¿
Jun 29, 2023 19:24
|
|
|
Yeah, it's the same letter format, and it has a bunch of appeal options listed at the bottom. I looked up what they cited and basically they don't expect that I will comply with their plans (38 U.S.C. p 3111 and 38 CFR p 21.364). I have a bachelor's in geology from a top name school in the field so I'm good on the ivy league, and I'm trying to add a vocational type paper (either a certificate or an associate's degree) in electronics. I think my undergrad + vocational degree will get me a better job than either could get me alone. I can finish a "Basic Electronics" certificate with literally just one more class from here, but I thought it would be worth it to chase the full associate's if VRE would help me live while I go to school fulltime for two more semesters. Obv my BA put me in good position for that by clearing the physics and calculus reqs. Going in I thought this was probably a pretty reasonable ask from the VR&E folks, and I'm not really sure I have the patience or the temper to wrestle with them over it.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 29, 2023 20:45
|
|
|
TheWeedNumber posted:those are the regs for people who have been shitbags in the program. You have literally done nothing wrong. As I thought, it was a chickenshit denial reason and goes against this poo poo. Yeah, I figure the basic electronics vocational certificate will do what I need for my resume, really. There's I think 4 more electronics courses beyond that and a couple of other for like technical drawings and a freshman intro to engineering to finish the associates, but I can just grind on those onesie twosie for an extra year if I really have to. If I have time I'll drop a new VRE claim later in the year just to break their balls, but in all honesty I imagine I'll be back to work well before they could help me at this point if they actually wanted to. I'm gonna keep my remaining one month of GI Bill banked for a rainy day. I'll keep you posted on what happens with the CWT thing. Thanks for the support amigo
|
|
#
¿
Jun 30, 2023 18:29
|
|
|
CWT update: So, they got in touch this morning. Basically, they offer a couple of different programs that find jobs for vets with severe disabilities, focused on those struggling with addiction and "persistent severe mental illness" that usually goes hand in hand with a Transitional Residence program. I was told it's for people who are not used to routines of showing up to work, can't really interview, relearning to groom themselves, etc. There's weekly routine + random drug testing and a requirement to be engaged with their mental health treatment program. I felt like all this was a bit intense for my needs, and the LCSW interviewing me seemed to agree. The flavor that seemed like the best fit for me (or at least came the closest to supporting my plan) was the "Transitional Work" program, which was the one where you work in Housekeeping, Foodservice or Volunteer Management (pushing wheelchairs) at the VAMC for a tax free stipend that averages around 13 dollars in hour. I don't know what kind of visibility they had on my VR&E claim but they were aware I had one. They thought it was still open and seemed a bit confused about the disposition of it and uh to be honest I didn't really know how to explain it myself. They discontinued my claim but they said I was technically found eligible, only that I had to go through you, first? Lol Anyway, they would be cool with me doing CWT-TW for no more than one year and I can leave anytime if I find some other job or get Ch 31 running or whatever.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 4, 2023 06:52
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 22, 2024 17:47 |
|
|
SMEGMA_MAIL posted:Has anyone been able to ever use VR&E? I was told about it and it seem great on paper, but the last time I tried to use it for classes 8 months ago they have been "still processing" as it's now been two months after the classes I was hoping would be covered by it would have started. Lots of success stories, esp for gip goons seeking grad school. I hear they'll pay for all sorts of stuff and sometimes maybe even after the fact if you make your case just right. I do know that the common wisdom is to never burn that last shred of GI Bill eligibility so you can keep that VRE in your back pocket. Otoh it was completely useless for me through multiple offices and multiple counselors to study what I thought were pretty straightforwardly vocational STEM programs. Once, I made a plan with a counselor to study GIS poo poo, quit my job, and then learned the first day of class that there had been an oversight regarding the eligibility of the courses for VA certification leaving me to figure out the whole work and rent thing from the day 1 drawing board at 9:30 am that monday morning lmao ymmv I guess
|
|
#
¿
Feb 1, 2024 05:29
|
|