PTSD

PTSD is one of the conditions we see most often at Federal Emotional Injury Partners, and one of the most commonly accepted OWCP psychiatric diagnoses when it's tied to a specific incident on the job. If a single event on your route or in the office left a lasting mark on you, this is likely the diagnosis your evaluation and claim will center on.

What tends to trigger it on the route

• A dog bite or animal attack while delivering mail
• Being physically assaulted or threatened by a customer or member of the public
• A serious work vehicle accident or near-miss
• Witnessing a violent incident at a station or on a route
• An armed robbery or attempted robbery while on duty

How it shows up day to day

• Flashbacks or intrusive memories of the incident, sometimes triggered by a specific street, house, or sound
• Avoiding certain parts of your route, certain customers, or even driving altogether
• Being unusually jumpy or on edge, especially around dogs, vehicles, or confrontation
• Trouble sleeping, nightmares, or waking up replaying the event
• Feeling emotionally numb, disconnected from coworkers, or quick to anger

Getting it recognized as an OWCP-accepted condition

PTSD claims move fastest when there's a clear, documented incident to point to — an incident report, a police report, a supervisor's note, or witness statements. Our evaluation connects your specific symptoms back to that specific event, in the language OWCP's claims examiners are looking for. If you don't already have an accepted mental health diagnosis on your claim, this evaluation is the piece that's usually missing.

Treatment through our practice

Once PTSD is an accepted condition, ongoing telehealth counseling with a therapist licensed in your state is billed directly through OWCP — no cost to you. Sessions typically use trauma-focused approaches aimed at reducing flashbacks, hypervigilance, and avoidance, so you can get back to your route, or your life outside it, without the incident running the show.