UBHS For Veterans
Mental Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Assessments
Standing with Veterans in their Mental Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Journey by providing an alternative to Veteran Disability Assessments.
Dedicated to Serving Those Who Served
At our practice, we specialize in helping veterans tell their story — clearly, accurately, and compassionately. Our team of experienced psychiatrists and psychologists, including Brian Barczak, MD, Douglas Laipple, MD, and James DeGroot, PhD brings together decades of clinical and forensic expertise in the evaluation of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), depression, and anxiety.
We understand that every veteran’s experience is unique. Many of our clinicians have trained or worked within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and are deeply familiar with the challenges veterans face when seeking recognition for service-connected conditions. We take pride in performing comprehensive, evidence-based evaluations that meet VA standards — including completion of Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) and independent medical nexus letters that link current mental health or neurological conditions to military service.
Our mission is to ensure that each veteran’s service, sacrifice, and symptoms are accurately represented in their claim. Whether you are preparing for an initial application, an appeal, or a re-evaluation, our team is here to provide the clinical documentation, diagnostic clarity, and narrative support you need.
Through a trauma-informed and veteran-centered approach, we aim not only to assess, but to advocate — giving every veteran the opportunity to be heard, understood, and supported in securing the benefits they have earned.
Why Dual Certification Matters
For many veterans, the difference between a denied and an approved VA claim often comes down to the quality and credibility of the evaluation. At our practice, we go beyond the standard assessment model by providing dual-certified evaluations — each completed and signed by both a psychiatrist (MD) and a psychologist (PhD).
This dual certification isn’t just a formality — it’s a powerful advantage.
The Psychiatrist’s Role (MD): Your psychiatrist brings medical authority, focusing on the neurological, biological, and pharmacological aspects of your condition. They assess how service-related experiences and injuries — such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), PTSD, depression, or anxiety — interact with brain function, sleep, cognition, and overall health. Their signature carries significant weight with the VA because it comes from a licensed medical doctor.
The Psychologist’s Role (PhD): Your psychologist conducts an in-depth psychological and cognitive evaluation, often using standardized testing and structured interviews. This provides objective data to support diagnoses, establish symptom severity, and measure functional impairment. Their expertise ensures that the narrative of your mental health condition is supported by measurable, evidence-based findings.
When these two expert perspectives are combined, your DBQ and nexus letter reflect a complete, multi-dimensional view of your condition — something few veterans ever receive outside of the VA system itself. This dual validation strengthens the credibility of your claim, helping the VA understand not only that you have a qualifying condition, but how it developed, why it is service-connected, and how it continues to impact your daily life.
Every evaluation we complete includes this two-tier certification, giving veterans the confidence that their documentation is thorough, defensible, and clinically sound. Simply put: dual certification means stronger evidence, greater clarity, and a higher likelihood of success when pursuing VA benefits.
Our Process
We’ve designed our process to make your VA disability evaluation efficient, transparent, and supportive from start to finish. Every step is focused on helping you build the strongest, most evidence-based case possible — without unnecessary delays or confusion.
From your initial consultation to receiving your completed DBQ or Nexus Letter, most veterans complete the process within one week, depending on scheduling and record submission.
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During this first step, we’ll review your intake form, discuss your service history, and explain our process in detail. This brief consultation allows our Clinical Assistant to answer any questions you may have and ensure we’re a good fit for your needs.
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Our team reviews your medical and military documentation to determine whether we can provide the necessary clinical support. This helps us build a foundation for your claim before proceeding with any evaluations.
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You’ll meet with our licensed psychiatrist (MD) and psychologist (PhD) for a comprehensive evaluation — either virtually or in-person. This collaborative approach ensures your experience, symptoms, and service history are fully understood and accurately represented.
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Within two business days of your appointment, we send you the completed Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) and/or Nexus Letter. Each document is dual-certified by both the psychiatrist and psychologist, providing strong, defensible evidence to support your VA claim or appeal.
Ready to Get Started?
Taking the first step toward your VA disability claim can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. Our team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and veteran-focused clinicians is ready to help you build a strong, evidence-based case that accurately reflects your service and your story.
We make the process simple, efficient, and transparent. Your first step is to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation, where one of our Clinical Assistants will review your background, explain the process, and answer any questions you may have. From there, we’ll determine whether our services are a good fit and guide you through record submission and scheduling your evaluation.
Whether you’re filing your first VA claim, requesting a rating increase, or preparing for an appeal, our dual-certified evaluations — signed by both a psychiatrist (MD) and a psychologist (PhD) — provide the clarity and credibility your case deserves.
✅ Step 1: Submit your intake form
✅ Step 2: Schedule your phone consultation
✅ Step 3: Begin your evaluation process
You’ve already served your country. Now let us help ensure your service is recognized.
