Question about lateral transfer and VA rating for PTSD
I’m currently a police officer in California with about 6 years of experience. Before law enforcement, I served on active duty in the military.
When I first got hired, I never pursued a VA disability rating because I was focused on getting into law enforcement and honestly didn’t make it a priority. Later on, I started the VA claims process, but it took a long time because I didn’t really understand how to navigate it and several claims were initially denied. Eventually, I got assistance from a veterans organization and was able to get some conditions approved.
At this point, I have a 10% rating for a leg injury and a combined 70% mental health rating for depression/PTSD.
I have a solid track record with my current department, no stress-related disciplinary or performance issues, and I don’t believe anything related to my military service or police work negatively affects my ability to perform the job.
I’m now looking to lateral out of state, specifically to Texas, and I’m curious how a VA mental health rating may affect the psychological evaluation process.
Has anyone here gone through something similar, either as a veteran with a VA rating getting hired in law enforcement or as an officer lateraling agencies?
I understand that having a VA mental health rating is not automatically disqualifying for law enforcement, but I’d appreciate hearing from people with direct experience rather than general opinions or assumptions.