The ‘difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life’ is a key reason for high suicide numbers among military members, said a paper.
A sizable number of military personnel transitioning to civilian life are left uninformed about mental health assistance available to them due to inefficiencies in the military’s communication system, according to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The Department of Defense (DOD) conducts an “inTransition”
program connecting military personnel with mental health care services during their transition, like relocating to another assignment, leaving the military, or returning from deployment.
GAO found drawbacks in the program’s automatic enrollment process for personnel transitioning to a civilian life. Many of these automatic enrollees were never informed of being enrolled in inTransition, the July 15 report said
In 2022, the inTransition program failed to get in touch with 72 percent of the automatic enrollees, GAO found. Out of the 72 percent, 66 percent was accounted for by personnel who did not answer or return inTransition’s calls. The remaining 6 percent could not be contacted.
Failure to inform automatic enrollees is a major issue since such enrollments account for 85 percent of the inTransition enrollments.
“Program officials explained that the program’s method of outreach—telephone calls—may help explain the program’s difficulty in successfully connecting with its automatically enrolled service members because cold calls are an outdated form of communication,” the report stated.
“Expanding its outreach methods—such as through email, text, or the use of location services—could improve the program’s ability to successfully connect with its enrollees and potentially increase participation in the program.”
Service members transitioning to civilian life are automatically enrolled if they received mental health or traumatic brain injury care a year before their separation from the military.
It was found that the program enrolls people automatically two to three months after they are separated.
“This delayed timing may leave a gap in assistance to mental health services during a vulnerable period,” GAO said.
The report also questioned a lack of performance targets for the inTransition program. The agency suggested that establishing performance goals could improve outreach efforts.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.
Military Suicides, Transition Struggles
A 2021
paper estimates that there were 30,177 suicides among active duty personnel and veterans post-9/11. This is more than four times the number of service members who died in war operations during this period (7,057).
The paper attributed the suicide numbers to “high exposure to trauma, stress, military culture and training, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life.”
“In the post-9/11 era, the rise of improvised explosive devices (IED), the attendant rise in traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the war’s protracted length, advances in medical treatment that keep service members in the military longer, and the American public’s disinterest in the post-9/11 wars, have greatly contributed to increased suicide rates.”
According to a 2019
survey by the Pew Research Center, more than a quarter of veterans said they found it “very” or “somewhat” difficult to readjust to civilian life. The share was higher among post-9/11 veterans, with 48 percent sharing such a view.
Only about half the respondents said they were “very” or “somewhat” well prepared by the military to transition to civilian life. Roughly four out of 10 post-9/11 veterans said the government did not give them enough help.
Finding a job in the civilian market is another challenge faced by ex-military personnel.
“Military-to-civilian transition is the most fraught” for many service members as it requires them to make key decisions on where to settle down and what jobs to undertake, according to a June 11
report by the RAND research organization.
The group analyzed several federal military-to-civilian employment programs and found that very little support was given to help veterans “translate their military skills to the civilian labor market.”
Most of the government programs were focused on retraining, upskilling, or further education—many of which could take months or years to complete.
“However, many veterans want or need to move directly into employment,” the report said.
US Military Fails to Inform Personnel About Mental Health Care Services: GAO
Friends Read Free
A sizable number of military personnel transitioning to civilian life are left uninformed about mental health assistance available to them due to inefficiencies in the military’s communication system, according to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
GAO found drawbacks in the program’s automatic enrollment process for personnel transitioning to a civilian life. Many of these automatic enrollees were never informed of being enrolled in inTransition, the July 15 report said
In 2022, the inTransition program failed to get in touch with 72 percent of the automatic enrollees, GAO found. Out of the 72 percent, 66 percent was accounted for by personnel who did not answer or return inTransition’s calls. The remaining 6 percent could not be contacted.
Failure to inform automatic enrollees is a major issue since such enrollments account for 85 percent of the inTransition enrollments.
“Program officials explained that the program’s method of outreach—telephone calls—may help explain the program’s difficulty in successfully connecting with its automatically enrolled service members because cold calls are an outdated form of communication,” the report stated.
“Expanding its outreach methods—such as through email, text, or the use of location services—could improve the program’s ability to successfully connect with its enrollees and potentially increase participation in the program.”
Service members transitioning to civilian life are automatically enrolled if they received mental health or traumatic brain injury care a year before their separation from the military.
It was found that the program enrolls people automatically two to three months after they are separated.
“This delayed timing may leave a gap in assistance to mental health services during a vulnerable period,” GAO said.
The report also questioned a lack of performance targets for the inTransition program. The agency suggested that establishing performance goals could improve outreach efforts.
Military Suicides, Transition Struggles
A 2021 paper estimates that there were 30,177 suicides among active duty personnel and veterans post-9/11. This is more than four times the number of service members who died in war operations during this period (7,057).The paper attributed the suicide numbers to “high exposure to trauma, stress, military culture and training, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life.”
“In the post-9/11 era, the rise of improvised explosive devices (IED), the attendant rise in traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the war’s protracted length, advances in medical treatment that keep service members in the military longer, and the American public’s disinterest in the post-9/11 wars, have greatly contributed to increased suicide rates.”
Only about half the respondents said they were “very” or “somewhat” well prepared by the military to transition to civilian life. Roughly four out of 10 post-9/11 veterans said the government did not give them enough help.
Finding a job in the civilian market is another challenge faced by ex-military personnel.
The group analyzed several federal military-to-civilian employment programs and found that very little support was given to help veterans “translate their military skills to the civilian labor market.”
Most of the government programs were focused on retraining, upskilling, or further education—many of which could take months or years to complete.
“However, many veterans want or need to move directly into employment,” the report said.
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