Mental health assessments are evaluations conducted by mental health professionals to capture the evidence needed by the Department of Veterans Affairs in support of your VA mental health disability claim. This evidence includes symptoms, examples of impact, appropriate diagnoses, and a recommendation for your rating level. Rating levels go from 0% to 100% and correspond with services and compensation from the VA so it is very important that receive the rating you deserve.
There are two kinds of mental health assessments: a disability benefits questionnaire or an independent medical opinion. If you’re having a brief evaluation, that means you already have a service-connected diagnosis and your psychologist will perform the assessment to understand how you are currently being impacted. With this understanding, your psychologist may recommend an adjustment to your rating. This could mean an increase or no change to your rating depending on the assessment. Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) can be used for these assessments, and they take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete.
If you’re having an in depth evaluation, that means you don’t currently have a service-connected mental health diagnosis or need more evidence to support your claim. Your psychologist will conduct a more in-depth evaluation that can last twice as long as long as a brief evaluation. This evaluations may recommend service-connection of your diagnosis, if appropriate, and recommend a rating level.
If you’re having a brief assessment to review a rating for an existing service-connected disability, then the VA will use the assessment to determine if your rating level should be adjusted. Ultimately, your provider will make a recommendation for a rating level and it is the VA’s decision as to what that final rating level should be. The VA will use this evaluation to make a determination.
If you don’t currently have a service-connected mental health disability, your provider will conduct an in depth assessment. This evaluation delivers an independent medical opinion to recommend service connection. It also identifies your current impairment levels. Once received, the VA will use this assessment to decide whether your mental health condition is service-connected and what your rating level should be.
Our experienced psychologists provide independent medical opinions and compassionate mental health evaluations to veterans. We provide critical evidence to support their VA mental health disability claims. We offer a safe and comfortable space for veterans. This allows them to share their unique stories while we capture the evidence needed by the VA. Many of our clients have had a challenging time in their claims process. It’s important to us that our veterans feel heard, understood, and cared for.
We do this because many veterans are underrated. Either due to an ineffective evaluation when they were first exiting the military or due to the veteran not feeling comfortable seeking help while they were in service. I was in intelligence and for many years believed that going to a psychologist would negatively impact my security clearance.
Did you have a mental health assessment when you were first exiting the military? Are you concerned about that assessment or your rating level? If you answered yes, then having another assessment could make sense for you. Did you never file a mental health claim? Yet you have experienced mental health-related symptoms during or after service. An assessment could be right for you. Sign up for a free consultation to learn more.
