Mental Health Evaluation

A Medical Records Review, a nexus letter linking your diagnosis to your military service, a completed DBQ documenting your functional limitations, and a formal mental health diagnosis if clinically warranted.

Currently, the VA has not made a DBQ publicly available for initial PTSD claims. To ensure veterans still have the necessary medical evidence, we provide an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) that includes all the key information typically found in a DBQ for an initial PTSD claim.

If a symptom you mentioned wasn't marked or checked off in your evaluation, it's likely because it didn't meet the clinical criteria required for documentation. Our providers assess symptoms based on established medical definitions, which can sometimes differ from how symptoms are described in everyday language. While you may describe an experience that feels significant, it may not align with the clinical standards necessary to document it as a symptom for VA purposes, and providers generally won't update their findings unless a clear documentation error has occurred.

It's completely normal to feel nervous before a mental health evaluation. Our psychologists are here to listen to and understand your story, but they don't expect you to go into deep detail about distressing events — a sentence or two describing what you experienced and how it affects you now is often enough. Avoid scheduling anything stressful the same day, consider speaking with a trusted friend, family member, or therapist beforehand, and prioritize self-care on the day of your appointment.