JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
More than 10 years ago, the Army initiated a confidential
counseling program that helps military members and their families cope with the
stresses of deployment and other issues unique to the military lifestyle.
Administered by Magellan Health Inc., a health care
management company, and MHN Inc., a mental and behavioral health services
company, the Military and Family Life Counselor Program is now entrenched on
installations throughout the armed services, including Joint Base San Antonio,
which is home to more than 30 licensed clinical providers known as MFLCs.
“The program provides short-term, situational,
problem-solving, nonmedical life counseling services to active-duty military
members, as well as the National Guard and Reserve, and their family members,”
Brian Dougherty, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Military & Family Readiness Center
director, said.
“It’s a non-threatening way for service members and their
families to talk to someone in a comfortable setting,” he said.
Dougherty said military members and their families may meet
MFLCs in an office at a military and family readiness center, a restaurant, a
coffee shop or any place that is convenient for them.
Confidentiality is a key feature of the program, Vonda Ware,
JBSA-Lackland M&FRC director, said.
“By far, the biggest attraction of the MFLC program is that
those seeking nonmedical counseling through this program are granted
confidential and off-the-record counseling, except when mandated to report in
cases of preventing harm to self or others, which means they experience no
career repercussions or impacts as a result of seeking help,” she said.
Dougherty said service members are often reluctant to seek
help because they believe their careers will be affected.
“But in this program, there are no records kept unless there
is an indication of child abuse, domestic abuse or other duty-to-warn
situations,” he said.
Those cases must be reported to the proper authorities,
which, depending on the situation, include the M&FRC director, military
police or security forces, and family advocacy and behavioral health
professionals.
MFLCs, who have a master’s degree or doctorate in a mental
health-related field such as social work, psychology, and marriage and family
therapy or counseling, help military members and family members address a
variety of issues, Dougherty said.
Some issues stem from the military lifestyle, including
deployment stress, coping skills, homesickness, relocation adjustment,
reintegration, separation, resiliency and dealing with sadness, grief and loss,
while life skill issues range from anger management, communication and
relationships to conflict resolution, parenting and decision making.
Dougherty said JBSA has 13 MFLCs for adults, including seven
at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, four at JBSA-Lackland and two at JBSA-Randolph.
Three of JBSA-Fort Sam Houston’s MFLCs for adults are
embedded in two brigades and one battalion, two support the student population
and two are assigned to the M&FRC. JBSA-Randolph’s M&FRCs have two
counselors, while JBSA-Lackland has two counselors assigned to the M&FRC
and one each embedded in the 802nd Security Forces Squadron and 59th Medical
Wing.
The Child and Youth Behavioral Counseling Program is an
extension of the MFLC program specifically for young family members. JBSA has
19 MFLCs for children distributed among the schools and youth centers.
“For embedded units, one of the most common issues at JBSA
is work-related stress,” Dougherty said. “At military and family readiness
centers, common issues are primarily family- and deployment
reintegration-related.”
Issues at schools and youth centers relate to child behavior
for young children and relationship concerns for older teens and youth, he
said.
Statistics show that service members and their families are
using MFLC services. In July alone, 1,307 counseling services were provided at
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, 677 at JBSA-Lackland and 149 at JBSA-Randolph. Similar
numbers were posted in May and June.
Heavy use of MFLC services is occurring at JBSA-Fort Sam
Houston training schools, where students experience increased stress due to
personal, professional and academic issues, Dougherty said.
“Students are under tremendous pressure, but there are a lot
of success stories,” he said.
Master Sgt. Joe Ugarte, JBSA-Randolph Military and Family
Readiness NCO in charge, said the program especially helps families cope with
the absence of their loved ones during deployments.
“I believe this program is successful because no records are
kept and people can meet up with MFLCs at our local coffee shop,” he said.
“Sometimes people don’t have anyone to talk to and our MFLCs can provide those
short-term solution-focused counseling sessions.”
Dougherty said using MFLC services can also lead to
long-term care.
“In my experience, the MFLC program serves as a bridge
between service members seeking behavioral health services and not seeking
those services,” he said.
Dougherty called the MFLC program “one of the most valuable
Department of Defense programs that supports service members and their
families.
“It’s like a blessing to them,” he said.