help with Social Security disability

Hi everyone,

I have a question for those of you who have dealt with the infernal government in the process of trying to get disability.

I received a letter today stating that they need more information, and would like me to have a mental health examination by one of THEIR doctors. The letter stated that it was very important that I bring a "friend, relative, social worker, case manager" or someone familiar with my case.

I have one friend who knows enough in depth about my mental health to do this, and I don't want to ask her to take off work to do it.

There is no way in hell my shrink has time.

I don't have a social worker or case manager.

My T sees clients at his other office on Thursdays. As he is preparing to leave the state as well, he is down to 2 clients. His first one is at 11 a.m. My appt. is at 10 a.m., fairly far away from my T's other office.

Additionally, my T is a doctoral student, not yet licensed. We don't know if that will matter.

I would like to know if anyone else has been through this, and what they will allow you to do. My T said he could probably do it if they would let him do it by phone, but otherwise I am out of luck. The only relative who knows anything in depth about my mental health is the sister I am moving in with, and the appt. date is the weekend before her annual meeting -- she is exec. dir. of a couple of mental health group homes. There is not a chance in hell she will give up the weekend before her annual meeting, which she needs to prepare for. Not to mention that she's coming in the weekend after that anyway, to move me to her house.

Is there any way out of this requirement? I didn't have time to call them today, as I spent the day screwing around with other Medicaid requirements, and a new home health care nurse/agency.

Will be interested to hear what my options may be.

Thanks.

Candy

I had to go do that one time years ago. I took my hubby but we were not married then. They didn't even have him come in but things may have changed by now. I would ask the friend anyway. it shouldn't take long to do it. maybe an hour at the most. the dr I had to see was on the phone 10 out of the 15 minutes I was there with his broker. go figure

Do you have mental health advocates in the US?
In the Uk, our mental health support teams can extend support in just those type of situations by assigning a support worker specifically for individual support situations. Perhaps you could contact your psychiatrist and enquire further along those lines!
Peace and good will.........
Fox

candybear,
I wish you lots of luck on your case ,I hope you are having better luck then I am.

I know I had to do that but never had anyone come with me. As far as I know (at least how it is here) everyone that is in the mental health system has a caseworker. They aren't always aware of this fact, though. I've known people that have had no clue that they had one or even who it was.

Usually your caseworker would meet with you to review your liability and things like that. You may want to call mental health and see if that is how it's done there. Then if it is, then you do have one.

They don't always tell you who your caseworker is when you begin therapy...unless you've asked or something like that.

I have 3 words for you......Get a lawyer

Getting that letter and having to go through SSI professionals is standard. They don't leave claims for disability strickly up to the persons own professionals. By having reports from both your side and the SSI agency side the deturmination of eligability is more neutral and objective and most times goes through with no problem at all when done this way.

SSI tends to stall deturminations where the client is refusing to do the testing by SSI approved professionals because they do more in dept digging into the persons life trying to find out what that person is trying to hide by not being willing to go through the complete testing proceedures. They have been known for sending their workers out in the field to vidio tape that person placing the claim also for varification when they suspect it is a fraudulant claim. Many of these films have found their way onto the oprah and other talk show networks as a way to prevent fraud on any kind of insurance and state services fraud. They don't do this every time mind you but it does happen. Also with the "baby boomers" coming up on retirement Social security is being much stricter on their requirements.

Basically by sending that letter they are telling you they want more info This could mean that they don't have enough evidence to put your claim through as approved so they are giving you the chance to add more infor to the claim by seeing their professionals. Another reason why they want you to see one of their approved specialists is so that they will have to pay for it. It won't come out of your pocket. Comprehensive psychological evaluations are quite expensive because at least two of the tests given (the MMPI 2 and the other one I can't remember the name of right off hand) are computerized and must be sent out to be scored.

I have gone through many many of these Comprehesive Psychological evaluations. One was in fact to get my SSDI grant that I have now. and this was at least 20 years ago.

You can find the info that is included in the standard evaluation process in my blog under the title how is DID diagnosed. The only difference in a normal eval vs one to diagnose DID is the DDIS, DES and a couple other tests are not given for the standard of diagnosing bipolar, Schizoprenic varieties, narcessitic and so on. The MMPI 2 tests for the top 7 - 13 mental disorders except DID. That is why they use the DDIS, DES and a couple others when the claims are based on having DID.

It isn't manditory that you do this but the fact that they sent you the letter you can safely assume based on what they already have you will most likely be denied. They are giving you this chance to update and add to the info they already have.

When I was given this chance I did it. Someone I knew when she got her letter did not do it. I was approved she was denied and she has paid mega bucks for lawyers and so on and still was denied.

If this was me I would definately do it. it can't hurt your case but it can help it by doing it. by not doing it it can and most likely will hurt your claim.

Candy, SSDI is a national (yes infernal govt.) program. Can't you finish applying after you move?

Definitely respond though. Give more info, stalling for a little time maybe? Don't tell them too much though.

Usually hospitals have social workers that help out with this kind of info/resources...free, I think. You can walk into an ER (if you could) and ask to speak with someone in social services... usually they are glad to help!

I've been through it. I'll tell you how it was for me, but remember, I'm in California!

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would like me to have a mental health examination by one of THEIR doctors.

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Get ready to see a whole slew of THEIR doctors. Also, be ready for them to tell you they don't think you have what you have. Don't worry about it! It's SOP.

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bring a "friend, relative, social worker, case manager" or someone familiar with my case.

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That's just in case you are retarded or don't understand the language. I never took anyone with me. More SOP and more BS.

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My T said he could probably do it if they would let him do it by phone,

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What you really need is for your T to write up a dx and prognosis. Make copies. Make sure they put it in their file, put one in the one you're going to build... from any and all mental health professionals as well as MDs!

Get your records from anyone you have seen in the last three years or since you started care for your Mental Illness!!

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Is there any way out of this requirement?

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Probably, but it wouldn't be to your advantage. Jump through all their hoops, Hun. It's a real pain, but it will be better for you in the end.

NO, you don't need to take your shrink with you, or your sister, or anyone else. Your T's report is more than enough!

Hang tight! You're in for a ride!

I don't remember what I had to do when I got mine...I was 18, and that was 20 years ago. But I do remember one thing...we had to get a lawyer.

So, like Brian said...get a lawyer.

As I understand, Social Security typically turns you down the first time, supposedly to weed out phonies. They turned me down the first time, and I got it the second.

And I also agree with the person who advised you to ask your friend, anyway (sorry, I don't remember who that was, and couldn't find it in a quick browse of the posts). Good luck!

Candy, I am excellent at these forms. I would love to help, it is something I can finally do! I have never lost a case, have had a few appeals but won. Anyway, the lawyer thing is like legal aide, they can also help. I don't know how far you have gotten but the social report and such are very important. P.m. me, I will do all I can.

Good grief........

So, the woman working on my SSDI case finally called me back this afternoon. I told her I had a question about needing to bring someone with me to this appointment. It said in the letter, "Bring someone with you. This is very important."

I was about to launch into an explanation of how this wouldn't be easily doable for me, and she said, "Oh, you don't have to bring anyone. We just put that in there because some people get uncomfortable talking about themselves."

Well, GEEEEEEEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it's not required, why do they make it sound like it is?!!?!?!?!

THEN, she tells me the reason I am having a mental health exam is because Aurora, the biggest hospital system in the state and where I go for my mental health care, won't release my records. BOTH my pdoc and I have signed consent to release forms. And yet SS can't get them out of Aurora. So they are having me see one of their own guys.

So now the question becomes, how much can I "elaborate" to make it sound worse than it is?! LOL It shouldn't take much -- my mental health history is pretty crappy!

I am *SO* *SICK* of dealing with social service agencies!!!!!!!!!



Candy

go get the records yourself hon..it might cost you a little money but can't hurt to get them...get all the records you can for them..they do not try real hard

I was examined by three doctors selected by SSA to determine my disability. They all agreed that I could not work. Still...SSA turned me down. Hiring an attorney was very beneficial. I finally had my disability granted by the Administrative Law judge. GL ~Dottie

Don't worry about making it worse then it is. The doctors that I had to see to get my SSDI actually found problems that I did not know and my treatment professionals didn't know existed. You have a blood desease let them take blood samples that alone will qualify you for you are looking at a life time of doct appoinments and transfusions for anemia that in itself interferes with a persons ability to be at a 40 hour a week job. As for mental problems PTSD and depression are definately recognized disorders and anyone that takes the MMPI 2 at the very least comes up with being borderline personality disordered for psych tests test for disorders not normalcy. LOL Just be yourself and you will do fine. And once their specialists do their reports and sends them on to your treatment teams if you ok that, your treatment team will release your reports just to cover their you know whats about why they didn't find these problems that SSDI testing professionals did. LOL

Like I tell my friends the truth about me is actually stranger then I could ever think to come up with to convince anyone that I have the problems that I do. So instead I let the truth do the job.

Just be yourself and you will come out on top in the SSDI. SSI system.

A few years ago, when I was looking for a new T, I had my records copied. At that time it was 5 years' worth; now it's 8. Getting those records copied cost me nearly $100, and I had a job at the time. 3 more years' worth of records is going to cost me that much more, and I have $80 to my name right now, and no income.

I'll pop into my pdoc's clinic on Monday and see what the deal is.

Candy

Um aren't they YOUR records? I would call Aurora and find out what the problem is...maybe the person who releases the records isn't the one who receives the signed consent forms? (sound dumb, but possible.) This would save you big time in energy ... you tell them to release the records! Grrrrr

Candy, they can't keep YOUR records from you! They're either playing dumb or hard ball! I got all my records FREE.

One thing I should stress is that the Disability doctors are there to SAVE SSDI MONEY if at all possible. MY experience was that they never found anything wrong with me and THEIR test to see if I had a/d was verbally give me a list of three things to remember; door, desk, wall. How could I NOT remember that??

You need to change your mindset from minimizing your illnesses, as you would for a job app, to giving the last little details and elaborating on them to show how it DOES hamper your ability to work.

And hey! I FIRED MY ATTORNEY a week before I went to my hearing! He didn't know his *** from a hole in the ground! My social worker with General Relief had someone IN the welfare office that works with clients to get them on Disability. He and this person is ALL I needed. The reason I was turned down the first time was because this ATTORNEY caused it giving me the wrong advice!

Listen to WiseWoman! She earned her living not to long ago doing these things, ok?

my experience with changing many therapy professionals is that some release to the client a very abrievated file and then relase the comeplete file to treatment professionals, other times the therapy agency and state had a protocal where they did not release any part of the files directly to the client but will to the treatment professionals after release forms are signed and the treatment professionals that recieve the file can disclose or give the client copies of what is inside. other times I have recieved complete files. Other times I did have to pay for photocopying costs. There is usually nothing in the rules and protocalls that the therapy agencies HAVE to give you copies for free. They just have to make the file open to you for you viewing for free and at your request.

Check with your county mental health or local NAMI who will be able to tell you what your areas protocal is for releasing files. get the info in written and signed fom that you can submit to your treatment team you are trying to get the files from. if they still refuse forward the info and their refusal to the civil rights department that oversees mental health issues for your area. if it is protocal for your area that they are supposed to release the files directly to you you will get those files.

Actually, as I recall from some research I did, you can view your files, but if you want copies, you have to pay for them, because the ink and paper cost the facility. Don't take that as fact--as [b]myself[/i] said, look into it yourself, but that's the info I recall from some research I did in the past.

I would think a cert.confidential letter from one of the mentioned. I spoke to my bro,he said he didn't have to have anyone with him, but a letter from his pdoc.
If there are certain procedures and rules, they are for reasons I am sure, and if you want this, I'd suggest go along with the rules/requirements/procedures if it's too much and you do not like the procedures, there is the option do not go on disability, or wait.
Please, I do not mean this to offend, maybe more planning may help if you do need a person present, like give whoever you want to come time to put in for some time off to go with you, they can just tell their place of business they have an appt. they do not have to divulge stuff about you, so give it a try.
Lots of luck with this.