Photo By Tech. Sgt. Tiffany Black | Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Frank A. Robinson, Navy Capt. Robert M. Schlegel, Navy...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Members of the Joint Stress Mitigation and Restoration Team, part of the Joint Medical Group at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, tend to service members from every military branch at their main office at Camp America.
The JSMART staff knows the mission at JTF Guantanamo is a difficult one for many service members. Aside from being away from family, spouses and friends, there are operational situations which can hinder an individual service member or a unit's readiness.
To mitigate this stress, JSMART provides individual and group support and counseling to members of the JTF. The JSMART consists of four members; a clinical psychologist and three qualified neuropsychiatric technicians. The team's main focus is on service members' mental health.
"Most everyone's mission in the Joint Medical Group is detainee health; ours is the service member's health," said Navy Capt. Robert M. Schlegel, a clinical psychologist and officer-in-charge of JSMART. "That is something we are very proud of and something we value. Our focus, which we can be very enthusiastic about, is optimal service member health. That's something that we obviously take very seriously [and are also] very enthusiastic about."
With deployments putting stress and strain on the individual service member and individuals closely tied to deployed members, like family members or friends, services are offered to help mitigate and alleviate some of the stress and concerns involved with being deployed. The JSMART members put forward a number of services for service members to take advantage of. Whether you have a deployment-related issue, an operational stress issue or have been diagnosed with depression or a behavioral health problem, JSMART has resources to help.
"We offer individual counseling, group counseling and camp outreach," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle K. Lafond, a neuropsychiatric technician with JSMART.
JSMART visits service members behind the wire on a regular basis, offering on-the-spot counseling to service members.
"We are constantly visiting the block, seeing the individual service members and letting them know we are here," Schlegel said. "We bring the famous JSMART stress management tools with us. The outreach can either result in individual sessions or on-the-spot interventions where there is a discussion about what resources are available in the community."
For Lafond and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Frank A. Robinson, a neuropsychiatric technician and lead petty officer with JSMART, the best part of belonging to the JSMART is looking out for their fellow service members and taking care of their own.
"It gives us that warm and fuzzy knowing that they have something hard to do but we are here to take care of them while they continue this hard mission," Lafond said.
"What I like and find most important here are the times I can go to all the different camps and talk to the personnel behind the wire," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joy F. Wilson, a neuropsychiatric technician with JSMART. "It gives me a chance to get to know the staff that's here and build a relationship with them. I like to reach out and offer any support they may need. I truly care about the [JTF] staff and their well being. So ultimately working behind the wire or in an outpatient setting has been nothing but a wonderful experience for me so far and I truly enjoy my job and position at JSMART."
"Ultimately we are all responsible for one another's morale," Schlegel said. "Every service member has the responsibility to look out for their [fellow service members]. It is our job to remind people of that and encourage that culture."
For more information about Joint Task Force Guantanamo, visit the Web site at www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.
| Date Taken: | 11.13.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2009 09:20 |
| Story ID: | 42199 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 1,934 |
| Downloads: | 236 |
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