National Mental Health Awareness Month provides an opportunity to educate and increase awareness about Army Medicine's wide range of behavioral health (BH) programs and resources aimed at restoring balance and building overall resilience.
Behavioral health diagnoses and symptoms are treatable and recovery starts with each us becoming informed and creating a safe and supportive environment where behavioral health treatment can be sought and received by those who need it. Behavioral healthcare is one of the most important factors in the readiness of the Force.
U.S. Army Medical Command's (MEDCOM) Behavioral Health Service Line (BHSL) standardizes, synchronizes and coordinates behavioral healthcare across the Army, expands validated behavioral health programs, facilitates early identification and intervention and improves access to care and trust in BH providers.
Lt. Col. Christopher Ivany, chief of the Behavioral Health Division, Office of the Army Surgeon General, encouraged Soldiers to seek help.
"The earlier we can offer the treatment, the better off it is for a Soldier for their career, for their livelihood, for their health and for the readiness of the Army, because we think we'll be able to intervene before these adverse events occur," he said.
The Army is helping to decrease the stigma that others may feel in seeking behavioral healthcare. Programs such as Embedded Behavioral Health (EBH), Primary Care Behavioral Health and School Behavioral Health focus on reaching Soldiers and their Families outside the military treatment facility (MTF) to improve access and reduce stigma. Tele-Behavioral Health (TBH) enables Army Medicine to deliver clinical behavioral health services at a distance via electronic communications.
The EBH model is an early intervention and treatment structure of BH care model that promotes Soldier readiness (pre-, during, and post-deployment). It provides multidisciplinary BH care to Soldiers in close proximity to their unit's work area and in close coordination with unit leaders.
Army Medicine has implemented the Behavioral Health Data Portal (BHDP) at every MTF. BHDP is a web-application that gathers standardized, automated clinical data from Soldiers receiving care in BH clinics. The program analyzes and presents data to BH providers to support their clinical decisions and treatment planning. It tracks patient outcomes, satisfaction, and risk factors via web application to improve program assessment and treatment efficacy.
Related Links:
Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Resources
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