Providing compassionate, thorough, and high-quality service to Veterans and serving CAF and RCMP members in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
My practice currently focuses on completing the VAC disability benefit assessments. My aim is to assist you with receiving the benefits you are entitled to. I do this by providing the following:
- Speaking directly to interested clients wanting to complete this assessment and answering all questions and concerns
- Handling all client communication
- Overseeing all administrative tasks (e.g., scheduling appointments, handling paperwork, setting up remote psychological testing, providing direct billing to VAC, etc.)
- Writing a detailed, thorough, and comprehensive report that captures how your service continues to affect you emotionally and psychologically, using multiple data sources (i.e., psychological test results, clinical interview consisting of completing the medical questionnaire, speaking to relevant third parties such as your treating psychologist or family physician with your written consent)
Purpose of VAC Assessment
The purposes of a VAC assessment are to gain a better understanding of a member’s or Veteran’s social, occupational and emotional functioning, provide a psychological diagnosis (if relevant), and provide treatment recommendations. If you are a serving member, it is important that these psychological injuries are documented so that when you release/retire, you can access counselling and other mental health-related benefits as a Veteran. If you have already released/retired, completing this assessment will facilitate access to the support and services you rightfully deserve.
You do not need to already be working with a psychologist to complete this assessment with me.
Please note that I do not provide the VAC disability benefit award re-assessment. I only provide the initial (first time) assessment.
My VAC Disability Assessment Process
I complete the assessment virtually, which allows you to remain in the comfort and safety of your home and not have to deal with the hassle of traveling. You must ensure that you are in a private room, as you will be discussing personal information related to how your service has affected your emotional and mental health.
My VAC assessment process is completed over three appointments:
- The first appointment consists of completing psychological tests that measure your current social, emotional, and (if relevant to you) occupational functioning. None of these tests are timed and you will have ample time to complete them.
- The second appointment consists of completing the medical questionnaire that VAC provides you. You will have all the questions in front of you and can review them ahead of your appointment.
- The third, and final, appointment consists of an assessment debrief whereby I review my report with you. You will receive tailored recommendations that will be discussed with you during this appointment.
Your report will be faxed to VAC on the day of your third appointment. I will forward you a copy of the fax confirmation receipt. Please contact VAC 30 days after your final appointment with me to confirm that they have received my report.
My VAC assessment reports are thorough, comprehensive, and high-quality. I do not merely fill in a couple of sentences for each section of the medical questionnaire. I write a narrative report that captures how your service has affected you, using results from the psychological tests, your responses to the questions in the medical questionnaire, and (if relevant and with your written consent) using collateral information from your treatment psychologist, psychiatrist, or family physician. In my ten years of completing VAC assessments, the medical reviewers have never requested additional information from me, which means a quicker decision when your application is reviewed.
I’m very passionate about these assessments, which is reflected in the the quality of my reports.
My turnaround time for completing the VAC assessment report is typically 15-20 business days.
Completing the VAC disability assessment is mentally and emotionally challenging for many Veterans and serving members. I sympathize and will treat you with care and compassion throughout the process.
How To Begin Your Application
You can begin your application in one of three ways:
- Contact your VAC case manager.
- Call VAC at 1-866-522-2122 and inform the agent that you would like to submit a claim for a mental health condition and request a copy of the medical questionnaire.
- Apply via your My VAC account.
Booking Your VAC Assessment with Me
I require the disability benefit assessment letter from VAC and the medical questionnaire form before scheduling your appointments. For faster service, please ask VAC to send you the forms electronically so that you may email them to me.
To help more Veterans and serving CAF and RCMP members, I have expanded my practice so that I can provide the VAC assessment to those residing in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Five percent of each VAC assessment I complete goes towards the Veterans Transition Network, a national Canadian charity dedicated to helping Veterans transition from the military and RCMP to civilian life.
For more information about my VAC assessment process, please send me a message on my Contact Me page or call my office at (604) 340-3231.