Mental Status Evaluation Report

31 y/o AA male patient seen today for psychiatric-mental health assessment. He is awake, alert and oriented x4. He is calm, cooperative and follows commands during assessment. The patient reports he is depressed, difficulty sleeping and nightmares at night. The patient explained his depression is as a result of deep thinking from a news he received two days ago from his elder brother that his mother is ill. Stressors identified by the patient include losing his job a week ago before the news about his mother; his wife is 6-months pregnant with their first child, who currently works part-time at her present job; patient relates difficulty paying monthly bills and inability to provide adequately for his family as a man. The patient denies mood swings, suicidal/homicidal thoughts and ideation. Patient reports his spouse is at work at the moment and he does not want to put stress on his wife due to her current condition. Patient denies been hospitalized for depression or psychiatric illness; and denies family history of mental illness. Patient reports he is seeking help because he does not like feeling this way using terms of “helpless and loss of worth from his spouse”. Patient reports he needs help with his depression and nightmares before his current condition get out of hands and ruined his marriage.

One of the best examples of the success Veteran’s Treatment Courts can provide is that of Nick Stefanovic. In 2002, Nick Stefanovic joined the Marine Corps. He served one tour in Iraq, and two in Afghanistan. When he returned home in 2006, he started experiencing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress

This case was last before the court on 1/4/2017 for a report to the court. The hearing was rescheduled until 2/6/2017, as all the attorneys were not present. At that time, temporary custody of Issac Johnson remained with the Department. The case was continued until 2/6/2017 for a status report.

The veteran reported that the year prior to his referral to VHN he resided in multiple VA run inpatient treatment centers and a homeless shelter in Newark, NJ. The veteran reported that he first resided at the “Dom” (VA), where he was asked to leave after he got “drunk and told the staff off.” He then went to a homeless shelter in Newark NJ that he described as a “shit hole.” He reported having to be out from 6am-4pm and all he did was walk the streets. He was offered drugs and crack again for the first time since 1995. The veteran accepted into 12B (VA inpatient psychiatric) and was referred to SHEILDS from 12B.

To the millions of veterans that have served this country by leaving behind their world as they once knew it, thank you. Entering the world of a soldier comes with a culture of warriors who are taught and trained to be ready to kill, but also ready to save, heal, and comfort (Hansen). Sergeant Hansen served in the United States Marine Corps for nine years and was deployed three times, once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. He was honorably discharged in April of 2014, however like many other veterans, his military experience has impacted his new civilian life due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. It is paramount that a proper system concerning military veterans of the United States is established for the process of re-acclimating soldiers back to a civilian lifestyle. Within the current system and process that is being used, veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are discharged without the support and guidance they need to efficiently return to the civilian world.

“An Iraq veteran with a history of addiction was found dead on the floor of his room in a VA, he was given a 30 day supply of ant-anxiety medication and a 15 day supply of methadone (Glantz, A, 2014).” “A veteran shot himself in the head in a VA psych ward in Minnesota and a delusional veteran jumped off the roof of a Portland (Glantz, 2014).” Glantz (2014) reported that while in a locked psychiatric unit a veteran had overdosed on morphine. A 31-year-old Iraq veteran that was denied a PTSD rating shot himself, leaving three kids and a wife, “three months after his death the VA reversed itself, saying it was clearly and unmistakably in error (Glantz, 2014).” “Independent legal analysts say the nearly 1000 wrongful death payments in the decade after 9/11 represent a small percentage of the veterans who died because of malpractice by the Department of Veterans Affairs (Glantz, 2014).” Glantz (2014) reported that unlike in

Myra, interestingly enough the Veterans Health Administration does not deal directly with any benefits processing. The Veterans Benefits Administration is a separate “organization” within the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, as our text points out, the interconnectedness between related organizations is extremely important to remember (Nassar, 2007). One issue we deal with quite frequently is the veterans misperception that by being admitted to acute psychiatry helps speed up the benefits process. Malingering, or the exaggerating of symptoms for secondary gain, is a clear issue in psychiatry (Richte, 2014). Unfortunately, our current benefits system sometimes makes it difficult to determine the severity of symptoms. For instance, a

Client has had one year of mental health treatment while he was being treated in the VA rehab hospital for his injuries. He did not have a diagnosis of PTSD during this mental health treatment.

Military mental health providers hold dual roles as clinicians and commissioned officers. While they are bound by the ethical code and professional guidelines of their profession, they are also held to the standard of Department of Defense (DoD) statutes and regulations. They are expected to provide competent clinical care but also enforce military boundaries and discipline (McCauley, Hacker Hughes, & Liebling-Kalifani, 2008). Likewise, there may be duality in the provider’s obligation, both to the patient/service member and to their higher command. These conflicting relationships and obligations are referred to as mixed agency (Kennedy & Johnson, 2009; Kennedy & Moore, 2008). Ultimately, the provider’s responsibility to the unit’s mission may not always align with the best interests of the patient (McCauley et al., 2008).

A gap in access to mental health benefits dates back to the Vietnam War when tens of thousands of military personnel developed symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after their first tour of duty. According to the Mayo Clinic, “PTSD is a mental health disorder triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event(s).” (Mayo, 2017) In an effort to cope with these symptoms, people would engage in behaviors such as substance abuse, which resulted in a discharge of other than honorable (OTH). In order for a veteran to receive benefits from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), they must have been released or honorably

Veteran has four admission and discharges in CAVHS in her record: June 2012 (3K); August 2012 (3K); March 2014 (SICU); July 2014 (3K). She has also received care from Biloxi and Texas VAMC 's in the past. Veteran served in the US Army between October/2004 to March/2004, with an Entry Level Separation (ELS- Medical) discharge and her highest rank were an E-3. Veteran reported she received an injury while

Moreover, this book describes in detail the requirements to be diagnosed with PTSD, which results in an increase in the Veterans Affairs disability ratings and how much a prior service member would receive. I do not want to take away from any of their experiences but ultimately there just is not enough background information to solidly support or recommend this book from my point of view.

The client is a 26 year old, single, male, African American. He is an active duty ship’s serviceman seaman serving in the United States Navy, aboard the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3). Seaman (SN) Fisher is residing on board the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) that is permanently stationed at San Diego Naval Base, 32nd Street in California. SN Fisher was given orders to report to Navy Mental Health Services Department on base as Involuntary Command Referral for diagnosis and treatments, to get an evaluation and expert psychiatric recommendation about whether the service member is mentally fit to stay in the United States Navy. SN Fisher is unwilling to begin counseling,

In the event that you spoke to the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), the BVA is required to incorporate into its choices an exchange of the realities and law on which the choice is based. You will require a lawyer's assistance to check whether the BVA neglected to legitimately address therapeutic or lay proof that helped your case. Counsel with a VA incapacity lawyer to decide whether this is a reason for bid for your situation (Wadsworth, n.d.).

On April 6th 2014 at Birmingham Southern College my suite mate / residence advisor caught me with a personal amount of marijuana inside of my dorm. This led to my suspension from BSC for only the summer of 2014 with the dean, Ben Newhouse, claiming I was the most respectful student he has dealt disciplinary sanctions upon as I displayed unsurpassed cooperation and honesty throughout the entire process. The board of Birmingham Southern exclaimed how pinnacle my character is as I stand as a prime example for the virtues of the college and welcomed me back to return to school in the following fall. I have received certification for completing a 30-day inpatient rehabilitation program for marijuana use through American Addiction Centers and can