Citation Nr: 21075479
Decision Date: 12/20/21	Archive Date: 12/20/21

DOCKET NO. 17-50 866
DATE: December 20, 2021

REMANDED

A rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from October 2002 to October 2006 and from June 2008 to November 2009.

A remand is required to obtain outstanding private treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine the severity of his PTSD. 

First, the Board finds that a remand is required to obtain outstanding private treatment records. A December 2016 VA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) discloses that in August 2016, the Veteran was admitted to the Psychological Service Unit at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, New Jersey for two (2) to three (3) days, and was subsequently transferred to Saint Barnabas Hospital Psychiatric Unit in Tom's River, New Jersey for seven (7) days.  At that time, the Veteran had called the police after an alleged suicide attempt (i.e., he stated that he felt liking blowing his brains out).  As these outstanding private treatment records might contain evidence as to the severity of the Veteran's PTSD, they should be secured on remand. 

In addition, on remand, the Board finds that the Veteran should be afforded another VA examination to determine the nature and severity of his PTSD, notably since his previous examination was over five years ago in December 2016. 

The matter is REMANDED for the following action:

1. Obtain any treatment records from the Psychological Service Unit at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, New Jersey and Saint Barnabas Hospital Psychiatric Unit in Tom's River, New Jersey pertaining to psychiatric treatment of the Veteran in August 2016 and associate those records with the claims file. Efforts to obtain the records should be documented in the claims file. If the records cannot be located, the Veteran must be notified.

2. Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD. 

 

 

MATTHEW W. BLACKWELDER

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	Carole Kammel, Counsel

The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.