health.mil

Barbara Irwin  |  Health.mil

May 10, 2010

Frequent transitions are a part of military service. Active duty service members often relocate from base to base, members of the National Guard and Reserve transition between military and civilian lives, and, perhaps the most significant transition occurs when a service member separates from the military altogether. Consider this: A 20-year military career will likely include seven to 10 changes in station or status.

That’s why the Defense Department created inTransition, a new program that ensures continuity of behavioral health care for service members as they move between health care systems or providers.

inTransition is open to service members in all branches who are currently receiving mental health treatment and are transitioning station or status, such as those going through a permanent change of station or those going from Military Health System care to Veterans Affairs (VA) behavioral health care. Service members find inTransition appealing because it is voluntary, confidential and very simple. In fact, the entire inTransition process happens over the phone.

Providers can enroll transitioning service members in the program, or service members can enroll themselves, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year by calling any of the following numbers:

• Within the continental United States: 1-800-424-7877, toll free
• Overseas: 1-800-424-4685, toll free / 1-314-387-4700, collect

Providers and service members can also find program information and materials at www.health.mil/inTransition.

Although family members cannot directly enroll their service member in the program, they can contact inTransition to gain the information they need to encourage their loved one to use the program.

Once enrolled, the transitioning service member is assigned a personal transition support coach whose primary goal is to support the service member during the transition and help him or her connect with a new behavioral health provider at transition’s end.

The program’s transition support coaches are licensed, master’s- or doctoral-level mental health clinicians who understand military culture and will respect the service member’s privacy. They work with the service member through one-on-one, weekly coaching sessions by telephone – providing information, support services and community resources that empower the service member to continue behavioral health care engagement. Transition support coaches can also deliver coaching on life skills, behavioral health care treatment options, crisis intervention and family-related issues.

The inTransition program uses a tailored approach to address each service member’s unique circumstance and mental health care needs. Once an inTransition representative receives a call from a service member or their provider, the process goes like this:

• An inTransition representative confirms the service member’s willingness to participate and gathers the service member’s telephone and e-mail information
• An initial inTransition coaching call takes place, or an appointment is made for a future coaching session
• One-on-one weekly coaching by phone continues until the service member is connected to a new behavioral health care provider
• The assigned inTransition coach may follow up with the service member after transition’s end

Continuity of care is essential across all transitions, and psychological wellness is big part of contributing to a healthy, fit force. inTransition helps service members maintain continuity of behavioral health care while they make the transitions that are a part of life in the military, and it’s just a phone call away.

Health Care [News]  |  PTSD   mental health   DCoE   psychological health