Photo By Sgt. Casey Collier | Cmdr. Dave E. Jones, from Navy Medical Center Portsmouth, Va., shares a lighthearted...... read more read more
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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — A U.S. Naval officer deployed to a sea of sand was recognized as the Navy Senior Psychologist of the Year.
Cmdr. David E. Jones couldn't accept the award in person because he was deployed here to Kandahar Airfield. Instead, the Navy did the next best thing.
"By the time the plaque and certificate ended up at the hospital, [Navy Medical Center Portsmouth] this past summer, we were already gone, getting ready with combat and pre-deployment training. So, my director, Navy Capt. Kevin Kennedy made arrangements to have my commanding officer, Rear Adm. Bob Kiser present the award to my wife and daughters", said Jones.
Every January the Navy's senior leaders in psychology convene to vote on the recipient of the award based on the range of effect the nominees have made in the field of psychology in the past year.
This year, Jones was recognized for his contributions, including two significant programs he helped start as the Head of the Psychology Department at NMCP in Virginia. "Even though I was recognized, it was a team effort" said Jones.
"In one of the programs, we started the first Navy Clinical Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellowship. We took two trainees into the program. They were people who had finished their internship, [one year in length] and we gave them an additional year of advanced training. We focused on treatment for depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and treatment for head injuries" said Jones.
The second program is a clinic for Soldiers in need of post concussion assessment, as well as Soldiers with brain injuries. Jones said although the clinic is a Navy clinic, they receive patients from other military branches as well.
Though he was usually concerned with administrative issues at Portsmouth, Jones' primary psychological focus since deploying to KAF has been as a clinician helping service members cope with issues ranging from sleep loss to combat stress.
In addition to his duties at Role 3, he has recently been appointed as Behavioral Health Consultant for Regional Command South. In this position he will determine the mental health needs for troops in the region and tailor resources to meet those needs.
Jones works with a nine person international team that encompasses a full spectrum of psychological services, including visits to outlying forward operating bases and combat outposts to assist service members there with Traumatic Event Management when necessary.
"When people are grieving, have anger, or are frustrated, those are normal reactions to abnormal events. We give people reassurance. We spend a lot of time helping people understand the stress of what they're doing out here, assisting with normal adjustment reactions to stressful situations", said Jones.
"I love doing this job and I thank God I have the opportunity to serve here at this time. The positive ripple effects of seeing a Soldier get healthy brings benefits not only to that person, but to the buddies he or she serves with and can even extend to their relationships back home. Getting help is not a sign of weakness, but a responsible way to solve problems before they get worse than they need to be".
The Combat Stress Mental Health Department at Role 3 here can be reached at DSN- 841-3302.
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 11.14.2009 07:07 |
| Story ID: | 41587 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 443 |
| Downloads: | 154 |
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