What to say to Oscar the Vet
I get tired of bashing the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, but they keep asking for it. From the Stars & Stripes comes the story of a slide presentation to train VA employees on how to deal with veterans seeking help. The slide presentation was entitled “What to Say to Oscar the Grouch – Dealing with Veterans During Town Hall Claims Clinics”.
About a dozen slides include pictures of the misanthropic Muppet in the can he calls home. In one, a sign reading “CRANKY” hangs from the rim. In another, Oscar’s face is flanked by the words “100% GROUCHY, DEAL WITH IT.”
The presentation includes tips on how to tell if a claimant is nearing an “outburst,” including being accusatory, agitated, demanding, or unfocused. One section on dealing with angry claimants is titled “Don’t Get in the Swamp With the Alligator.”
If the stress of dealing with angry claimants is overwhelming, the employees are instructed to take a break.
That’s a good way to stay out of the swamp, there VA. If I seem a little touchy, maybe we should hear what a veteran who watched the presentation says;
Christian DeJohn, 45, a VA employee who attended the training, said the content stunned him. DeJohn, an Army veteran who served in Bosnia, said the message seemed to be that veterans are irritable and potentially dangerous.
“For a long time, there was a stereotype of Vietnam veterans, that they’re mentally unstable and violent, bitter, angry, resentful,” he said. “I feel like this is perpetuating some of the worst stereotypes of veterans.”
I’m thinking that is because too many VA employees in the upper echelon don’t understand their clientele. In case someone from the VA reads this and they’re planning on making their next slide show, I wouldn’t appreciate being portrayed as Bert, Ernie, The Count, Big Bird or any other Muppet character. How about using real people in your slide show? Hows that? Dingus.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Kind of bad taste, but see where they were trying to go with it… It also doesn’t help when you have Veterans showing up wearing attire that says much the same thing.
“Dysfunctional veteran; Leave me alone!” for one, or “heavily armed, easily pissed off” just for example…
Being on the health care side of things, I see that and many other examples every day at work. Then they wonder why when they start raising their voice and getting agitated why suddenly there are a bunch of social workers and others all around them.
We Veterans are not always the easiest crowd to deal with, we do not tolerate bullshit kindly, and a great number do have a big chip on their shoulders and are predisposed to being pissed off.
So for the VA to be offering classes on how to deal with unhappy customers is not surprising, and yes a great deal of that unhappiness is of their own doing.
On a side note, yesterday I had a comp & pen Exam. Checked E-benefits for shits and giggles today…mostly to see where my dependents claim was, and low and behold my claim for disability I had the comp and pen for they had made a decision and mailed out the letter. They either royally fucked it up or got it right quickly. It skipped through 4 steps in one afternoon, something that usually takes weeks if not months.
“I wouldn’t appreciate being portrayed as Bert, Ernie, The Count, Big Bird or any other Muppet character.”
But for the love of Christ, not Beaker.
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121013052746/jadensadventures/images/4/43/Statler_waldorf_02_01.jpg
How’s this one fit, SFC?
“I wouldn’t appreciate being portrayed as Bert, Ernie, The Count, Big Bird or any other Muppet character.”
But for the love of Christ, not Beaker.
most times I have been to VA the women behind the desks have been surlier and grumpier than I am. And that ain’t always easy.
I have a question.
If the VA Employees are the dumbasses, can I make a slide show presentation to show them how not to be?
My experience has run the gamut from downright rude and unhelpful, to going above and beyond to help me.
In my opinion, the problem can be solve by getting rid of the dead weight in the system who are causing the problems.
Ive found killing them with kindness and taking one of my kids along produces better results at the VA.
Honestly most of the vets I see at the VA are being grouches. if most people would remember to treat others as you wish to be treated things would be better. Unfortunately many veterans think they have to fake PTSD to get a better rating. Ive found that those that truly have PTSD and have seen combat tend to be nicer and more forgiving. its my opinion that those who have stared death in the face and came out smiling, tend to not give a crap about a few hour wait. we dont care if the person behind the desk is having a bad day. Whats to get upset about? youre alive, no ones shooting at you or trying to blow you up. Life becomes very bland and uncomplicated for true combat vets. why stress over the decision on what to wear? why stress over where youre going to eat? why stress about anything? yes this makes us seem cold and uncaring, but thats not the case. its simply nothing you decide will ever be as important as the decisions you made in split seconds while outside the wire. Of course with all that said, once we decide we are pissed off about something, even Jesus Christ couldnt calm us down. But to get to that level of pissed off takes a special kind of asshole crossing my path.
The senior leadership at the VA is woefully out of touch with what happens at the patient care level. I just moved from DC (worked as a contractor for the VA) to Tucson. Got enrolled, ID and an appointment, and referral to specialty care (appointment within 10 days) the same day. All my prescriptions were filled and delivered by mail within 4 days. Everyone I’ve been in contact with has been at a minimum, professional, and in most cases, pretty damn cheerful.
I’ve worked at the VA VISN and Secretary levels at the SES equivalent. Most are career bureacrats and retired flag/generals that have exactly zero fucks to give for the veterans or the people who actually take care of them. It’s much better the further you get from DC, but the goobers in DC make a million dollars worth of bad policy decisions and shove down our asses a nickel at a time.
This gives me a big case of the red ass because it plays into the worst kind of stereotypes and lends credence to a fucked up perspective of veterans and dismisses their LEGITIMATE AND WELL-PROVEN claims of criminal neglect and poor treatment. You know what, they earned the right to be pissed off and angry.
This is one more example of a colossal failure of leadership.
Yep. I enjoy being portrayed as a grouchy SOB who lives in filth. Way to make me feel loved VA.
Gotta wonder how many hundreds of thousands of dollars the presentation cost.
Replace veterans with any of the socially protected grievance groups and this would be an outrage.
Fucking VA.
“If the stress of dealing with angry claimants is overwhelming, the employees are instructed to take a break.”
Straight from Obammy’s playbook.
“instructed to take a break”
Like hopping on a taxpayer funded 757 and jetting across the country so you can spend the weekend at home with your walnut groves to “clear your head”… EVERY WEEKEND? Thank you SecDef Panetta for showing us how to deal with stress.
What fucking world to these assholes live in, because it sure ain’t mine.
Jesus friggin’ Christ, Holy Mother Mary and Saint Joseph,
Everytime I enter VAMC at 23rd St, I have to make my way around the same phony Vets filling their Oxy prescriptions at the pharmacy, placate to VA employees with earphones in or their face buried in an iPhone and a general shitzy attitude about work just to get to see the outstanding medical staff member (most are from NYU Medical Center, 3 blocks north and they are good).
For the VA to suggest that I or any other Vet is GROUCHY or CRANKY … Well you might damn be correct because we are sick and tired of the agencies failures.
I am sending Jonn a photo. A photo that is still today taped to in the in box at the Compensation Unit at 23rd Street.
Jonn please post.
Look at photo carefully.
They can KMRICRANKYA!
“For the VA to suggest that I or any other Vet is GROUCHY or CRANKY … Well you might damn be correct because we are sick and tired of the agencies failures.”
^^^^^^Nailed it^^^^^^
Master Chief,
I’ll repeat what I’ve said here (and elsewhere) about my own experience(s) with the VA.
I have had the most wonderful care by doctors, nurses and other medical staff. Through numerous surgeries and procedures, they have always made me feel like I was the most important patient they had.
Having said that, the rest of the VA seem to be the polar opposite. Maddeningly frustrating in it’s bureaucracy, it’s layers of government-union employees, all placed there in order to “protect” the taxpayer’s money from abuse. Sure…….
The VA spends $30 to save the taxpayers #1. And it isn’t just that, it’s the fact that you’ve got departments within the VA who do NOT frikkin’ talk to eachother, and who operate as if their department, or unit, or coven, was THE single most important cog in the whole system.
The problem, as I have experienced it, isn’t with the medical staff. It’s with an antiquated and bloated system designed to let as many government employees slurp at the public trough as is possible.
They use computers as crutches rather than tools, and adhere to the letter of their union contract regarding work, breaks, vacation time, etc.
VA leadership CAN fix this problem if the right people were put in charge, and given carte blanche to do what needs to be done. They won’t, though, because the VA’s alleged leaders are political appointees and patronage hires who fear the wrath of the union more than the veterans they are supposed to be serving.
And people wonder why I didn’t stay in until retirement. This is but one reason.
In case you can’t read it, it says: “Hello! … How can I NOT help u”.
It is taped to the inbox of the Comp and Pen Office on the 2nd floor of the VAMC 23rd Street in NYC.
The contents of the inbox appears to be a collection of junk and PII dating back to the Carter Administration.
I am truly and heartily sick of people working at important jobs just for a paycheck and bennies. The VA, collectively, needs to put on their big boy and girl pants and start doing their job — which just happens to be serving our veterans.
Hrmmmm, well Oscar definitely has a reason to be cranky, if the VA would have processed his claim correctly the first time, maybe he wouldn’t be living in a trash can.
Sounds like the dumb ass trying to address a legitimate concern ( dealing with irate patients and claimants) thought they would “enliven the class” with some eye-catching slides.
If they had just left the pictures off the slides it would have been just as effective.
Instead they belittle vets by comparing them to a children’s cartoon.
There is no doubt that the VA has patients that are straight up dicks.
When I was in one group we had a terd that bragged aout whenever he went in to the VA he would scream at the receptionist “Im a red flag!! red flag” so they would call security and he would be seen faster.
What the VA needs to let the employees now is that by the time a Veteran gets to actually see them they have been through numerous phone calls cancelled appointments, bullshit letters and dealing with people that hand him off like he was trash.
Gosh. What a bunch of grouches. Not one of you is a survivor of 8 conflicts either.
http://thetruthaboutsocnetlies.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/john-giduck-addresses-survivor-of-8-conflicts-statement-and-hilarity-ensues/
sincerely
John “Faker 6” Giduck
Interesting, the church I attend held a healthcare expo last Saturday and when the VA rep got up to speak, he lead off with his four year TOD in Navy and twenty eight years working for the VA. A retired Army grunt (2003) asked him a question and the dude went into “where are your records” routine.
Listening to the grunt ask questions I was very less than impressed with the VA rep, raised my hand, stood and questioned Mr. VA rep as to why he shut down the retired grunt.
Dude sort of pissed me off and without further addo, I politely rang his bell and then he let the retired grunt (NCO I found out after) finish his questions.
I reinforced him telling VA rep that according to DOD, every veterans records since when, at least the late 90’s are digitized, made available (handed over) to the VA upon honorable discharge.
His jaw hit the f’ng podium. 😎
You can actually start working on getting your records to the VA while still in the military, if you meet certain requirements.
I betcha he was a “Twidget” in the Navy!
Maybe a “Deck Ape”.
A “Scope Dope”.
Perhaps a “Pecker Checker”.
Oh … “Airdale”.
Ah … “Dirt Sailor”.
But definately not a “Snipe”, “Steamin’ Deamon” or a member of the “Black Gang”.
He sounds like he needs a freshly brewed cup of STFU!
My own experiences at the VA have been positive when dealing with staff and nurses, but the Doctors can fuck off.
I take this as an admission that the service is lousy, and any normal person who has to deal with the VA is likely to be righteously pissed.
When I was dealing with the California bar, a person who helped me greatly observed that she could believe I was a service brat, because the military people are characterized by rigidity.
I view rigidity as a severe flaw, on that our military must avoid, on pain of losing a war.
I thought about it a while, and told the story to my son, who was in a very good ROTC program and Devil Pups (so he’s a kid). I told him that I did not think it was rigidity, so much as a low tolerance of stupidity. He snickered, and I knew I was right.
Veterans are not grouches: they do have a low tolerance for stupidity, and they recognize it when they see it, and think it should be eradicated.
It’s a long one, but worth the re-post:
(I’ll add – there’s a language and content warning…)
What about cookie monster
Hmmm. As I recall, the copyright to all Sesame Street characters is privately owned – by Jim Henson Enterprises, I believe. Seems to me I recall reading that sales of Sesame Street merchandise is big business – and that the US govt doesn’t get a dime from it for that reason.
I wonder if the VA got legal permission to use those Sesame Street characters in that presentation? Not a lawyer, but I don’t think this (government/corporate internal training) is exactly something covered under the “educational use” exception that copyright law permits. I could be wrong.
Hondo,
Absolutely the VA got legal permission – and you can believe it cost a pretty penny, probably into five figures.
And not a single person in the chain making that slide show considered for a moment how many vets that money could have treated.
Mike