[HEALTH.MIL] Counseling Options for Service Members and Their Families
- From: HEALTH.MIL@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: <HEALTH.MIL@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 11:24:37 -0500
The Department of Defense provides all active duty service members, active duty
National Guard and Reserve members, Department of Defense civilian personnel
designated as Civilian Expeditionary Workforce members, and their families with
a variety of counseling services and suicide prevention programs, many of them
free of charge. The Services conduct mandatory screenings for mental health
conditions and other health concerns via the Post Deployment Health Reassessment
within six months of return from overseas deployments. Installation support
programs also provide referrals for assessment, treatment, suicide prevention
and other counseling services as needed. In addition to speaking with their
medic, corpsman, medical officer, or Primary Care Manager, service members and
their families have many options for getting the help they seek.
Military counseling services
============================
Your installation's chaplain. The chaplains in military units and commands are
also trained counselors attuned to military lifestyle issues and prepared to
offer confidential, professional assistance and referral services. All services
are free of charge and, unless there is a credible threat to security or people,
counseling remains confidential.
Combat Stress Control (CSC) Teams. CSC Teams are available as a field resource
to support the mental and emotional well-being of service members during
deployments. These teams of mental health professionals are embedded with units
to help service members address concerns in the field at any time and offer
unlimited interactions at no cost to the service member. The teams are able to
assess suicide risk and arrange for emergency care if needed. CSC Teams have
been used in many wars to provide immediate, on-site support to help service
members stay with their units whenever possible.
Non-medical counseling resources. There are two primary resources for
non-medical counseling services: Military One Source and Military and Family
Life Counselors (MFLC). Non-medical counseling programs provide confidential,
short-term, solution focused counseling to active duty members, National Guard
and Reserve service members, and their families. Counselors possess a master's
or doctorate degree in a mental health field and are licensed or certified in a
state, territory, or the District of Columbia to practice independently.
Non-medical counseling is designed to address issues such as improving
relationships at home and work, stress management, adjustment issues (e.g.,
returning from a deployment), marital problems, parenting, and grief and loss
issues. These personal sessions are available in three formats:
. Face-to-face. Through either Military OneSource or the MFLC program, you can
see a licensed counselor or therapist in your local community. Visit Military
OneSource at http://www.militaryonesource.mil/ or call 1-800-342-9647 for more
information. You can also ask the installation's Army Community Service (ACS),
Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), Navy Fleet and Family Support Center
(FFSC), or Airman and Family Readiness Center (A&FRC) about the process for
using MFLCs. National Guard or Reserve members and their families can also
access MFLC non-medical counseling services through their state Joint Force
Headquarters Family Programs office.
. By telephone. If you cannot or choose not to meet in person with a counselor
in your area, Military OneSource will arrange a phone consultation.
. Online. If you would rather speak with a professional online, Military
OneSource can arrange for your counseling sessions to be held in online,
real-time "chat" format.
These services are offered free of charge to service members and their families,
including Guard and Reserve members. National Guardsmen and Reservists may also
access counseling services through their private health insurance providers and
through their local community mental health services.
Non-medical counseling is not designed to address long-term issues such as child
abuse or neglect, domestic violence, suicidal ideation, and mental health
issues. Mental health issues involve situations meeting the diagnostic criteria
for common mental disorders found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition, DSM-5. If risk for suicide or other mental
health issues are identified during the course of counseling with a Military
OneSource counselor or an MFLC, clients will be referred to a military treatment
facility (MTF), TRICARE, or local community resource for immediate professional,
medical mental health treatment.
The Family Advocacy Program (FAP). The FAP is another supportive resource for
service members and their families. Issues related to deployment and other life
stressors can cause significant problems in relationships and family
functioning, sometimes contributing to domestic violence and child abuse. FAP
assesses, refers, and provides counseling for families experiencing domestic
violence or child abuse. If FAP identifies someone as suicidal, they refer the
individual to an MTF, TRICARE, or local community resource for immediate
professional, medical mental health treatment. For more information, please
visit
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/phases-military-leadership?content_id=266712
NOTE: If you are in an abusive relationship or if something about your
relationship with your partner scares you and you need someone to talk to, visit
the National Domestic Violence Hotline online at http://www.thehotline.org/ or
call 800-799-SAFE (7233).
If you suspect that someone is abusing or neglecting a child, report it to your
installation Family Advocacy Program immediately. You may also call the National
Child Abuse Hotline at 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453).
A MilitaryOneSource Military Installation Locator is available at
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/
TRICARE or your nearest MTF. Therapy services may be available through TRICARE,
either at an MTF or through a network provider in your area. Your Primary Care
Manager (PCM) can refer you to appropriate counseling or you may contact your
regional Managed Care Support Contractor
(http://www.tricare.mil/tma/ams/ams_mcsc.aspx).
If you are using TRICARE (http://www.tricare.mil/), make sure you understand
what services TRICARE covers and any co-payments you may be responsible for.
United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) counseling at Vet Centers. The
VA provides counseling services to assess and treat mental health issues.
Veterans Centers at http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/ (or call
877-WAR-VETS(927-8387)) have specifically trained suicide-prevention staff and
offer free readjustment counseling to combat veterans and their families,
including those still on active duty. The services are provided at more than 200
community-based Veterans Centers by counselors who are specially trained to
understand the issues service members and their families face.
Outside military support channels. If you choose to seek counseling support
through a civilian provider, make sure you understand the associated costs
before you begin a treatment program. Service members may have co-pays,
determined by the type of plan and service required. Community mental health
services often use a sliding scale for fees, basing the fee on the client's
ability to pay. As a service member, you will also want to consider your
responsibility to report counseling to your command.
Understanding your rights to privacy
====================================
Whether through a military support service or a private therapist, your
counselor should explain the limits of privacy. If he or she doesn't, be sure to
ask. That said, all counselors-military or civilian- are ethically and legally
bound to safeguard client confidentiality within the confines of safety and
security-threat disclosure.
Family members may use counseling services without the notice or consent of the
service member. For service members or their families seeking counseling through
military support channels, those services are confidential. The only exceptions
to confidentiality are for mandatory state, federal, and military reporting
requirements (for example, domestic violence, child abuse, and duty to warn
situations). Even then, only those who need to be notified will be informed.
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SOURCE: MilitaryOneSource at
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/search?content_id=268934
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