Last month, CREW and Vote Vets "released an e-mail obtained from a Veterans Affairs (VA) employee directing VA staff to refrain from diagnosing soldiers and veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

On March 20, 2008 a VA hospital’s PTSD program coordinator sent the e-mail below to a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist stating that due to an increased number of “compensation seeking veterans,” the staff should “refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out” and they should “R/O [rule out] PTSD” and consider a diagnosis of “Adjustment Disorder” instead.

Congress is now getting involved.

From the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee:

Hearing: Systemic Indifference to Invisible Wounds

June,4,2008

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 9:30am SR-418

Oversight hearing - Systemic Indifference to Invisible Wounds

Click Here to View LIVE Hearing

1-Committee Leadership

• Chairman Daniel K. Akaka

Panel I

• DR. NORMA PEREZ, MENTAL HEALTH INTEGRATION PSYCHOLOGIST, CENTRAL TEXAS VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
• MICHAEL J. KUSSMAN, MD, UNDER SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
• REAR ADMIRAL PATRICK W. DUNNE, USN (RET), ACTING UNDER SECRETARY FOR BENEFITS, VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS