Suicidal Veterans Portrayed As Misbehaving Elf By VA Manager
IndyStar reporter Tony Cook caught VA manager Robin Paul belittling suicidal veterans by depicting a suicide attempt with an elf doll hanging himself before Christmas. A picture of the portrayal circulated with others amidst an email she sent to VA employees at the Roudebush Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Other pictures depict the veteran elf begging for drugs and performing a pap smear.
More shocking than the act of utter stupidity and callousness is the fact that it was perpetrated by someone who should know better. Robin Paul is a licensed social worker that manages the facility’s Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic.
Social Worker Robin Paul provided comment on her brash and outrageous behavior. According to the IndyStar, Paul commented:
“I would like to sincerely apologize for the email message and I take full responsibility for this poor judgment,” Paul said. “I have put my heart and soul into my work with Veterans for many years. I hold all Veterans and military personnel in the highest regard and am deeply remorseful for any hurt this may have caused.”
So what do you think of these pictures and corresponding email messages about Robin Paul’s buddy elf pictures before Christmas? Think she will get reprimanded?
RELATED: See Actual Robin Paul Email Message
Here are Robin Paul’s email notes with the associated photograph:
“So, photos have appeared that indicated that the STICC clinic may have been invaded. Looks like this magical character made his way throughout a few areas.”
“Trying his skills as a primary care provider (doing a pap):”
“Self-medicating for mental health issues when a CNS would not give him his requested script:”
“Caught in the act of suicidal behavior (trying to hang himself from an electrical cord)”
“Thankfully, he was saved by his monthly case management contact plan”
“Do you think we should try to get him credentialed??”
WITCH HUNT. Where is Joe McCarthy when we need him.
A person’s career is ruined because of silly gallows humor?
Inappropriate as transmitted on VA email, probably, but deserving of public outcry? No. Screw the public if they forced this employee to leave his job.
Greetings…this is not a witch hunt, this individual was a social worker at VA! How callous, insensitive, and unprofessional! I think this individual should have been placed on administrative leave, then demoted to a position where they have no say in Veterans affairs…period!!!
I’m just in a bad housing situation, not ever suicidal and that was a WTF moment when i read it and i have noticed that not all Veterans have PTSD
and all Veterans should work for the VA and not those stupid A??, greedy A?? outsiders! because they are perpetuating more problems with the VA system everyday.
On the news Director los angles vamc lied to Congress about the wait time. Flat out lied. The Head line KEEPING THEM HONEST ! LOL. They lie once they will lie again about anything negative about them or the VA.
Update from the Indystar newspaper. The first link is for the bonuses paid to this VA. It is worth noticing that U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Jimtown, is one of the people who help craft the “(NO) choice card” and her words are more in the line of “CYA”.
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2014/08/29/bonuses-rise-dramatically-indianapolis-va/14800633/
The second one is for the state licensing board filing a complaint against her. This is not public record so the actual complaint is not known. That makes sense?!?!?! Notice in this one how Rep. Walorski is playing the game. She acts as if she is mad about this yet she was OK with helping screw us vets with the choice card program.
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/11/state-licensing-board-slaps-va-emailer-complaint/70178998/
This one is about a mother whom lost her son and how this is affecting her.
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/13/grieving-mother-wants-answers-vas-handling-email/70232182/
I still am not holding my breath because as soon as the news of this goes away, so does any type of punishment. She will end up with a slap on the wrist and she will be moved to somewhere else in the VA until such a time that no one will remember this and then she will get her old job back. She should have been fired. If she resigns, she will get a severance package as her punishment and she will not suffer any. She is getting paid now for doing nothing (paid vacation).
Sorry Ben if you are working on and update on this. It is the VA I use and I don’t want this to just “go away”. If you are working on something, I am sure it is more in depth than mine.
This moron, Paul, MUST be fired without any benes!!!! Hideous insensitive and cruel…beyond belef!
Started petition to have her fired, please sign/share. Don’t forget to check your email to finish validating, https://wh.gov/iDnfb
The Question I have is WHERES BOB,
They do not understand PTSD. It seems they portray PTSD as a person out of control. That portal of veterans is just wrong. We are just like any other person but the trauma we have been through, what ever the case maybe is haunting and will never go away. What the VA has to do is simply listen to us and not judge us and the language each provider uses must stay with in these parameters when making their notes and quit using language that belittles the veteran or makes him/she out to be a threat to others. We have our good days and then we have our bad days and with the way we are questioned it seems that they are trying to obtain information about our childhood to blame our childhood for the PTSD, so they can state the PTSD was caused by problems the veteran had when they were growing up. They make remarks such as to our motives of joining the military.
It does not matter why we joined the military, The only thing that should matter is that we did join and were trained to protect this country, by what ever means to insure that are families may have a future and a safe place to live.
We did not join the Military to have our officials to make up and make us out to be the bad guy, that has to be controlled. We simply need help and every time they hurt one of us, they are hurting all of us. Once they get away with hurting us, it gets easier and easier to do so.
So my question is not unreasonable WHERE IS BOB ?! WHY IS HE NOT TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND HELP.
I know he received my packet of my complaint and all he did was ask the VA in Denver to respond by sending me a letter about my inquiry. The VA in Denver are the people that are hurting me and refuse to acknowledge that a wrong was committed, so it put me back to square one. In other words BOB is letting it happen with out even speaking with me or demanding the Denver VA Management provide BOB’s office with the evidence they used to punish me through the Disruptive Committee.
They the VA does not have any proof and are using this Committee to harm veterans and to scare them with threats of Arrest and Jail time with Federal charges placed upon them. The veteran has no recourse to defend themselves and all civil and constitutional rights are thrown out the window. The VA should not be above the law and if it not criminal what they are doing, it should be.
When will America wake up !?.
I feel you. I as well am having to go through the Denver RO….just a horrible bunch of incompetents.
I think my Father and Grandfather’s memories on what they went through are completely soured by this woman (in our timeline) actions. I feel complete disrespect in re. to her statements.
Social workers, licensed social workers (LSW); half of them are a weird lot who have more problems than anyone (with exceptions, of course). That’s why many of them go into this field. Don’t forget, they get licensed by government entities. The gov, gov, gov, gov, government. I have dealt with ones in which it seemed a miricle that they knew how to inhale and exhale; I have also known ones who were very good. It seems like a great divide. In this case, her sense of humor is going to have repercussions. If you are a very good one, please try to get rid of the others who have no sense of what they are doing.
Please go to my petition and sign it and pass it on to whomever you think will sign it.
https://www.change.org/p/robin-paul-v-a-licensed-social-worker-v-a-manager-call-for-her-to-resign-her-position
Sharon–
There’s either something very wrong with the link or shall we even project the credit of people at the VA doing something to prevent such link from working? Not paranoid, just allowing myself to use Critical Thinking, and viewing outside the box here.
Nothing is wrong with my computer’s nexus & ability to go anywhere else on net…just not your link. I want to sign it and be able to send it to many others.
I hope you know that her “resigning” may not be that realistic because due to their Union, she will probably be neatly and quietly “retired”, and unfortunately, more than likely with FULL pension…’tis the way of the VA.
I would much rather see a petition for the VA to outright FIRE her with recoupment of her $2000. bonus…the one we actually know about, AND no pension.
Please don’t give up. I myself tried to get into my petition to update some things its gave me an error saying that the site was down.
I wouldn’t put anything past the V.A. to make that happen.
Please try later hopefully change.org is just updating some things on their site.
Thanks for trying but again I would try later.
Your link worked fine for me today. No problem. I give you credit for developing this petition on change.org. In fact I may use this utilty to write maybe a few thousand petitions about this government who I feel has absolutely no oversight or any semblance of responsibility to anyone but the new world order that tells them what to do and to skip all other trite issues. Though I understand your frustration, it just doesn’t click that she will be fired in the true sense of meaning. These employees are protected by layers of unions, regulations, gov gov govies, and goofballs. They will lie and say she is fired though to maike you and me happy.
Thank you for signing I am not good on things like this but I got so angry after I read the article.
My husband has bad ptsd and lots of pain throughout his body and I hate the way he is treated. I know he is not alone and it makes me so mad.
If you ever get anything going I would like to help you anyway I can.
This is the updated link. Much better.
https://fox59.com/2015/03/10/indianapolis-va-removes-employee-over-email-controversy/
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you I was having problems with the link.
If you would still like to sign my petition please got to
https://www.change.org/p/robin-paul-v-a-licensed-social-worker-v-a-manager-call-for-her-to-resign-her-position
Please pass it on to whomever you think might sign it.
Thank you
This was just on the news. The story was more in depth. Look at the site or look it up as it is looking as if she will be gone. The only thing that made me mad was the she is on “paid leave” until they do something with her. Maybe we might be getting heard. The story from this news station also had a woman from a veterans advocacy group and she stated some things about how the VA has so many people who should not be treating vets. Hopefully the news link will also be updated and it will show the story as told by the news reporter.
https://fox59.com/2015/03/10/indianapolis-va-removes-employee-over-email-controversy/
Updated link for the hopeful removal of this person.
https://fox59.com/2015/03/10/indianapolis-va-removes-employee-over-email-controversy/
This is getting even more disgraceful. She sends this email, they claim they handled it administratively, there is a public outcry with members of Congress weighing in, and NOW they put her on paid leave? Oh, and they will investigate again?
Which VA manager there decided it only required handling administratively? Which VA manager did not do a thorough investigation immediately that they have to do another? Which VA manager decided putting her on paid leave is enough?
She is a federal employee. I highly doubt they will try punish her again, which she would likely have overturned. She will be shuffled off to another part of that hospital without contact with patients, or shuffled off to another VA.
I thought this was put to rest… now you’re telling us the following article is false? https://www.americasfreedomfighters.com/2015/03/10/indy-va-manager-robin-paul-fired-after-emails-mocking-veterans-suicides-exposed/
I’m saying from news reports, she has been “administratively punished”, nothing more was done until this became public and Congress noticed. The article you linked to says, “reportedly been fired”. Others say she has been removed from her position and finally put on paid leave while the VA investigates…again. I will not believe she has been fired until I see the pink slip. If she has been punished once, I don’t believe they can punish her again for the same infraction without her tying it up for months at the Merit Systems Protection Board. I don’t know if finding something new could result in firing for the same email.
Either way, they better dot their i’s and cross their it’s and fire her.
What’s interesting about Robin Paul is that she’s a social worker and is currently still employed by the VA. As a Social Worker which I am, she’s bound to a code of ethics, which she has broken. I’m going to check to see if she’s been reported to her board in Indiana. If not I plan on contacting the local board to file a suit with them and she may lose her license, which would prevent her from working at the VA. This is a huge violation of our Code of Ethics, which you may or may not know about, but we are held to extremely high professional standards of which she forgot about. Hopefully this is a wake up call to others in the VA social work field that they will be exposed. This is precisely why I have abandoned hope of working with a set of peers, Social workers at the VA.
YES! – Please do, but bear in mind, this is Indiana. We lead the way in being the least regulated, and least credentialed. My department window looks right across the lawn at Roudebush, and as a Vet, when I think that this is how she views her clients I really just want get ill as they are dying at a rate of 2 a week from SIB and SI. So – yeah. Report her.
Hmm. Some people do some really off color stuff.
I’ve had some decent LCSW providers with the VA, but overall pretty bad health care–i.e. not consistent, not timely, etc.
I remember when I first moved to my current VA, I was severely depressed and started talking to a LCSW at the VA, on his recommendation. I didn’t make eye contact, flat affect, my speech was slow, the whole nine yards. One of the lowest points of my life. Over the course of a couple months, my state went from bad to worse (although never suicidal). The LCSW would make contradictory statements, play me and my husband off each other, and otherwise just toy with me.
The last appointment I had with him (I couldn’t take anymore) he was an hour late because of suspected alcohol use at work, and got me stirred up during the whole session to the point of yelling at him. At the end he said he was pushing certain buttons to try to elicit an angry reaction from me. It’s like he enjoyed playing mind games with clients.
…I just don’t know. I almost didn’t return to the VA again. To the VA’s credit, I guess they really didn’t like the guy and he was let go. Still, stuff like this makes you wonder if they’re really trying to screw with vets until they kill them.
That one less that will hurt you, how many did he hurt before you. I suggest that you get your medical records and see what he wrote to about you. Its maybe bad, so take it with as a grain of salt. It does not mean you are that person they paint, But shows that they can say and do anything they like and get away with it. Send copies to your Senator’s and ask for help, they may do nothing, but at least you will have a paper trail that you tried.
I was just grateful I didn’t have to use the guy anymore. It was interesting in retrospect; the most damaging aspect of therapy with him, I think, is that when it came along when it did. I was at my lowest point, emotionally, and really needed someone for help. That’s probably why it took me as long as it did to let him go. What a relief it was to have a normal therapist again after that.
I did check my medical records at some point, and remember some things he put that were unflattering, such as that I displayed poor judgment, etc. I don’t remember what all now but I gave them their due and dismissed them, since he’d basically been let go by that point anyway.
I found this interesting lawsuit he was involved with after he left the VA where he sued the Army. You see (if you read through) that he had problems getting along with people and being straightforward for a long, long time:
https://www.cornishanddellolio.com/uploads/1/3/2/1/13210070/10_cole_v_mchugh_2012_u_s__dist__lexis_4505.pdf
I am just glad that you are doing better and have found someone that cares about your well being. God Bless
When the V.A. ask if you have ever been suicidel and you answer yes or have attempted suicide and you answer that you had tried or thought about it. These statements can and will be used against you if and when you speak out to or about the V.A. and an employee does not like you, they can report you to the Disruptive Committee and these statements will be used against you, they state this shows your are unstable. and therefore the employee is right and you will be punished and your records red flagged for the whole V.A. system to see and treat you very different, to the point they will advise you that you can and will be arrested and federal CHARGES placed against you. I have the Proof. But no ones wants to hear it.
Please sign my petition at
https://www.change.org/p/robin-paul-v-a-licensed-social-worker-v-a-manager-call-for-her-to-resign-her-position
We all know that more than likely nothing will be done to her. She will most likely get some sort of news media about her “punishment” but I am sure it will not fit with what she has done. I also thought that maybe a way to start to have our voices be heard was to call the Leadership Team at the Indy VA. This is the link to the Team. If we call them repeatedly and there is a lot of us doing it, maybe we can sway the “team” to force her to go. Just a thought as something needs to be done and we need to start somewhere. We could do this for other VA’s and maybe it will lead to something bigger. I am calling each person on the list as soon as I post this.
https://www.indianapolis.va.gov/about/leadership.asp
I have been tweeting links to the news articles all morning. I wish Ben’s tweet widget worked since his article is better and contains all of the pictures.
91 veteran, this link has another link to the e-mail and you should be able to sent it.
https://fox59.com/2015/03/09/va-manager-sends-email-mocking-suicide-prevention-vets-outraged/
This is the link for the actual e-mail (if it works)
In the email obtained by our partners at the IndyStar
If it does not , look for the blue print in the article and it will send you to the e-mail. Hope this helps
I’ve already sent that link to several Twitter handles. There are a few other local sites, and I see it was picked up on Yahoo. It needs to go national.
try this
It was a Christmas email sent to staff from Paul, a licensed social worker. In the email obtained by our partners at the IndyStar, a Christmas elf, appearing as a clinic patient, is seen mocking mental health problems, plaguing veterans.
Mine were much more harsh f8f. I just can’t include the web link.
I cut and pasted the URL into tweets that I have been sending far and wide, with several to the VA Twitter account, and the House committee on vets affairs. We commented about the IG in another thread. This is a case where they should be thoroughly investigating. How bad is the leadership at that VA to allow this? How pervasive is this mentality in that clinic? How many vets have decided never to return after being treated with such contempt?
91Vet et all, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO. NOT ONLY SHARE THESE STORIES VERBALLY WITH THOSE PHYSICALLY PRESENT, BUT ALSO USE OUR ONLINE RESOURCES LIKE TWITTER, FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, GOOGLE+, SHARE IT FAR AND WIDE. If enough of us do this, they will hear us and change will begin to happen.
in the most terse terms: go f**k yourself Robin Paul you f&&king c*nt.
This is so effing disgraceful, I just have no words. How black of a heart do you have to have to think of vets coming to your clinic like this? Since she was the head of the clinic, do others there think the same?
Ben, I would like to share your post on Twitter, but the URL shows “invalid logon”.
Tear it down! There is a time to stop dreaming that this will ever be fixed. That time has actually long passed.
Management is letting this happen. Mr. McDonald needs to take a page from the University of Oklahoma university that took charge after a group of students defamed Blacks. He tore down the symbol and made the leave and is making every effort to get rid of those bad actors. This is a prime example of how the V.A. condones these type of actions. They can lie, cheat and destroy a veterans live and nothing is done about it. Hell’s he has P.T.S.D. and a Traumatic Brain Injury, go ahead and hurt him with those diagnosis’s no one will believe him, they know he crazy, so go ahead and do as you wish. No one will care !.
They have so many false statement in my records, that I am now even ashamed to say I was a V.A. employee. If I had to ask a question to Bob is “WHY”. They should fire her and anyone else that shows disrespect to veterans and I do like the persons saying, if they do not fire her transfer her to the middle east. She may feel more comfortable there.
I have put up a petition on change.org to get her fired. Hopefully I can get many signatures. My husband has ptsd and has attempted suicide twice and last month was hospitalized because of it. I find no humor in what she did and I am a usually happy and funny person who enjoys a good joke but this one was not funny.
My husband as instructed by his lawyer advised him to go for an increase in his ptsd compensation since he is worse and the doctor who did it had the nerve to say my husband was lying. This cause so much stress and between going for a social security hearing he tried to take his life. The V.A. should be ashamed of how they are treating their military.
Good for you. No one who truly holds vets in the highest regard would do these despicable things. She has to go, no question. Thanks for keeping us informed Ben.
Sharon, could you put on here where we can go to sign the petition. I am to the point that the talking is done. I think action is needed. If the petition can help, then we all should sign it. We can post on here all we want but we need to somehow come up with a plan of action. I don’t have the answer for that plan of action(s) but it continues to get out of hand and nothing will be done if we don’t dot it.
Looks like she has been removed at this time from her position.
I am having a hard time getting the link to copy for some reason. When I copy the link it is giving the page to allow changes to be done as an administrator.
I started the petition on change.org.
But looks like she is removed at this time so I guess I don’t really need to worry anymore about it.
But thank you for wanting to sign it.
Sadly, this manager’s behavior is not unusual or any surprise to anyone familiar with the VA over the last 40 years. It is corrupt from top to bottom and only serves itself. It is time to shut it down and have a Medicare “V” program for all disabled vets. Upon set up, there should be a “claw back” of all the bonus’ paid out and pensions paid to people like this. It would end the deficit for decades. Keep the pressure on your elected officials.
That’s a pretty good idea.
Bart is spot on. Medicare V program. What is sad Bart, is the DAV, VFW, and American Legion would all oppose this because their jobs rely on the broken VA. Concerned Veterans for America would be the only Veterans group on board for this program.
You mention bonuses. The Indy Star article says Paul was given a $2000.00 bonus in 2013.
Life is ALWAYS funniest to those who EXPERIENCE “caring” for the HURT / DISABLED. They should be praising God that they are WHOLE(?).
She was on my son’s care team at this VA. He died on February 14 of this year (not a suicide) but as a result of complex issues that the VA could never sort out or diagnose properly. This woman sat in a meeting with me and looked me right in the eye and told me how much they care. She then had the audacity to come to the funeral home to express her sorrow at his death and ask what they could do. My son’s wife who has enough of a fight navigating a VA system who wants to close his claims that were still open from 2012 since he’s now deceased and will close ranks and do everything possible to deny any further benefits for her and their children, did not need this atrocious insult to injury. This is a huge black eye to all of the VA employees at Richard Roudebush. To say this was handled administratively and she retains her position and nice salary speaks volumes of the mindset of the VA. It is time to deluge our congressmen and senators, all politicians who have a voice to acknowledge that our veterands deserve so much better than this. I suggest that if she does retain her position that she be transferred to Baghdad or Kuwait. Then let’s see if she has time to play with elves.
First I want to say I am so sorry on your loss that is just horrible. I do agree that the V.A. does need a full overhaul it is so broken.
My husband has been suffering for too many years going to the V.A. I am hoping that if he is given his Social Security Disability in time we can get away from that place.
Again please pass on my condolences to your daughter in law I am so sorry on your loss.
Sandra I am sorry and saddened for your loss. Please consider emailing Secretary McDonald at [email protected] and asking for a written response to what he will do about this. That is his verified email address. Explain just as you did here, that she was on your Son’s care team, what she did and what the VA is doing now regarding those claims. Explain that his wife and kids could use the benefits that are being denied.
Good luck.
Please sign my petiton at
https://www.change.org/p/robin-paul-v-a-licensed-social-worker-v-a-manager-call-for-her-to-resign-her-position
Thank you,
I put this on here last night on the previous days’ blog. Sorry Ben, I didn’t know you were working on this story. I am glad that you are bringing it to be known. I go to this VA and I see a mental health psychologist. I can say that this person I was seeing (I have decided to stop) is another person who doesn’t care about us vets. This person has ignored my statements to this person which would indicate that things are not going well. I will state that I am not suicidal, I wanted to see how this was handled after I noticed that all of my records seem to have been copied and pasted each time I have seen this person. There is a little bit of info at the start then the rest is the same, almost word for word. Nothing is out in about how I feel, if things are better/worse, things from a previous appt. have been addressed, or nothing to show how I am doing or feeling. How can this help me by showing how I have been or if I am getting better/worse?
This VA, in my opinion, seems to think that they are above their patients. I think that this VA has more problems and maybe this will start to bring them to light. I have had nothing but trouble with this VA since I started coming here in Sept. They act as if they care, but if you look at what they actually do, you will see they don’t want to help. I have complained to everyone from the bottom to the top and it has all fallen on deaf ears. I am currently trying to move out of this VA’s reach as I can’t take them anymore.
They cut and paste your records because they are a bunch of lazy ass doctors who want to sit around all day and get paid a good salary.
They are a waste of time. We were there yesterday for I can’t tell you how many times for the same thing and it is still not resolved.
My husband is not getting better he is getting worse and still nothing is done.
I pray for all who uses the V.A. Hospitals.
I wanted to add that you simply could not make this crap up! The VA faithfully supplies ALL THE FODDER, day after single day, week after week, and year to year!
We need change and NOT just TALK about change! This story enraged me when I saw it on national news last night and even affected my very ability to sleep, activating my own serious anxiety issues.
With THAT said, just how many Veterans across the USA saw this story and will potentially lose ALL HOPE of ANY HELP, seeing this woman as a poster child of ALL that’s wrong with the VA…from the staff, administrators, and just follow where the poop falls from.
Secretary McDonald needs to grow some balls and be aggressive…not passive-aggressive in his approach, as what’s been tried by his predecessors as well as his own has and is not working.
The very terrorists we are fighting are probably laughing at this.
He won’t do anything he is a lair too. Maybe okay he was trying to make that homeless man feel more comfortable to talk to him yeah okay.
But what about the amount of people he said were fired or resigned from their positions at the V.A. it wasn’t true.
He lies and nothing is going to every get fixed there.
She is one sick, heartless individual who should NOT be in social work. This indicates to me she thinks veterans are a pathetic joke. She is only sorry she got caught hence her apology. Of course she will not be reprimanded. This will get pushed under the rug as usual. I am all for a good joke but this is NOT funny in any way. I wish I had that you-know-what in front of me. I would give her the tongue lashing of her life! Must we remind her that if it wasn’t for the veterans she is making a joke out of, she would NOT have the freedom to email or display that garbage to her co-workers?
I have put up a petition on change.org to get her fired. Hopefully I can get many signatures. My husband has ptsd and has attempted suicide twice and last month was hospitalized because of it. I find no humor in what she did and I am a usually happy and funny person who enjoys a good joke but this one was not funny.
My husband as instructed by his lawyer advised him to go for an increase in his ptsd compensation since he is worse and the doctor who did it had the nerve to say my husband was lying. This cause so much stress and between going for a social security hearing he tried to take his life. The V.A. should be ashamed of how they are treating their military.
what is the change.org who is running the site and is it just change.org
The address to the change.org petition is
https://www.change.org/p/robin-paul-v-a-licensed-social-worker-v-a-manager-call-for-her-to-resign-her-position
Please sign it and send it to whomever you think will sign it.
Thank you
I saw this on news last night as well as well as another VAMC in Oklahoma City getting caught in some similar atrocity as well and you know what? This so-called ‘social worker’ is ONLY SORRY SHE WAS CAUGHT…plain and simple! Her crocodile smile and tears may as well be a classic snapshot of the CRAP-TASTIC Psych Care the VA indulges in.
This story should be THE “Poster Child” for Secretary Bob McDonald to STOP DREAMING OF A “DISNEY VA” where everything is ~*~**SIMPLY MAGICAL**~*~ and realize the job at hand is more along the lines of ~*~**SIMPLY FARCICAL**~*~ and a cesspool of systemic and sadistically entitled VA employees.
I have said this before in that I am typically a supporter of Unions for various reasons BUT the problem herein is a culture so steeped in corruption that they KNOW how to USE their Union to hide behind because they KNOW they will not be fired, as one would be in the real world.
Furthermore, the American Psychological or Psychiatric Association (APA) should STRIP HER OF HER SOCIAL WORKER LICENSE…then…fire her from the VA, not just a slap on the hand, and FIRE that Indy VA Administrator, and ANY VA EMPLOYEE that continued to forward those very inexcusable emails and follow THAT chain…and fire them all…I CAN BET YOU those emails of hers circulated to OTHER VAHC’s as well…THEN…how about dropping her ass off to GITMO because she is no better than the fascist terrorists we are fighting against. Matter-in-fact, she is actually worse because she is an ENEMY AMONG US, using her twisted PSY-OPS to MOCK the VERY Veterans she is CHARGED WITH *SUPPOSEDLY* “HELPING”.
Wonder just HOW MANY Veterans HAVE ended their own lives under HER watch? This would have been just as reprehensible if it were a janitor working at that VA, but for her to do this with her specific well-paid job title should IMMEDIATELY cause that WHOLE INDY VAMC Psych Dept. staff to be not only fired as well for condoning her “bad judgment” (as she has so carefully labeled herself as having), but drop them ALL off into a horrific war zone for if anything, a reality check of WHY it is so wrong on way so many levels to treat us Vets with such utter disdain!
I have a Veteran buddy that is living in that area now and he has told me how much he loathes THAT particular VA so much because he said it’s not-so-affectionately called by many Vets, THE ZOO WITH CIRCUS MUSIC. He has told me tale after tale that makes his own mental issues flare-up substantially DAYS before he knows he has ANY dealings/appointments there because the culture there is steeped with such a high concentration of incompetence. So much so that I know he has been looking into actually moving back to his home State of Alaska for better care at that VA.
This story reminds me of something George Carlin once said, “Suicide Hotline…please HOLD”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Secretary McDonald, THE VA NEEDS AN ENEMA! If this woman is NOT fired, then HE ALSO NEEDS TO GO! Plain and painfully simple!
Namnibor, what did you hear or see about the OKVAMC? Could you please fill me in about the subject? Thanks.
What’s very odd is I now cannot find a TRACE of it through a search engine of any kind and I KNOW there was a quick blurb in the news I was listening/watching last night and I am not mixing it up with the atrocity of the racist video from that Oklahoma fraternity…no, it was specific to the VAMC in Oklahoma City. Must have been quickly scrubbed and swept under the VA’s filthy carpet.
I have also sent this article from the Indianapolis Star about this woman at the Indy VAMC to MANY Veterans as well as National News Media as well as Sec. McDonald, and many Congressmen/Representatives, as well as the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs.
I think we all should make a concerted effort to make sure that *anything* that comes-up that exposes how horrific the VA’s tactics are, that they are sent en masse to various locations. With the Presidential election crap starting to rev-up it’s engines, WE MUST ENSURE this is a Presidential Election ISSUE…not just a fleeting daily speed-bump in the life of the VA system.
Sorry I could not find that info. Really strange…but we are also talking about an agency that does strange to perfection.
Seriously? As a Veteran and one going for Social Work Degree, I find it against all oaths, ethical practices and gee moral as well? But, why should I EVER BE SUPRISED? I am not after my own intake Social Worker did the intake process, “not my story.” This can lead to a misdiagnosis, especially when you are extremely vulnerable. If a Veteran states a specific request, why in the hell would you dare even consider asking them till they relented and caved. As I was told “we work as a team, and this gives us a baseline.” Bull Shit, you did absolutely wrong! Gee, was it to see if I was lying OR BETTER, “ENJOYING THE PANIC ATTACKS?” I
Will say this, it is in the very basic books you learn to study Social Work. At this point with my platter not a plate is extremely full. I have no time for ignorance nor redundant behaviors of the VA workers that are not qualified nor have the true essence of Advocating for Veterans, time to say “PINK SLIP WELL EARNED!” Being that you have time to play on government computers and what was done is illegal, speaks volumes of why so many Veterans ( known or not certain) known known, commit suicide everyday now we nail one and all the others who find “HUMOR REGARDING A FAMILY LEFT BEHIND WITH PAIN OF A LOSS AND WILL BLAME THEMSELVES WISHING THERE WAS SOMETHING THEY’VE COULD HAVE DONE.” SICK AND TWISTED HUMOR” NO, YOU DO NOT CARE FOR VETERANS IF THAT BEHAVIOR IS A DEPICTION OF YOUR IDEAS OF QUALITY CARE!
#pinkslips And take the “Trash to the curb!”
I have put up a petition on change.org to get her fired. Hopefully I can get many signatures. My husband has ptsd and has attempted suicide twice and last month was hospitalized because of it. I find no humor in what she did and I am a usually happy and funny person who enjoys a good joke but this one was not funny.
My husband as instructed by his lawyer advised him to go for an increase in his ptsd compensation since he is worse and the doctor who did it had the nerve to say my husband was lying. This cause so much stress and between going for a social security hearing he tried to take his life. The V.A. should be ashamed of how they are treating their military.
I’d say fire her, but the whole VA system is filled with uncaring so-called medical professionals and the next one will be just as callous and unfeeling. I am a long-time PTSD sufferer and I have only had one mental health professional treat me like a person, let alone a person with a mental illness. Every other counselor, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, and social worker seems to think their only job is to take away any medications that actually work (help me sleep, lift my depression) and replace them with tricyclic anti-depressants that didn’t work 30 years ago and don’t work now. And NO, I’m not on Xanax, never have been, never asked for it.
For shits and giggles, let’s say I am a veteran with PTSD, and in seeing this news i go ahead and make my own puppet sets, but mine will contain VA employees. I’m sure we all could come up with some pretty creatively sick sets hmmm? And so while I have my various VA sets placed out about my house, I come to have an episode with my PTSD and sure enough the police are called by a neighbor. I am arrested due to the disturbing sets they find within my home. What do you think the charges might look like? Terrorist Threat? What more? Threat against federal employee? Plotting against VA? What, 2, 3, 4 felonies?
Basically, I can think of a lot of scenarios whereby if a veteran was caught executing some sick shit like this that we would be charged to the hilt, with I know at least ONE felony. So why the double standards? Why fire them?
There’s some pretty sick people out there, and unfortunately I think the worst of those ill people are the EXACT ones proclaiming they “CARE” for us.
B.S.
YUP! I can say no more!
Please sign my petition at
https://www.change.org/p/robin-paul-v-a-licensed-social-worker-v-a-manager-call-for-her-to-resign-her-position
I think this Social Worker should be fired.
Having a husband who suffers with ptsd and has attempted suicide twice I dont see any humor in any of these pictures.
I started a petition on change.org to get her fired.
She is a disappointment to our Veterans and she should be ashamed of herself she makes me sick.
I am sorry but I do not accept her apology the only thing I accept is for her to be terminated of her job.
In light of all these Veterans that are taking their lives everyday she should be so very ashamed.
My husband suffers everyday of his life and has been hospitalized
for his ptsd.
This man gave all he had for our country and he deserves better than to have a social worker like her working at the V.A.
Well, it is obvious the man does not have severe PTSD and furthermore does not understand it.
Who are you talking about Greg?