Improving Behavioral Health Through Targeted Care

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FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

03.15.2024

Story by Pfc. Tiana Brown 

3rd Infantry Division

FORT STEWART, Ga. – Behavioral health (BH) affects Soldier wellness and can greatly impact overall unit readiness. Targeted Care, a new Army BH initiative aimed at reducing wait times and improving access to medical care resources, is taking shape at Fort Stewart.

“Behavioral health clinics are currently overwhelmed with patients,” said Lt. Col. Gina Wright, Chief of the Department of Behavioral Health. “This is affecting Soldier readiness and ability to be deployed.”

Since 2004, BH utilization across the Army has tripled. This increase in demand has caused a drop in availability, leading to longer wait times for Soldiers who are seeking behavioral health treatment along with other negative impacts to the access of care.

“The medical community has always considered the best resources for Soldiers through sick call, primary care and aid stations, but this approach has been difficult in behavioral health,” said Ms. Natasha Motley, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at the Multidisciplinary Behavioral Health Clinic. “There is limited access to care that is prolonging return to duty rates.”

Targeted Care seeks to ensure that everyone is offered the optimal resource to match their presenting concerns. For some, it is appropriate for treatment with evidence-based care provided by BH while others may receive better care through resources on the installation such as Military Family Life Consultants, Chaplains, Military One-Source and Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultants.

“Soldiers will contact the Embedded Behavioral Health Clinic (EBH) where trained BH technicians will begin a brief triage assessment we call ‘vectoring’ to determine whether the Soldier requires BH services or can receive better supported services available elsewhere on the installation,” said Wright.

The goals of Targeted Care are to maximize other resources the Army provides, address and treat more medical concerns, to get ahead of care through prevention and support services and be more timely with care.

“It is like a behavioral health sick call,” said Motley. “We will match Soldiers with resources for their specific concerns.”

Soldiers who require specialty care will be seen more frequently and group therapy will be available as another resource to be utilized for prevention and support. By convening evidence-based groups, Soldiers seeking care will have access to more frequent care which results in receiving more care at a faster rate, limiting the impact on unit and Soldier readiness.

“Any performance-based career is 90% psychological from professional sports to Soldiers,” said Mr. Brad Singer, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, Clinic Chief, Raiders Embedded Behavioral Health. “BH is what gets most neglected because Soldiers attempt to power through or fear a stigma whereas physical medical concerns are addressed immediately. For athletes to operate, they need all systems at 100% and Soldiers are athletes.”

BH will make efforts to ensure those who are seeking care are connected with the best suited resource. Targeted Care will improve overall readiness by returning Soldiers to the mission with full, unrestricted duty status as quickly as possible.

• Date Taken: 03.15.2024
• Date Posted: 03.19.2024 16:48
• Story ID: 466490
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US