Leaders, how well do you think we're doing as far as mental health awareness?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 07:51:18 -0500

If you think we're doing well please explain how. Not in your personal experience but generally.

Same for if you think we're not doing well.

Thank you for your time.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Dec 3 at 2015 7:52 AM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 07:52:14 -0500

Today's leaders are probably more aware. However, that being said all leaders need better education on mental health in order to be able to determine what maybe happening and if intervention is necessary

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2015 3:34 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 03:34:41 -0500

We are doing pretty well. As you go up in rank, your issues goes up in ranks to. I think today's military leaders are embracing resiliency to deal with whetever issue they may have.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2015 5:39 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 05:39:58 -0500

Leader are doing an excellent jobs in taking care of their Soldiers now a days.....but some of us that have been in for well over a decade and seen how the Army use to handle mental health issues are unfortunately still sceptical of the system.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2015 1:43 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 13:43:11 -0500

It is a great resource for everyone. I also agree that soldiers and leaders are skeptical about it. I believe we should try to incorporate behavior health into MRT. Utilizing there expertise on the way people think and react goes hand in hand with MRT. Another change would be Unit training instructed by professionals that work there and get them involved with suicide prevention. My personal opinion on the new soldiers we are getting now is they dont know how to handle constructive criticism without getting there feelings hurt. If this were to happen soldiers and leaders may utilize there services more often. Also it gives them a chance to talk about managing personal lives and the stresses at home with experts.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 19 at 2016 5:43 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:43:50 -0400

The army has come a long way but still has a long way to go. The last decade of deployments has made the issue more critical and personal to soldiers and leaders. WTU has also played an important role in helping soldiers that might otherwise get marginalized or even victimized. What has been an interesting trend for me lately is seeing new soldiers get mental health treatment for issues that occurred before or outside their military experience. That is something that was almost never looked at before. Long ago people only worried about PTSD. But other traumas such as sexual assault are equally important when it comes to caring for our formation. It all comes back to knowing your soldiers, talking to them, taking them seriously and not judging them when they need help. As a platoon sergeant I went through my own period of trauma and my 1SG was both direct and compassionate with me. He asked me if my ability to lead was compromised. He asked me if I needed to talk to someone outside of command. I went to BH and continued to lead my formation with great success. I pretty sure the soldiers knew I was going through something but that I was getting help and still ready to help them.