For medical counseling or other medical mental health-related needs, service members and their families can be evaluated and treated at a Military Treatment Facility (MTF). The TRICARE website has a Military Treatment Facilities Locator that offers relevant contact information. Service members and their families can also seek mental health care through civilian providers. Further information on eligibility requirements and support provided can be found in the Mental Health and Behavior section of the TRICARE Website. The content in this section will primarily focus on non-medical counseling options. Non-medical counseling resources, such as those available through Military OneSource and the Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC) program, can be used as a preventative tool to address concerns before they potentially evolve into more serious mental health concerns. Non-medical counseling is generally short-term, problem solving, and solution-focused and can assist service members and their families in achieving a work-life balance that will contribute to their overall mental health and enhance military and family readiness.  Active duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, DoD civilian personnel designated as Civilian Expeditionary Workforce members and their families are eligible to receive counseling services  from Military OneSource and MFLCs.  Both Military OneSource and the MFLC program provide up to twelve free sessions of counseling per person per issue.

The Department of Defense is actively taking steps to increase education regarding counseling and mental health, provide easy access to a continuum of counseling support, and reduce the stigma associated with seeking counseling. Early intervention, especially for those experiencing problems after deployment, can make a great difference in treatment outcome.

Service providers can work both with military members and leadership to educate them about non-medical counseling options. They can also assist leadership in normalizing the use of non-medical counseling and advocating for the psychological health of their troops and families. MilitaryHOMEFRONT provides installation service providers with an abundance of official program information in one location. The Counseling section of MilitaryHOMEFRONT includes current and reliable information on program-related initiatives and news; links to relevant policies and legislation; Service-specific program links; and training resources, promotional materials, and management tools intended to help service providers promote a culture that encourages delivery and receipt of counseling support to improve the psychological health of the active force, National Guard and Reserve Component, DoD civilian personnel designated as Civilian Expeditionary Workforce members, and their families.

More information on counseling programs can be found in both the Troops and Families and Leadership sections.