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In May the Army recognizes Mental Health Month to help communicate the importance of psychological health and promote behavioral health services available to beneficiaries. Efforts include increasing the number of health providers and support personnel, keeping key personnel with deployed units after their return to the U.S. to ensure continuity of care, and countering the stigma that seeking behavioral health care may damage a Soldier’s image or career.
The Virtual Behavioral Health Pilot program at Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii, and Fort Richardson, Alaska, compared face-to-face counseling with counseling provided through video teleconferencing. The VBHP is a comprehensive program designed to augment services during the deployment cycle to ensure Soldiers receive behavioral health screenings. Comprehensive Soldier Fitness helps Soldiers, families and civilians cope with the unique stresses of military life by emphasizing all aspects of fitness.
The Army is producing updated “Beyond the Front” and “Shoulder to Shoulder” videos to support required suicide prevention training. Health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention efforts improve the health of the force.
Respect-mil helps health care providers recognize warning signs in Soldiers who are struggling with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Any visit to a primary care physician becomes an opportunity to screen for symptoms of these conditions.
In the past year, more than 160,000 Soldiers and family members participated in Strong Bonds, a program led by chaplains to help build individual resiliency. Strong Bonds is conducted in an offsite retreat format to address the impact of relocations, deployments and military lifestyle stressors.
Military servicemembers undergoing behavioral health care as they transition to a new duty station, or from military service to civilian life, can participate in the voluntary in Transition program. The program assigns a licensed, master’s level behavioral health clinician to provide one-on-one assistance, assist with referrals and follow-ups, and educate members on resources and tools available to them.
The Real Warriors Campaign of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury publicizes the stories of real servicemembers who have sought behavioral health treatment and continue to maintain successful careers. These authentic examples help reduce stigmas that are often associated with behavioral health care.
The Army’s behavioral health Web site at www.behavioralhealth.army.mil offers a one-stop source for information on psychological health and support programs.
