6 replies to this topic

[dsgsr]

I'm VERY depressed, Can't stop crying. ILS is messing with my head. They tell me one thing and suggest something else.





Thanks,

David

[Pete53]

Its not easy I am dealing with them also. Has taken over three years for me but I feel I have made progress. The whole deal rests with your councilor so be careful what you say to them.

Good Luck

[Testvet]

Like Pete says you need a voc rehab rep that is helping you with the ILP program and not throwing up roadblocks for each and everything you want or need I have been lucky in getting my primary care doc writing the proper medical necessary papers for stuff like an orthopedic mattress the power chair that cardiac rehab got for me back in 2003 and other things to improve my quality of life after they decided I was totally disabled and unable to return to any type of work

you need a rep that is helping you

[dsgsr]

My Counselor Is the one messing with my head. One day she will call and say (well how are you doing, I'll say, ok I guess. Then she will say, Well you won't be after I tell you this) Now she has sent me a letter stating that my request has been denied, but talking with her on the phone she says, (If it were me I'd appeal). Well, It can be done or it can't be done. Don't F^^k with me, just tell it like it is. The months that I have been dealing with this Counselor has put me in a very deep depressing. I've even put in a claim for an increase for depressing because of it. This should not be allowed, Why can the VA employees mess with vets. like this. This kind of treatment is what makes vets go postal on others.



Thanks,

David

[USNDW]

They shouldn't be allowed to, but the problem is not many Veterans complain about ILP because no one knows much about it.

I kept everything in writing and if the counselors ever said anything over the phone I thought would be important later, I would write down what the conversation was about, email them with several questions about the topic and get responses that they would have to live with.

I am not even sure most VA VR&E counselors know what ILP is, and exactly how to use it. Most seem to be focused on not providing anything for Veterans regardless of what their needs are. It took me 18 months just to get a plan authorized and that is because they had a second Congressional inquiry concerning the same Veteran and the same program. At that time they went ahead and approved most items I requested, but still to this day, almost 2 years from when I was first told by the VR&E counselor, in the VR&E office that they did not have any ILP program, there is still not one product that they have recommended on their own that wasn't predicated by my requests. I asked for a central Vacuum Pump, they recommended a dustbuster. A dustbuster for a Veteran with 60% right knee, 30% cervical, and 20% lumbar, as well as 10% conditions in both lower & extremeties.

Recently I have had a lot of success with gettings items approved that I found would help me in every day living, and with my specific conditions. The counselor almost has no choice other than to approve, because like testvet, I get a Rx from my doc, or get a referral to Occupation or physical therapy and find they don't have the products I need and cannot order them.

My plan is only built for 6 months rather than the 24 because the crackheads do not know what they are doing, so I will evebtually have to file a BVA appeal and let all the skeletons (emails and letters) out of the closet. For now, I am playing nice, but I don't feel they have had enough attention yet to ensure that no other Veterans who really need their help are turned away at the dorr, or denied all services they ask for.

Get her to put it in writing, a denial with the reason why. I will try to send you some information tomorrow on administrative reviews and the Chapter 9 for administration of the program

[dsgsr]

They shouldn't be allowed to, but the problem is not many Veterans complain about ILP because no one knows much about it.

I kept everything in writing and if the counselors ever said anything over the phone I thought would be important later, I would write down what the conversation was about, email them with several questions about the topic and get responses that they would have to live with.

I am not even sure most VA VR&E counselors know what ILP is, and exactly how to use it. Most seem to be focused on not providing anything for Veterans regardless of what their needs are. It took me 18 months just to get a plan authorized and that is because they had a second Congressional inquiry concerning the same Veteran and the same program. At that time they went ahead and approved most items I requested, but still to this day, almost 2 years from when I was first told by the VR&E counselor, in the VR&E office that they did not have any ILP program, there is still not one product that they have recommended on their own that wasn't predicated by my requests. I asked for a central Vacuum Pump, they recommended a dustbuster. A dustbuster for a Veteran with 60% right knee, 30% cervical, and 20% lumbar, as well as 10% conditions in both lower & extremeties.

Recently I have had a lot of success with gettings items approved that I found would help me in every day living, and with my specific conditions. The counselor almost has no choice other than to approve, because like testvet, I get a Rx from my doc, or get a referral to Occupation or physical therapy and find they don't have the products I need and cannot order them.

My plan is only built for 6 months rather than the 24 because the crackheads do not know what they are doing, so I will evebtually have to file a BVA appeal and let all the skeletons (emails and letters) out of the closet. For now, I am playing nice, but I don't feel they have had enough attention yet to ensure that no other Veterans who really need their help are turned away at the dorr, or denied all services they ask for.

Get her to put it in writing, a denial with the reason why. I will try to send you some information tomorrow on administrative reviews and the Chapter 9 for administration of the program

Thank you for the Info.



David

[ladyHMC]

Does anyone know of any vet that has had any success with Chicago RO in getting any ILP services? I am almost 16 months into ILP and have not gotten my ILP home assessment yet and so no plan written. My VRC sat on my ILP claim for 6 months because she had no idea of what to do with it. (I was her 1st ILP case) Then sheasked me the preliminary ILP questions and then sent my case to a newly created VR&E panel at Chicago RO. The panel of course said that a home assessment needs to be done and reccommened I apply for SAH also.Chicago has no idea how to contract for the assessment or who should do it. The person in charge of VR&E in Chicago has forced Prothestics at Iowa City VA to have a PT do an assessment just for ADLs but of course that is only one small part of ILP. I have had to contact a Central Washington ILP specialist several times to get Chicago to do anything. The DC ILP specialist has said I must get the full ILP assessment before any plan is written or any ILP, HISA or SAH services provided. She has told Chicago this but Chicago told me that they go by their own rules and decided to have VA medical see what they can do 1st. I have applied for SAH as my disabilities have worsened to a point that I am now in a power wheelchair. I have had no response on the SAH app yet. I know under ILP regs that several parts of VA must work together: VA medical, HISA grant, SAH grant and ILP to provide services to the vet that are specified in the vet's ILP plan. My VRC is very willing to help but Chicago hasn't provided much training and she has to follow the Chicago RO rules.
I have DAV in Chicago but they are 3 hours away from me and aren't very helpful.
Does anyone know of any vet in Northern IL that has had the ILP home assessment or even know of any OT or other specialist that performs them? Any suggestions other than call the ILP specialist in DC again? Thanks!!! (I live 20 miles from Mississippi River so my VBA is Chicago but I get my VA medical care from Iowa)