PTSD Care Demand Taxing System - US
- Thread starter Hot Lips
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Something else came to my eye earlier this week re: PTSD....
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/28/trauma-military.html
Personality tests for traumatized troops called unnecessary
CBC News Online, 28 Jun 2006, 14:29:38 EDT
''Medical staff at Canadian Forces trauma centres are speaking out about controversial new personality tests for soldiers looking for help for stress-related injuries, CBC News has learned.
Under the directive, every Canadian Forces member who seeks treatment for a stress disorder will have to undergo a personality test.
While such tests can be used to screen for psychological disorders, some medical professionals are convinced the military is using them to try to screen out malingerers — a psychiatric term for people who fake their symptoms to get out of working.
Maj. Rakesh Jetly, a psychiatrist in charge of the Canadian Forces trauma centre in Halifax, said the order has divided medical professionals.
"The one camp believes what we're doing is clinical work, just like everybody else in this hospital," said Jetly.
"Another camp is more concerned ... with a forensic or an independent medical exam, insurance-company approach to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. I'm not afraid to say I'm part of the first camp."
Military defends tests
Col. Randy Boddam, the director of mental health services for the Canadian Forces, says the tests are not being used to screen out liars.
"From my perspective, malingering is really not an issue," he said. "It's not something that we really pay attention to because our goal is to provide health care."
The tests allow us to understand what the military is doing right and what it needs to do better, he said.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who also works at the military trauma centre in Halifax, says he and his colleagues have no choice.
"So we're going to try to live with this," he said. "But at the same time, there's no way we're going to sit around and say we agree with it."
Claims at all-time high
The order comes as disability pensions for military members with stress-related injuries has reached an all-time high. There are more than 8,000 claims, a total that's five times higher than it was in 2001, said CBC News.
Joe Sharpe, a retired general who advises the military ombudsman on post-traumatic stress disorder, says soldiers will fear for their jobs if the results remain on their medical file.
"The level of stigma increases and as the level of stigma increases, the number of people coming forward to get help in time to get help decreases," he said.
There is already a support network of about 2,000 soldiers looking for help for psychological injuries. The 30 groups that make up the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program meet in secret locations across the country.
Members said they can't risk being seen together in public because the stigma within the military against psychological injuries is still too great.''
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/28/trauma-military.html
Personality tests for traumatized troops called unnecessary
CBC News Online, 28 Jun 2006, 14:29:38 EDT
''Medical staff at Canadian Forces trauma centres are speaking out about controversial new personality tests for soldiers looking for help for stress-related injuries, CBC News has learned.
Under the directive, every Canadian Forces member who seeks treatment for a stress disorder will have to undergo a personality test.
While such tests can be used to screen for psychological disorders, some medical professionals are convinced the military is using them to try to screen out malingerers — a psychiatric term for people who fake their symptoms to get out of working.
Maj. Rakesh Jetly, a psychiatrist in charge of the Canadian Forces trauma centre in Halifax, said the order has divided medical professionals.
"The one camp believes what we're doing is clinical work, just like everybody else in this hospital," said Jetly.
"Another camp is more concerned ... with a forensic or an independent medical exam, insurance-company approach to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. I'm not afraid to say I'm part of the first camp."
Military defends tests
Col. Randy Boddam, the director of mental health services for the Canadian Forces, says the tests are not being used to screen out liars.
"From my perspective, malingering is really not an issue," he said. "It's not something that we really pay attention to because our goal is to provide health care."
The tests allow us to understand what the military is doing right and what it needs to do better, he said.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who also works at the military trauma centre in Halifax, says he and his colleagues have no choice.
"So we're going to try to live with this," he said. "But at the same time, there's no way we're going to sit around and say we agree with it."
Claims at all-time high
The order comes as disability pensions for military members with stress-related injuries has reached an all-time high. There are more than 8,000 claims, a total that's five times higher than it was in 2001, said CBC News.
Joe Sharpe, a retired general who advises the military ombudsman on post-traumatic stress disorder, says soldiers will fear for their jobs if the results remain on their medical file.
"The level of stigma increases and as the level of stigma increases, the number of people coming forward to get help in time to get help decreases," he said.
There is already a support network of about 2,000 soldiers looking for help for psychological injuries. The 30 groups that make up the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program meet in secret locations across the country.
Members said they can't risk being seen together in public because the stigma within the military against psychological injuries is still too great.''
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Very interesting article, I am not surprised to find the Chief PSYc Doc Jetly in the first camp. He has been all along building a little kingdom down in Halifax to further his own agenda. He is the worst PTSD doc I have ever met. He is directly responsible for firing the CFs (IMHO) best PTSD Doc at Halifax and from my experience best I have ever met. She sued him and the CF and won a very large claim. Good on her sad we lost such a good doctor. For anyone who has the unfortunate time to meet Jetly my advise is find another doctor. I know strong words.....but my personal observation of him for 2 years, what he did to my doctor and how he treated the real casualties is unacceptable. He is directly to blame for many false cases. He over ruled Doc M on many cases that she detailed as non PTSD Phyc cases, still in need of help but that the impairment had nothing to do with the force. I will end with the quote direct from Jetlys mouth that will set the tone of this guy.
"I was in Rwanda, I don't have a problem, whats wrong with all these people their just weak" and that from a guy who keeps pushing these people through the system, you have to wonder why? Kingdon Building!
"I was in Rwanda, I don't have a problem, whats wrong with all these people their just weak" and that from a guy who keeps pushing these people through the system, you have to wonder why? Kingdon Building!
