A VA manager at an Indiana Veterans Hospital has been placed on paid administrative leave after sending
a "completely and totally unacceptable" email apparently mocking mental illness. The email, sent by Robin Paul, "in no way reflects the attitudes of our staff toward our patients," Roudebush
VA Medical Center Director Tom Mattice said in a statement posted on the hospital's Facebook page.
Paul, a licensed clinical social worker, had been managing the Seamless Transition Integrated Care Clinic, which
is responsible for assisting new veterans with their VA benefits, services and programs, to include mental health, according
to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Her email,
first published by the Indy Star this week, was sent December 18 to members of her team and shows four
photos of an elf in different scenarios. Two of the photos have struck a nerve with the veterans and mental illness communities.
