James Donaldson on Mental Health - Does mental health care risk a military career?

At the forefront of the military’s mental health efforts is the Brandon Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021.

DHA officials say it “empowers service members to receive the help they need” through confidential mental health referrals.

“The purpose of the Brandon Act is to reduce the stigma associated with mental health,” officials said.

Service members are also turning to outside advocacy organizations, where they find off-the-record peer support and simpler paths to care.

While these agencies don’t replace active duty, in-house mental health care, they do lower some of the barriers and stigma.

“Organizations like Wounded Warrior Project work deliberately to counter that stigma by reshaping how help-seeking is viewed and lowering those barriers,” said Gray.

“We also try to encourage that peer-to-peer connection.” Headstrong, said Williams, zeroes in on the “first year after separation … because we know that that’s a high-risk time for people in terms of suicide.

So we kind of targeted that as an area where we wanted to lean in.” Williams noted that coalitions of military and veteran advocacy organizations are coming alongside the Armed Forces and VA in providing mental health care.

She highlighted the Bush Institute’s Veteran Check-In, which is a “one-stop shop” for those seeking care, and USAA’s Face the Fight, which funds programs and fosters partnerships between agencies.

“There’s so much help out there that I would just urge people to reach out sooner and not wait until it becomes a crisis,” said Williams.