Glossary

Chaplain - A chaplain provides spiritual, pastoral, and psychological and emotional support for Service personnel. They also conduct religious services on installations and in the field. They may be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhist. Many chaplains have a degree or training in mental health and most provide non-medical counseling to military members when requested. Any communication to a chaplain or chaplain assistant given as a formal act of religion or as a matter of conscience will be considered a Privileged Communication. A chaplain or chaplain assistant may not disclose the content of such communications without the express consent, preferably in writing, of the person to whom the privilege belongs.

Clinical social worker/counselor - A clinical social worker or counselor is an individual with a Masters Degree or greater in social work, psychology, clinical counseling, or marriage and family therapy. Clinical social workers/counselors are usually required to have a minimum of two years supervised in-person counseling experience and pass a state licensure/certification examination.

Community mental health center - These are treatment centers where both short and long-term counseling are typically available. They receive state and federal funding and may be available at no cost or very low cost for those who qualify. These centers are a good option for Reservists or National Guard members who are not currently activated and who may not have private health insurance that covers mental health benefits. To find a community mental health center, please use this locator.

Confidentiality - This describes how information is treated in a relationship of trust. When counseling is provided in a confidential setting, information provided during those counseling sessions will not be shared with others without the express permission of the person seeking counseling. The only exceptions to confidentiality are for mandatory state, federal, and military reporting requirements (i.e., domestic violence, child abuse, and duty to warn situations). Even then, only those who need to be notified will be informed.

Counseling - A process usually involving a series of discussions with a trained counselor who can help clients identify feelings or problems, talk about them, and find ways to cope with or solve them. Counseling can occur individually, with a family, in a group, or in a combination of the above.

Diagnostic Statistical Manual - The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the handbook used most often in diagnosing mental disorders in the United States and internationally.

Duty to warn - When someone has reported information indicating that he or she may harm him or herself or others, or if a child is being abused, the counselor is required by law to report it to the proper authorities. Counselors should explain limitations to confidentiality and the duty to warn prior to the start of counseling.

Family Advocacy Program (FAP) - A program designed to address prevention, identification, evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, follow-up, and reporting of family violence. FAPs consist of coordinated efforts designed to prevent and intervene in cases of family distress and to promote healthy family life.

Informed consent - The process of informing an individual about the risks, benefits, and limitations of privacy during counseling. This relates back to the confidentiality of counseling sessions. The counselor may share the information from sessions when the individual has given him or her permission to do so.

Mental health professional - A generic term for a professional who is trained in understanding human behavior and emotions; this professional can be a psychologist, counselor, social worker, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, etc.

Military Treatment Facility (MTF) - A treatment center operated by the military, such as a hospital or clinic. Services at these facilities are provided at no cost for military members and their beneficiaries. An MTF can provide long-term counseling, medical evaluation, and other support services for long-term or chronic mental health needs. To locate the nearest MTF, please use this locator.

Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) - A program which ensures that each person who performs duties involving nuclear weapons meets the highest possible standards of reliability.

Psychiatrist - A medical doctor who has received additional training and served a supervised residency in the specialty of psychiatrics. A psychiatrist may also have additional training in a psychiatric subspecialty, such as child psychiatry or neuropsychiatry. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication.

Psychologist - A person trained and educated with a scientific focus to perform psychological research, testing, and therapy. Psychologists are interested in the relationship between the human mind and behavior. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication for treatment.

Veteran Centers (Vet Centers) - Vet Centers are community-based and part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The goal of the Vet Center program is to provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to eligible veterans in order to help them make a satisfying post-war readjustment to civilian life. Vet Centers also provide bereavement counseling services to surviving parents, spouses, children, and siblings of Service members who die of any cause while on active duty, to include federally activated Reserve and National Guard personnel.