Citation Nr: 21025846 Decision Date: 04/29/21 Archive Date: 04/29/21 DOCKET NO. 18-13 799 DATE: April 29, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from October 1982 to August 1987. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2017 rating decision. The Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) at a hearing in March 2021. A transcript of that hearing is of record. 1. Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded. In a March 2019 statement, and during the March 2021 hearing, the Veteran identified relevant outstanding private treatment records. A remand is required to allow VA to obtain authorization and request these records. Several VA treatment records indicate additional records are available in VistA imaging, but have not been associated with the claims file. These records should be associated with the claims file. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Ask the Veteran to complete a VA Form 21-4142 for L. T. Behavioral Health System, which is referenced in a March 2019 statement, and J.G. Hospital, which is referenced in the March 2021 hearing as a location where he first received psychiatric treatment in 1989. Make two requests for the authorized records from these facilities unless it is clear after the first request that a second request would be futile. 2. Obtain the Veteran’s VA treatment records that are marked as scanned to VistA imaging, including the records from a March 2012 inpatient stay, a May 2012 inpatient stay, and January 2019 psychotherapy. M.E. Larkin Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board A. Budd, 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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.