We Value Our Service Members and Their Families
We are here for service men and women and their families. Nearly 1 in 4 active duty members showed signs of a mental health condition, according to a 2014 study in JAMA Psychiatry. On this page, we focus on questions that military personnel and their families often ask, concerning treatment resources, disclosure, and staying healthy during the transition to civilian life. We will also address what services we offer for you and your family.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7 by dialing 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1 or by dialing our 24/7 crisis line at 541-398-1175.
Mental Health Concerns
There are three primary mental health concerns that you may encounter serving in the military.
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Traumatic events, such as military combat, assault, disasters, or sexual assault can have long-lasting negative effects such as trouble sleeping, anger, nightmares, being jumpy, and alcohol and drug abuse. When these troubles don't go away, it could be PTSD. The 2014 JAMA Psychiatry study found the rate of PTSD to be 15 times higher than civilians.
- Depression. More than just experiencing sadness, depression doesn't mean you are weak, nor is it something that you can simply "just get over." Depression interferes with daily life and normal functioning and may require treatment. The 2014 JAMA Psychiatry study found the rate of depression to be five times higher than civilians.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). A traumatic brain injury is usually the result of a significant blow to the head or body. Symptoms can include headaches, fatigue or drowsiness, memory problems, and mood changes, and mood swings.
Our mental health professionals are trained and can help individuals and families with the above conditions. We have experience working with veterans and their families and we are honored to be a veteran-led organization. All our services are highly confidential and individualized to meet your and your family's wellness goals. We want to help you and your family maintain a strong body and mind. We can provide you and your family with tools to build resiliency and lead strong lives.
Who Should I Tell?
Service men and women owe it to their fellow service members and their families to stay in good mental as well as physical health. If you’re concerned about a possible mental health condition—or if you enter the armed forces with a past or present mental health condition—know that the armed forces do not require service members to disclose mental health problems to their chain of command. The responsibility for deciding whether to disclose your condition does fall on the medical officers and care providers you consult. They receive training on military policies concerning the confidentiality of protected health information (PHI). Here are some people to consider speaking with.
- Confidential counselors are available for service members and their families through Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647. If you’re unsure whether to seek treatment or if someone you know might need treatment, they are an excellent first stop for information and advice. We also provide confidential counselors for service members and their families. Call us at (541) 426-4524 to get started.
- Primary care providers can be helpful for discussing concerns and treatment options.
- Behavioral health care providers working at primary care clinics are available on many military bases and here in our community so you can seek a specialist’s advice without leaving base or leaving Wallowa County. And at some bases, you can find convenient Embedded Behavioral Health teams—clinics separate from traditional medical facilities.
If you, a colleague, or a family member are experiencing an immediate crisis—particularly if it’s a life-threatening mental health crisis—you should proceed immediately to an emergency room for acute care or call 911 or call our crisis line at (541) 398-1175.
How Will Asking For Mental Health Treatment Affect My Career?
Military personnel have always taken care of their physical health, but in today’s armed forces, mental health is equally essential to mission success. The military has changed many of its policies in recent years to encourage better mental health. The Department of Defense acknowledges that untreated mental health conditions pose a greater safety threat than mental health conditions for which you’re seeking treatment.
Under 2014 rules, talking to a doctor about your concerns, asking if you need a diagnosis, or seeking treatment does not affect your career. If your doctor needs to disclose your condition, your career is not at risk from this disclosure.
In addition, with changes to security clearance procedures, you no longer risk losing clearance by consulting a doctor. If you seek help for combat-related issues or receive marital counseling, you do not have to worry about “question 21” regarding treatment for mental or emotional conditions.
The Dangers Of Not Disclosing
Untreated mental illness can, however, damage your career. If the symptoms are severe, your commanding officer may require duty limitations or recommend separation from the military for medical reasons.
Military records show that talking to a doctor is a good career move. According to a 2006 study in Military Medicine, 97% of personnel who sought mental health treatment did not experience any negative career impact. The same study showed that it’s risky to ignore a mental health condition. If it worsens, a commanding officer can require a mental health evaluation, which is much more damaging to your career. Among people who had command-directed evaluations, 39% had a negative career impact.
Military Policy And Your Privacy
When you seek mental health care, your care provider will inform you that the Department of Defense follows the privacy guidelines set down by HIPAA and the Privacy Act. These guidelines ensure the privacy of your mental health records in most situations. If your care provider discovers that your mental health condition may endanger yourself, others, or the mission, however, they are obligated to disclose this information to the chain of command.
The military policy states that care providers can only share certain information and only in those situations involving safety. The precise definition of those circumstances is different for each of the branches of the armed forces.
In the Army, for example, PHI policy states that information can only be released in situations involving an acute threat of harm to self, others, or mission; upon admission or discharge from inpatient hospitalization; when entering formal substance abuse treatment; and when enrolling in personnel reliability programs.
If a medical officer or military care provider observes that your health condition poses a danger, the officer will share your medical profile with commanding officers. The information they are allowed to share includes your diagnosis and the medically recommended duty limitations. Unit commanders will decide what duties to assign you until your condition improves.
You can avoid situations requiring disclosure by discussing your concerns with providers when they first arise. Ignoring symptoms may allow them to worsen. A mental health condition may affect only you at first, but if your condition doesn’t improve, your ability to perform your duties may suffer.
If commanders or supervisors observe behaviors that appear to compromise safety or job performance, they can request a command-directed behavioral health evaluation. A command-directed evaluation doesn’t guarantee as much confidentiality as a medical consultation you seek yourself.
How Can I Help A Fellow Warrior?
Strengthening our fighting forces is a group effort. If you’re concerned about a friend or colleague or family member, the most important thing you can do is to ask how they’re doing and to listen without judgment. The symptoms of a mental health condition can sometimes make individuals forget that mission success relies on staying healthy in mind as well as the body. They might not realize that their worries are symptoms of mental illness. Listen patiently, offer encouragement, and remind them that anyone can develop these symptoms, from privates to generals.
Remind your fellow warrior that the central mission of the armed forces is to maintain a strong fighting force. Share the information here with him or her. Emphasize that talking to a counselor or medical officer won’t hurt career or security clearance and that every service member has a duty to build resilience by seeking advice and treatment when it’s indicated.
If someone you know tells you about a mental health concern, don’t laugh it off or promise it will get better on its own, even if you want to comfort the person. The stresses of deployment and military life put soldiers and sailors at risk for mental illness and make treating them more complicated. The military medical system can’t succeed in its mission to “restore the fighting force” without the help of all personnel to encourage treating mental health conditions swiftly before they can worsen.
For more advice, recommend that your friend call the completely confidential counselors at Military One Source (1-800-342-9647). Or call us at (541) 426-4524 for local confidential mental health services. Or get trained in mental health first aid.
Making A Strong Transition To Civilian Life
Returning to civilian life can be a time of joy, but also a time of emotional upheaval for you and your family. Your experiences in the service may have changed the way you look at life. You may have new abilities, new friendships, or new concerns.
If you were in combat or similarly stressful situations, it’s possible some of the habits that helped you stay strong during traumatic events will be less useful in civilian life. Keeping strong in civilian life might require developing new habits. You may also be at increased risk of PTSD and other symptoms that your brain is recovering from trauma.
Some veterans find they miss the structure that military life provides. Some miss feeling a sense of purpose in their daily work. Others may feel isolated because civilians don’t understand the experience of serving. The memories of your experiences also may take time to deal with.
Remember that readjusting takes time. Give yourself opportunities to maintain your physical and mental health during the transition. At Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness, we understand the questions facing many service members and their families when they return to civilian life. We're here to help. Call us at (541) 426-4524 we offer support for returning vets and their families.
What Supports Do You Have for Spouses and Family Members of a Veteran?
As a spouse or family member of a Veteran, you play an important role in providing support. When they are deployed, you hold down the fort and keep life running back home. When they return, you must also transition and adjust to them being back in daily life. This can be a time of great joy but also a time of emotional upheaval. You must adjust to a new way of operating with the Veteran being back.
You and your family may have developed new habits or family rituals while the Veteran was gone. Now you realize that you need to rediscover how to operate as a family unit once again. This transition is normal and can be frustrating and hard for families. Include the Veteran into these new rituals or begin to build new rituals to reconnect to each other. You will find a new way of operating as a family. You have both changed and grown during the deployment. Remember that transition takes time.
If you find yourself growing more frustrated or isolated, talk to a health professional about whether mental health care can help you increase your and your family's resiliency during this time of transition. We have mental health professionals that have experience working with spouses and family members of veterans and provide tools to strengthen your resiliency. Call us at (541) 426-4524.
As you support the Veteran in your life, we are here to support you. As a Triwest network provider, your care is covered when you receive services from us.
Maintaining A Strong Body And Mind
Here are some important tips and suggestions for maintaining a strong body and mind for you and your family:
- Reach out to other veterans or veterans’ groups (in our community you can reach out to the VFW, Divide Camp, and Elks Lodge). It's much easier to make the transition when you're not alone. Social support from non-veterans helps as well. Locate a spiritual or religious advisor you enjoy talking to, or a mental health professional (we have several who enjoy talking with veterans!).
- Talk to family and friends about your experiences. Even if they don't fully understand what you're going through, it helps them to understand why you may have trouble interacting at times.
- Recognize that others might not understand your military service or your views. If you talk about your experiences and get a negative response, let it go.
- Prepare ahead of time for insensitive questions or topics of conversation. You don’t need to tell anyone about your experiences unless you want to. Practice how to respond or respectfully decline to answer.
- Search the web for information on mental health and transitioning. Identify strategies ahead of time to support your transition. Real Warriors and Health.mil are great sites for all soldiers, whether they be active duty, National Guard or Reserve, or veterans and their families. The information and tools there can help with everything from budgeting and work to insomnia, PTSD, and depression. Make the Connection additionally shares stories from real veterans on their journey of recovery, transitioning to civilian life, maintaining healthy relationships, managing PTSD, reconnecting with family and so much more.
- Take care of your body and your mind by proactively finding veteran-friendly health services in your area. Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness is one veteran-friendly health service in Wallowa County. All our health providers care deeply about veterans and their families. You can also obtain information on local services through My HealtheVet, the VA’s online personal health record. This site for veterans, active duty service members, and their families provide access to health records, a personal health journal, online VA prescription refill information, and details regarding federal and VA benefits and resources.
- Take your time reconnecting with family and friends. When you were serving, your role in the family was “distant service member.” Now you and your family are developing a new role for you. Since time has passed, your new role might not be identical to your role before serving. You and your family will adjust and be stronger than before, but don’t expect the adjustments to happen immediately.
- Try to be patient with your civilian coworkers and the civilian work schedule. At times you may feel frustrated that employees in civilian life leave when the workday officially ends, regardless of whether the “mission” for the day is complete. They may appear less committed than you're used to, and less interested in teamwork. You may also find that you and your civilian coworkers have different modes of speech at the office. Military jargon is a complex language and you might feel like you’re having to translate yourself into “civilian English.”
- Recognize that you will feel frustrated sometimes while returning to civilian life, but frustration is normal during this transition. In fact, frustration is a sign that you’re adjusting and growing stronger.
- If you find yourself growing more frustrated or isolated over time, talk to a health professional about whether mental health care can help you increase your resilience. The Department of Defense sponsors coaching and support at In Transition (1-800-424-7877). Medical professionals can help you come out of this transition stronger than before. Our mental health professionals are available to help you increase your resilience as well. Call us to get started at (541) 426-4524.
The important thing to remember is that you’re not alone. There are many people who want to support you. You can start preparing now, by looking at the VA’s list of common challenges and solutions, or the MilitaryOneSource database of websites offering assistance with the transition to civilian life. Remember we are here for you and your family.
Our Services
We are ready to help you and your family maintain a strong body and mind. Many of our staff have served or are dependents of veterans and understand military culture. We can provide you and your family with tools to build resiliency and lead strong lives.
We provide a wide range of services for you and your family. Here are just a few:
We also encourage you to take advantage of the services at Wallowa County Veterans Services.
