Photo By Douglas Stutz | a calming presence…Lt. Daniel St. Clair, Mental Health division officer, Substance...... read more read more
It was through an internship that Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Bremerton’s junior officer of the quarter began his Navy career.
Lt. Daniel St. Clair, from San Jose, Calif., had decided that his top choice for internship and residency in clinical psychology was at Naval Medical Center San Diego, which he completed in 2018.
Being part of Navy Medicine also seemed to offer the most interesting prospects in his chosen field.
“The diversity of career opportunities within the Navy, [and a] chance to expose my family to a variety of cultures and experiences they would not necessarily receive otherwise,” said St. Clair, who graduated from Valley Christian High School in 2000, followed by Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo in 2006, with his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, and Master of Arts in Spiritual formation and Soul Care in 2011, M.A. in Psychology in 2015 and Psy.D (doctor of psychology) in Psychology in 2018 from Biola University.
Four years – and counting – later, St. Clair is Mental Health division officer, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) director, and clinical psychologist at NMRTC Bremerton.
“I have always been interested in people. Interested in why they think or act in various ways. This was true in my own life. I wanted to better understand and makes sense of my own experience. I worked in social services for many years, wanted to have more tools to help those that were struggling. Felt I didn’t or could help in ways they needed. Sought psychology as a profession to better understand the human condition and provide effective ways to help people heal and thrive in life,” St. Clair said.
St. Clair and NMRTC Bremerton’s Mental Health department provide a wide array of behavioral health services, which includes around-the-clock individual and group consultation. Alongside with his leadership role, he also manages a panel of patients, and is responsible for sustaining the psychological resiliency and mental readiness of military members through the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based treatments.
In response to the global pandemic, St. Clair helped lead Mental Health and SARP on converting their care delivery model from 100 percent face-to-face to 93 percent virtual care through both telephonic and video-assisted modalities. The clinic was the first to author and execute a standard operating procedure that ensured the safe delivery of virtual care. Their lessons learned laid the groundwork for delivering video-assisted care across numerous ambulatory care clinics and throughout the Military Health System Puget Sound Market.
“We transitioned fairly quickly to virtual platforms that allowed us to maintain services. We had to learn (often by trial and error) what worked and what didn’t in reaching patients through the virtual platform. Behavioral health is a highly relational service. Not being able to be in person was difficult. Much of what we do and understand is communicated through nonverbals. It was a learning curve for us as clinicians but also for our patients,” St. Clair said.
As a result of his initiative and commitment to the well-being of Sailors and Marines, he was recently recognized as the command’s junior officer of the quarter.
“This recognition is very little about me or my achievements. It really is a recognition of those that have helped and contributed to my growth and development professionally and personally. I stand on the shoulders of giants. It’s their work in my life that is being reflected here,” St. Clair said, acknowledging that his role as a licensed clinical psychologist and division officer of SARP is crucial to behavioral health and wellness for those in need.
“As much as we try to overcome it, there is still a stigma attached to behavioral health. In my role, I try to normalize the truth that each of us struggles. Each of us have been hurt. We are all human. We need one another. We heal and overcome through relationship with one another. That is where I come in. I try to offer a space where people can simply be. With all their struggles. With all their hurt,” explained St. Clair, noting that his role in SARP – which cared for approximately 6,700 patients last year - is predicated on supporting those in need.
“I help men and women struggling with substance use better understand themselves, the role substances have held in their life, and how it has been/will continue to affect them,” added St. Clair. “I help them find the tools to live a life of sobriety. As SARP director my goal is to help them take control of their life, to see the choices they have and help them achieve the life they desire.”
St. Clair was also specifically selected to deploy onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) which returned from a five-month deployment in May into the Western Pacific, on the heels of a lengthy 2020 deployment impacted by a COVID-19 outbreak. He provided acute care, routine care, inpatient care and crisis response mental health services in support for four commands, nine squadrons, and over 5,500 service members.
“I was an individual augment aboard for half the deployment. It was an incredible experience being shoulder to shoulder with the men and women who put themselves out there day-in and day-out. My part was caring for the fleet. I provided psychological services to those who were struggling with behavioral health issues. I provided crisis interventions and also psychoeducation for commands. I assisted the ship psychologist with dispositioning. I spent a lot of time really attempting to help the Sailors settle into the deployment and engage in the resiliency they already had,” related St. Clair.
When asked to sum up his experience with Navy Medicine in one sentence, St. Clair replied, “Grateful for the opportunities to know our Sailors.”
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2021 10:40 |
| Story ID: | 404225 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 747 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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