Improving awareness of behavioral health readiness

Abstract

Introduction: Readiness for worldwide deployments as force structure decreases is of vital importance to our military. Advances in access and efforts to decrease stigma for behavioral health (BH) treatment has impacted unit readiness levels. However, concern exists that there are still a significant number of service members with behavioral health conditions who are unable to deploy. This article outlines the current state of behavioral health readiness in one U.S. Army Division and provides a programmatic review of a systems based initiative, the Behavioral Health Readiness Tool (BHRT), designed to enhance awareness of current levels. Methods: BHRT was constructed in August 2015 and implemented in September 2015 by Unit Behavioral Health Officers. Current duty limitation profiles were reconciled with behavioral health utilization and pharmacy prescription data. Results were recorded for four enduring brigade combat teams over 7 months and reported to senior leadership on a monthly basis. A program review was conducted in April 2016 to determine whether the desired effect was occurring. Results: An approximate 1% of the Division’s population (100 per 10,000 soldiers) with a nondeployable behavioral health condition was found to be lacking documentation (profile) of the condition. If substance abuse was included, the total increased to a conservative estimate of 1.5%. On the basis of a limited pharmacologic review alone, an additional 2% to 3% of Division soldiers with minor behavioral conditions were also lacking a profile. Conclusions: The BHRT initiative was successful at improving behavioral health readiness by improving the documentation of nondeployable behavioral health conditions, fostering communication between parallel behavioral health services, increasing the visibility of Commanders to at-risk soldiers, and enhancing Commanders’ abilities to provide for the health and welfare of their soldiers.