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SU legal clinic helps veterans struggling with PTSD navigate their VA benefits

Facebook.com/VA Syracuse

Over half a million US veteranshave been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorderover the last 13 years. But symptoms don’t always appear right away or clearly connect to military service. That jeopardizes the care veterans should receive. Syracuse University’s Veteran’s Legal Clinicis helping those suffering from PTSD and seeking benefits from the VA.

June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day. While the disorder affects many people, veterans are especially vulnerable after time spent in combat.

Army veteran and student attorney Bill Reilly recently worked on a case where the VA wanted to reduce services they were giving a veteran.

“What we found was that, actually, they shouldn’t have decreased the benefit or proposed to decrease the benefits,” Rielly said.

Reilley says after talking with the veteran’s family and coworker’s it was apparent that his struggles were connected to his time in the military.

"He did five years in combat in total, or almost five years in combat. So, the idea that there’s PTSD isn’t a surprise. Digging into it and really getting to the point where we’re framing it in a way for the VA that is understandable and is persuasive, that was huge learning experience for me,” Rielly said.

Milana Casillas worked with Rielly on the same case. She says that there needs to be a better understanding of the time it can take service members to realize what they’re experiencing.

“With the mentality sometimes being a service member, you know, you want to keeping pushing forward, and, you know, and pick yourself up by your bootstraps and everything is great and I can handle this. And I think that’s where we have to have some grace with understanding this condition of PTSD,” Casillas said.

Casillas add that it can be easier to see the effects rather than the cause of PTSD. For example, a person may experience anxiety or insomnia and not necessarily attribute it to PTSD. But those connections sometimes need to be made in order to get VA benefits.

But that is not the only barrier to care for veterans. VLC Executive Director Beth Kubala says the process is complex and can be confusing.

“If someone’s not familiar with how to navigate an administrative process by filling out forms and tracking progress on an application. If someone doesn’t have access to simple tools like fax machines or a scanner, it can be tremendously challenging,” Kubala said.

The work done by Rielly, Casillas, and other student attorneys is all done pro-bono and can be done remotely. Thoselooking to connectwith the Veterans Legal Clinic can call 315-443-4582.

Katie Zilcosky is WAER’s All Things Considered host and features reporter. She also co-hosts WAER’s public affairs show Syracuse Speaks. As a reporter, she focuses on technology, economy, and identity.