Federal Evaluation Service Line
MilitarySexualTrauma(MST)Evaluations
Empower's licensed psychologists and psychiatrists conduct military sexual trauma examinations that follow VA markers-based evidence standards and are written for review by VA raters.
Empower's licensed psychologists and psychiatrists conduct military sexual trauma examinations that follow VA markers-based evidence standards and are written for review by VA raters.
Last reviewed: August 3, 2026
The Oversight Record
The federal oversight record on the examination program, including published work by the Government Accountability Office, has given sustained attention to examination quality in complex conditions. Empower's model is built around the clinical side of that question: examiner-to-condition qualification matching, structured quality review before release, and a direct line from the examining clinician to accountable clinical leadership.
Clinical Approach
How the examination is conducted
Military sexual trauma claims frequently lack contemporaneous documentation, so the examination centers on the markers-based evidence framework the VA applies to MST claims: behavioral changes, performance changes, transfer requests, and other indicators documented in the service record.
Examiners conduct structured clinical interviews in a trauma-informed format. The interview is paced to the veteran, avoids re-traumatizing repetition, and documents the clinical basis for each diagnostic conclusion.
Each report connects the clinical findings to the evidentiary record in plain language, so a rater can follow the reasoning from marker evidence to diagnosis to opinion.
Standards and Review
Who conducts the work and how it is checked
Examiner qualification standard
- Licensed psychologist or psychiatrist in the state of the examination or practicing under telehealth authority such as PSYPACT.
- Training in trauma-informed interviewing before taking MST assignments.
- Familiarity with the VA's markers-based evidence standard for MST claims and with DBQ and medical opinion formats.
Quality review process
- MST reports go through clinical quality review before release, with accountability held at the executive level by the Chief Executive Officer.
- Review checks diagnostic reasoning, consistency between the interview record and the conclusions, and completeness against the requested opinion questions.
- Reports that do not meet the standard are returned to the examiner with specific findings before they leave Empower.
Frequently Asked Questions
Military Sexual Trauma evaluation questions
Who conducts Empower's military sexual trauma examinations?
Licensed psychologists and psychiatrists who are licensed in the state of the examination or practicing under telehealth authority such as PSYPACT, and who complete training in trauma-informed interviewing before taking MST assignments.
How does Empower handle MST claims that lack contemporaneous documentation?
The examination centers on the markers-based evidence framework the VA applies to MST claims: behavioral changes, performance changes, transfer requests, and other indicators documented in the service record. Each report connects the clinical findings to that evidentiary record in plain language.
Are MST reports reviewed before they are released?
Yes. MST reports go through clinical quality review before release, with accountability held at the executive level by the Chief Executive Officer. Reports that do not meet the standard are returned to the examiner with specific findings before they leave Empower.
Who to Contact
Named federal point of contact
Jon Towers
Policy Director
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
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Reviewing Empower for a federal evaluation requirement?
Contact the named federal point of contact to discuss scope, examiner qualifications, and the quality review standard behind every report.