Many of you have been seeking further information about PTSD, including information on disability ratings and the ways in which these ratings might affect your ongoing Reserve / Guard status.  What follows is not complete, by any means, but it is an important first step.  The first portion of the page deals with identifying PTSD and making a service related claim, and the second portion provides the actual percent ratings currently being used by the VA.

While we do not have absolute confirmation at this point--and we encourage you to inquire at the local VA office--our most recent research indicates that psychological disability claims of 30% or higher do make it highly likely that you will be discharged from service. 

If you ARE suffering from PTSD symptoms and wish to seek help, but do not wish to file a medical benefits claim, we highly encourage you to visit the Longwood University counseling center.  All sessions are confidential and free of charge for Longwood students.

Herewith, the information we've found:

I am an American Veteran. Who do I contact for help with PTSD?

You can contact your local VA Hospital or Veterans Center located in your telephone book, or call the VA Health Benefits Service Center toll free at 1-877-222-VETS. In addition to its medical centers, VA also has many CBOCs (Community Based Outpatient Clinics) around each state so you can look for one in your community. You can also use any of the information on treatment for the general public.

For online help, the VA also offers the MyHealtheVet and Seamless Transition websites. Please also see Specialized PTSD Treatment Programs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

As an American Veteran, how do I file a claim for disability due to PTSD?

A formal request ("claim") must be filed by the veteran using forms provided by the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration. After the forms are completely submitted, the veteran must complete interviews concerning her or his "social history" (a review of family, work, and educational experiences before, during, and after military service) and "psychiatric status" (a review of past and current psychological symptoms, and of traumatic experiences during military service). The forms and information about the application process can be obtained from Benefits Officers at any VA Medical Center, Outpatient Clinic, or Regional Office.

The process of applying for a VA disability for PTSD can take several months, and can be both complicated and quite stressful. The Veteran's Service Organizations (VSOs) provide "Service Officers" at no cost to help veterans and family members pursue VA disability claims. Service Officers are familiar with every step in the application and interview process, and can provide both technical guidance and moral support. In addition, some Service Officers particularly specialize in assisting veterans with PTSD disability claims.

Even if a veteran has not been a member of a specific Veterans Service Organization, the veteran still can request the assistance of a Service Officer working for that organization. In order to get representation by a qualified and helpful Service Officer, you can directly contact the local office of any Veterans Service Organization -- or ask for recommendations from other veterans who have applied for VA disability, or from a PTSD specialist at a VA PTSD clinic or a Vet Center.

HOW THE VA EVALUATES LEVELS OF PTSD DISABILITY:

(found at http://www.vva.org/ptsd_levels.html)

Once the VA has awarded service connection for PTSD, it will then review the most current clinical evidence of record to determine how the severity of your symptoms impairs your social and industrial (ability to work) capacity.  The VA has a schedule of rating disabilities, located in title 38 C.F.R., Part 4.  The VA has established “Diagnostic Codes” (DC) for various medical and psychiatric disorders, which include a description of the severity of related symptoms and a corresponding disability percentage (called a “rating” or “evaluation”).  Although there are different DCs for covered psychiatric disorders, the VA evaluates the level of disability due to psychiatric disorders under the same criteria, regardless of the actual diagnosis.  38 C.F.R. §4.130, DC 9411, governs PTSD ratings.  This regulation provides graduated ratings of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% or 100%.  A  0% rating is noncompensable,   This means that you have service-connected PTSD, however, there is little or no impairment as a result.  VA compensation payments begin at 10% and increase at each rating level.

The VA has adopted the criteria established in the DSM-IV as the basis for its psychiatric ratings, including PTSD.  There is also a diagnostic matrix called the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) that is used to determine your level of disability.  The lower the GAF score, the higher the level of social and industrial impairment.  Section 4.130 is reproduced below.  You can share this with your psychiatric provider of care, who can prepare a report or opinion letter for submission to the VA that describes your level of impairment.

Bear in mind that even if the severity of your symptoms do not satisfy the diagnostic criteria for a 100% (or total) evaluation under the rating schedule, if your rating is high enough, another VA regulation (38 C.F.R. § 4.16) allows the VA to pay you at the 100% level if medical evidence demonstrates that your are unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment as the result of your service-connected PTSD.  The technical term for this is a total rating on the basis of individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU or IU). 

38 C.F.R. § 4.130, DC 9411
General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought process or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation occupation, or own name …………………..100%

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships ...................................... 70%

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining Effective work and social relationships ………………..50%
 
Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) ............................ 30%  

Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by continuous medication .................. 10%

A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication .............................. 0% 

To find the current VA disability compensation monthly payment rates, please go to the VA website at www.va.gov.  From the homepage, click on “Compensation”, then on “Rate Tables”.  Additional monthly payments may be available based on the beneficiary’s number of dependents.