Photo By NMCCL Public Affairs | Julia Brown, a Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune (NMMCL) behavioral health consultant...... read more read more
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune has provided more than 80 years of dedicated, passionate care for warfighters and beneficiaries at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and each health care plan requires a mix of team members and disciplines unique to the individual patient.
Potential team members may include the NMCCL behavioral health consultants (BHC) who work out of the Family Medicine Clinic. BHCs are psychologists and social workers who provide care for a wide range of behavioral health conditions, chronic medical problems and adverse health behaviors in conjunction with the Primary Care Manager (PCM).
“A lot of our cases are handoffs from the providers,” said Brienna Thompson, a NMCCL behavioral health consultant. “Somebody will come in, maybe for a twisted ankle, and during intake the person may disclose being depressed and anxious. Their [PCM] usually then says, ‘I got the person for you’, and that is when we end up getting their patients.”
BHC-referred patients typically face conditions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, relationship problems, and diabetes.
“Insomnia and pain management are areas that get a lot of focus. Pain can really interfere with patients’ enjoyment of life, relationships, and the way that you see yourself,” said Julia Brown, NMCCL behavioral health consultant. “I also do a lot of work with weight management… weight management is more than just having an injection, taking a pill, and losing the weight. Your behaviors and habits play a big part in your weight.”
BHCs typically perform brief, focused assessment and intervention with patients to assist them in making behavioral changes to optimize their own health, but for patients who may require more intensive services, BHCs will help link these patients to specialty, behavioral health services.
“Retirees, active-duty, dependents – our doors are open to anybody with TRICARE,” said Brown. “Everyone should have access to the services that they need, and one thing that I like about where I’m at is if the patient needs additional skills to manage a particular symptom, I can do a referral for counseling, and they can get the more specialized care that would be beneficial.”
NMCCL BHC appointments are not limited to just in-person; My Military Health Scheduled Virtual Visits are available for primary care Family Medicine appointments.
“I know that for a lot of our dependents, there’s only one vehicle and it’s hard for them to get to [in-person] appointments. I like the first appointment with me to be in person, just so you know who you're talking to, and then after that I'm okay with doing a computer or telephone appointments,” said Brown.
The month of March is observed nationally as Social Work Month. NMCCL recognizes its various social workers and their dedication to our beneficiaries.
“Social workers are far more than [Child Protective Services], [Department of Social Services], and therapy. My specialty is military deprogramming; taking combat military that have very specific specialized training and teaching them how to turn that off and be a civilian. It's a lot of mental health skills bridging and therapeutics,” Thompson said. “A lot of my time is spent advocating for change, and for me – it's the advocacy that ends up being what social work is for me primarily.”
For more information on virtual services, visit https://camp-lejeune.tricare.mil//Getting-Care/My-Military-Health
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2025 10:44 |
| Story ID: | 493983 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 193 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, The Crucial Role of Behavioral Health Consultants in Military Healthcare: Supporting Warfighters and Their Families, by Christopher Delano, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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