Mental health: Fighting stigma, creating resilience

  • Published
  • By Airman First Class Cliffton Dolezal
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  The challenges of working in the Air Force can be both physically and mentally taxing. With the demands of the Air Force and every day responsibilities placed on Airmen, it's up to the mental health specialists of the Air Force to ensure that every Airman is mentally fit to fight.

Working with psychiatrists and psychologists to evaluate and provide health care to patients around the world, mental health specialists help Airmen overcome many obstacles to include intervention and prevention of mental health issues related to pre-deployment, post-deployment, stress, anger, anxiety, depression, adjustment problems and relationship issues. However, most people fear that walking through the doors into mental health will cost them their career.

"We're not here to judge you, we're not here to ruin your career, we're here to help you," said Senior Airman Leah Chhoeun, a 19th Medical Operations Squadron mental health technician.

The 19th Medical Operations Squadron mental health clinic is comprised of the mental health clinic, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program, the Family Advocacy Program and the Drug Demand Reduction Program.

The U.S. military faces many of the same challenges as the civilian society in addition to situations unique to combat environments. It is the undertaking of the mental health clinic to treat and prevent issues that burden military members that are too heavy for one to carry alone.

The Air Force key strategy to mental health awareness is resilience. Resilience helps Airmen overcome adversity, bounce back from setbacks and even grow as they overcome challenges.

Air Mobility Command utilizes the Comprehensive Airman Fitness strategy to help Airmen build and strengthen their mental, physical, social and spiritual fitness.
Base leadership has also focused on the duty to intervene as wingman.

"Our duty to intervene is inherent in being a wingman," said Col. Patrick Rhatigan, 19th Airlift Wing commander, in his Herk Call newsletter. "It is simply unacceptable to be a bystander and fail to take action when we see a fellow Airman doing something potentially harmful to themselves or others. Doing our full duty means standing up and not letting negative behaviors undermine our readiness or morale."

When it comes to mental health, knowing your wingman and intervening when you see something negative or inappropriate is crucial.

"People can come through our door, but ultimately we don't know people as well as their wingman or friends do," said Chhoeun. "It's up to you as a wingman to Ask, Care, Escort. If you notice a fellow wingman acting differently, ask those difficult questions because you're the first responder in that situation."

In addition to committed leadership, the Air Force suicide prevention and intervention models includes multiple levels of education, an integrated delivery system and elements to fight the stigma of visiting a mental health specialist, which may discourage individuals from seeking help.

"For a lot of people the hardest thing that they will ever do is walk through that door into mental health," said Chhoeun.

The Air Force has taken great strides to reduce this stigma by getting mental health personnel out of their offices and clinics and making themselves visible throughout the community, highlighting the programs that the clinic offers.

"I think the most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I'm helping people," said Chhoeun. "Making people feel comfortable and making them want to come here is important, because there is such a stigma with visiting mental health."

Members of Team Little Rock have many avenues to help them when in a time of hardship, whether its their wingman, supervisor, chaplain, mental health or through Leadership Pathways resilience classes. No one person must carry their burdens alone.

Team Little Rock launched Leadership Pathways to help support the CAF strategy and build resilience for Airmen and their families.

The program incentivizes participation in course and classes that support or focus on one of the four CAF domains. Helping agencies across the continue to . They have appeared during wingman days or are currently offered at the Airman and Family Readiness Center or by other base agencies.

The ultimate goal is to help Airmen, DOD civilians and their family members to become more resilient. Moreover, consistently providing these classes, may help reduce the stigma associated with seeking help. The courses will encourage help-seeking in a low-stress, classroom environment.

For more information on Leadership Pathways visit www.littlerock.af.mil/leadershippathways or call the community support coordinator Stephanie Wynn at (501) 987-1772.

Call the front desk of the mental health clinic at (501) 987-7338 for any questions about eligibility or appropriateness of receiving services from the clinic.