Welcome to Disability Rights Advocates
Troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), not to mention veterans from previous wars, are being inexcusably deprived by the Veterans Administration (VA) of essential medical treatment and disability benefits to which they are entitled. Currently, there are no comprehensive mental health evaluations, a failure to diagnose or to provide follow-up care for soldiers who are at risk, a crushing backlog of applications for disability benefits, and deliberate misclassification of those who have suffered PTSD, all in a misguided attempt to save money by depriving wounded soldiers of essential benefits and medical treatment. There is also a drastic shortage of treatment facilities. Of the 1,400 VA hospitals and clinics, only 27 house in-patient PTSD programs, and of these, just two (2) serve women exclusively. The situation is even worse for returning female soldiers (who are also often victims of sexual violence from their own comrades) and for Army Reserve and National Guard returning servicemen (who frequently do not receive a mental health evaluation (if ever) until over six months after they return from duty). DRA has partnered with a major law firm to sue the Veterans Administration in an effort to bring much-needed relief to our veterans. While not all disabilities are covered by the lawsuit, the changes sought on behalf of veterans with PTSD will ultimately benefit all veterans.
