Austin calls for increased efforts to destigmatize mental health care

2022-06-02T12:27:16-04:00

Part of the nation’s “sacred obligation” to supporting military families is destigmatizing the seeking of mental health care, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in an address before the 28th annual National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp, sponsored by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).

“You have heard me say this before, and I intend to keep on saying it: mental health is health, period,” he said in the May 28 speech in Arlington, Virginia, during official Memorial Day weekend activities and Mental Health Awareness Month.

Austin said that means increasing access to mental health care for families who have lost a service member and continuing U.S. departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) initiatives to prevent deaths by suicide in the military and Veteran community. He also called for closer collaborations among DOD and VA, state and local governments, and community organizations “big and small” to bring attention to this issue and resources to those in need.

National mental health crisis

Austin’s remarks come a few months after the White House announced a new strategy to address what it called America’s national mental health crisis and amid mass shootings of school children and shoppers, an ongoing pandemic and other heart-wrenching events. The strategy calls for more mental health funding, research and services, including improved same-day care for Veterans at risk of mental health and substance use issues (https://rly.pt/3iAk8aV).

Saying he was mindful that Memorial Day 2022 is the first since the United States withdrew its military from Afghanistan on Aug. 30, 2021, Austin took a moment to acknowledge the sorrow felt by the family members of the 2,461 service members and personnel lost in America’s longest war.

“For surviving family members, we know that grief is with you every day and not just on Memorial Day,” the secretary said. “We know that, after losing a loved one, it can feel like time grinds to a halt.”

TAPS provides critical support for grieving families

Austin singled out TAPS for its work to care for and assist these and other families grieving the loss of a service member, noting the organization’s connections last year with more than 9,000 newly bereaved family members.

“You’ve taken families to ball games so that they can meet one another,” he said of TAPS, a nonprofit Veterans service organization independent from DOD. “You’ve helped thousands with your training programs on grief, trauma and suicide prevention. You’ve provided space to support children and teenagers going through unbearable loss, and you’ve given people new hope and a strong community that they can rely on.”

TAPS has since 1994 operated programs here and abroad for adult and youth survivors of the death of a military or Veteran loved one. According to its website, free services and programs include:

The annual Memorial Day weekend National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp held in the Washington, D.C., area and virtually (https://www.taps.org/memorialday), regional seminars and Good Grief Camps at various locations around the country (https://www.taps.org/seminars/2022) and archived survivor seminars (https://www.taps.org/stories/?category=Videos&tag=Seminars).

Suicide loss support, including workshops, trained care teams, peer mentorship, online chats to help survivors stay connected with others and casework assistance in obtaining benefits and financial support in the wake of a death by suicide (https://www.taps.org/suicide).

Peer mentorship, including for newly grieving survivors and for survivors who are 18 months beyond their loss who want to mentor others (https://www.taps.org/peermentors) and online peer mentoring training.

Volunteer opportunities, including for active military, Veterans and Good Grief Camp graduates who want to mentor surviving youth; for those who want to support local survivor seminars and other local events; or for those who want to volunteer providing administrative support at TAPS’s national headquarters in Arlington (https://www.taps.org/volunteer).

TAPS also offers 24/7 support to grieving individuals and families who call [login to see] . If you are or know a Veterans in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line at [login to see] , and press 1.

Learn more

“Austin says DOD must increase efforts to destigmatize mental health care,” news release, May 29, 2022, https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3046883/austin-says-dod-must-increase-efforts-to-destigmatize-mental-health-care/source/austin-says-dod-must-increase-efforts-to-destigmatize-mental-health-care

TAPS, https://www.taps.org

“Department of Defense mental health resources for service members and their families,” news release, Aug. 18, 2021, https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2737954/department-of-defense-mental-health-resources-for-service-members-and-their-fam

“5 mental health resources for spouses and partners of service members and Veterans with PTSD,” RallyPoint, March 18, 2022, https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/5-mental-health-resources-for-spouses-and-partners-of-service-members-and-veterans-with-ptsd

FACT SHEET: President Biden to Announce Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis, As...

In his first State of the Union, the President will outline a unity agenda consisting of policy where there has historically been support from both

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2022 1:01 PM

2022-06-02T13:01:30-04:00

Good Mental Health is as important or perhaps more important than most general physical ailments... There should be no Stigma associated with mental health, but we the people seem to gravitate to using it... We need to do as much as possible to eliminate the stigma, for all people with mental health (Hidden) disabilities... Just saying...

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2022 2:35 PM

2022-06-02T14:35:47-04:00

Long overdue...

Response by CPL Douglas Chrysler made Jun 2 at 2022 3:44 PM

2022-06-02T15:44:00-04:00

Can you blame most people? I mean if you go in to get your foot worked on, you get your foot worked on. If you go in for mental problems, you get stripped of many of your rights.

Response by 1SG Russell S. made Jun 8 at 2022 1:35 PM

2022-06-08T13:35:58-04:00

Austin said it; so shall it be done.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 9 at 2022 12:57 AM

2022-06-09T00:57:05-04:00

We need SOPs for those who have mental challenges. Considering how important this topic is, not having an SOP is silly. People who end up leaving the military and is assessed by the VA take the institutional knowledge with them. The following soldiers have to reinvent the wheel because there is no SOP. Without SOPs there are no standards.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 14 at 2022 9:57 PM

2022-06-14T21:57:16-04:00

What I find amazing and appalling is we have all these wise, old, powerful people who say what the End-State is, but nobody can figure out a comprehensive plan to incorporate Ways and Resources.