Comments on: INFORMED CONSENT

By: Pamela

Pamela — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:31:54 +0000

I wanted to add to this response. I am a military member and I work in the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Both responses are correct in some way and a lot depends on the mission. I am stationed at a Missile Base and we have more stringent requirements for reporting individuals who seek assistance. If a member here seeks assistance (no matter what the assistance is for; parenting, marriage, ect) they are required to self report their visit. This even includes if a family member seeks assistance it can and does affect the military member’s ability to do their job.
The military knew it was a problem and a new program has been put in place that allows confidentiality for members (unless it is mandated by law). A civilian provider comes into the base on 45 day rotations (designed for short term issues) and is available to work with military members without the stigma fear that is still alive and present in the military. The provider reminds the individual about their duty to report but will not do the reporting for them. The provider can meet the individual off base to help provide a comfortable situation for the individual to find help. The program is a GREAT success and many people use it.
I will add there are still problems and some of the upper leadership wishes to get rid of the program because they feel it is unfair if they do not know a troop is having problems that could potentially affect their ability to do the mission.
With that being said, if an individual uses the Air Force counseling center (mental health) it must be reported to the Commander and the member is taken down from their ability to do their job (guaranteed).
It remains a problem in the military people are afraid to talk to someone out of fear of jeopardizing their career (especially at this base) but changes are being made. Hopefully upper leadership will send the message that getting help is more important than fear of their career and this response comes on the tail of two suicides at this base.

By: Ollie

Ollie — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:17:24 +0000

Over time the symptoms of depression got easier to handle as I developed an understanding of the disease, and tireless work on my self from a bunch of angles reaped enormous benefits. Would you agree with this approach?

By: Samuel Lopez De Victoria

Samuel Lopez De Victoria — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:34:51 +0000

I have treated veterans and current soldiers who had symptoms of PTSD. I am in private practice. I’ve had high ranking officers who have shared that they did not go see the Mental Health experts provided to them by the military. The reason was that they felt they would get blackballed and seen as a “crazy.” All future promotions would suffer. These individuals cannot afford to have any semblance of communication to their superiors that they had obtained mental health help. I know what military psychologists are suppose to say but depending if their offices are on base or off base, just that alone might make a huge difference in visibility in visiting a “shrink.” Some how, I have difficulty thinking that all is well in the area of “confidentiality” in the military.

Samuel Lopez De Victoria, Ph.D.
http://www.DrSam.tv

By: Will Wilson

Will Wilson — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:42:47 +0000

I am quite sure that is not correct. If that was in place, none of us would have ever risked being seen near the shrink’s office, much less talking to one.
As a military psychologist, I was required to inform the person and command if I thought he or she was a threat to self or other.

I think that comand is becoming much more aware of the need to give service members the opportunity to clarify their emotions and the thoughts driven by them. We are learning that to bottle them up creates a much bigger problem.

Will