UTAH AND MENTAL DISABILITY
If you live in Utah and have a mental disability, Cannon Disability Law can help you win SSD and SSI benefits. Also, we can help you find mental health services. Mental health therapy, talk therapy with a counselor, and other forms of treatment are available in Utah. This includes not only the Salt Lake City area, but other cities too. For example, free mental health services are available in Ogden, Cedar City, Vernal, Logan, and St. George.
OBTAINING SSD & SSI BENEFIT IN UTAH FOR MENTAL HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS
In order to win SSDI and SSI benefits for mental health, you need treatment. If you can’t afford treatment, then there are many free and low cost treatment options in Utah. The best thing you can do for your case is to seek ongoing treatment from a medical professional.
Treatment includes medication, talk therapy, and possibly the care of a doctor and psychologist. Ongoing treatment means you visit your counselor once a week or twice a month.
There are several types of mental health conditions which the SSA considers to be severe. In Utah, serious mental illness includes:
- Neurocognitive Disorders (12.02)
- Schizophrenia and other Psychotic Disorders (12.03)
- Depression and Bipolar and Related Disorders (12.04)
- Intellectual Disorder (12.05)
- Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (12.06)
- Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders (12.07)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Personality and Impulse-control Disorders (12.08)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (12.10)
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders (12.11)
- Eating Disorders (12.13)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)(12.15)
In order to win SSD benefits in Utah, you must prove your mental illness falls under one of SSA’s rules. Each mental illness has certain elements you must prove. For example, under Major Depression, you must have symptoms that include trouble sleeping, keeping focus on tasks, and memory problems. Also, you must show that you have crying spells and that you isolate yourself from others. Additionally, you may have had thoughts of suicide or even suicide attempts.
If you have these symptoms, then you must also show they prevent you from working. However, you can’t just tell the SSA you have these symptoms. Instead, your medical records must show the symptoms and that you receive treatment for them.
ANXIETY DISORDER IN UTAH
Anxiety Disorder is another common mental illness. In Utah, to qualify for Social Security benefits for anxiety disorder, your medical evidence must show you have at least one of the following:
- Persistent anxiety with appropriate symptoms (i.e., motor tension, apprehensive expectation, etc.)
- Constant fear
- Unpredictable panic attacks at least weekly
- Recurring compulsions and obsessions lead you to be upset
In addition, the evidence must show these conditions significantly impact your ability to function in a normal work setting. For example, perhaps you have anxiety attacks at work and have to go home. Likewise, you may not be able to focus on work tasks due to your anxiety. You need evidence proving your problems. Learn more about medical evidence here.
Mental health evidence is crucial to winning your SSD claim. Your counselor or psychologist can provide medical records that show you cannot work. Even your past employer can provide evidence of your panic attacks at work.
Likewise, your family or friends can write statements about your anxiety problems. For example, perhaps they have seen you have a panic attack. They could write about how often those occur and how long they last. Additionally, if you have been fired from a job due to anxiety, your past employer can give a statement as to why you were fired.
SCHIZOPHRENIA ANOTHER MENTAL DISABILITY IN UTAH
Another example we could look at is Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a serious mental condition. Under the Schizophrenia listing, you must show you have hallucinations, disorganized thinking (speech), or disorganized behavior or catatonia. Not only must you have one of these symptoms, you must also have either an extreme impairment or two moderate impairments in:
- Understand, remember, or apply information (see 12.00E1).
- Interact with others (see 12.00E2).
- Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 12.00E3).
- Adapt or manage oneself (see 12.00E4).
Without medical evidence, it will be impossible to prove that you have marked or extreme mental health symptoms. You must have a primary care doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist who can confirm your mental symptoms. If you don’t have money, you will need to look for free mental health services near your home.
Additionally, the SSA can send you to see one of their doctors who can examine you for mental health conditions. These doctors cannot treat your condition, but they can give evidence to the SSA that you have severe mental health symptoms. To find out more information about the SSA’s mental health medical exam, read here.
DEPRESSION IS ANOTHER MENTAL CONDITION ELIGIBLE FOR SSD BENEFITS
Disability benefits for Depression are available under Listing 12.04 from the SSA. If your depression prevents you from working for over 12 months, then you should submit an application for SSD & SSI benefits. If you are unable to work, then you may be able to win benefits. You may already know that Depression can effect your ability to work.
Likewise, depression symptoms can make it difficult to concentrate at work. The symptoms can interfere with your ability to arrive at work on time. It may also make you call in sick and miss too many days at work. In fact, you may have already been fired from your job.
To get Social Security Disability benefits, you will need to get ongoing treatment for your major depression. Ongoing treatment and being unable to recover from Depression, is the evidence that proves you deserve SSD benefits. One of the things the SSA looks at is the duration or your mental illness. To qualify, your mental symptoms must last for over one year.
PERSONALITY DISORDERS AND UTAH MENTAL DISABILITY BENEFITS
In Utah, you can qualify for Social Security benefits with a personality disorder. You will need medical evidence showing your condition causes you to be unable to adapt to changes at work.
For example, your personality disorder may make it difficult for you to get along with other workers or your boss. Also, you may have a history of being fired from multiple jobs. Or, you may have trouble getting along in a school or home setting. Sometimes, a personality disorder makes it hard to get along with your neighbors or even your family.
To win SSD benefits, your personality disorder needs to cause at least one of these symptoms:
- Autistic thinking
- Seclusion
- Hostility
- Paranoia
- Odd thoughts or odd speech
- Aggressiveness
- Dependence
- Passiveness
- Constant mood swings
- Impulsive behavior that damages relationships
If you have these symptoms and they prevent you from working full time, then you may qualify for SSDI benefits. You can show deserve benefits if you have these mental health symptoms and they have lasted for over 12 months.
Also, your mental health condition must interfere with your activities of daily living. For example, it may cause problems with memory. You may forget to pay bills or put money in the bank. You may have trouble shopping, doing laundry, and cooking meals. Likewise, you may no longer enjoy the company of friends and family. You can learn more about SSA’s mental health rules under Part B of their listings here.
WINNING MENTAL DISABILITY BENEFITS IN UTAH
Qualifying for mental health benefits in Utah varies with the type of mental condition you have. However, you must have medical records showing your mental condition prevents you from working a 40 hour work week. Likewise, these problems must exist despite ongoing mental health treatment.
If you have these symptoms and they impact your ability to perform full time work, then you may qualify for SSD or SSI benefits. But, first you will need to apply. We can help you if you are filing for SSDI and SSI benefits in Utah. Also, you can find other mental health resources at NAMI.
You can apply for benefits online at the Social Security website. If you are confused about how to apply, contact Cannon Disability Law today. We can help you complete your application. Learn more about filing your application here.
HIRING CANNON DISABILITY LAW AS YOUR LEGAL TEAM
You can hire the legal team at Cannon Disability Law to help you win SSD and SSI benefits. In the past 30 years, we have won thousands of SSD and SSI cases. For our clients, we have won over $100 million in SSD and SSI benefits. Let us help you too.
If you contact us, then we can often tell you over the phone if we can take your case. When you call, we will be asking you questions. For example, we will ask about your mental symptoms. Also, we will be asking you the name and address of your treating doctors.
For instance, we will want to know the name and address of your psychologist or psychiatrist. Likewise, we may ask you for a list of your medications. And, we need to know the name of your counselor. You should be seeing a counselor for talk therapy to help you with your mental problems. If you don’t have health insurance to help you pay for visits to the doctor, then you can apply for Medicaid. Medicaid is health insurance that pays for visits to the doctor and medications. Find out more information about Medicaid benefits here.
If you have already applied for benefits and been denied, don’t worry. We can still help you. Our team are experts at filing appeals for our clients. Also, we win cases at the hearing level.
In the last 30 years, we have won over 20,000 SSD and SSI cases. We represent thousands of Utahns before the SSA. Put our legal experience to work for you. Contact Cannon Disability Law today. We can help you with your Utah mental disability case.
