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    Mental Health Matters Onboard NAS Sigonella

    ITALY

    09.28.2020

    Courtesy Story

    U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

    By MCSN Triniti Lersch, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

    When it comes to mental health for service members, civilians, and their families, Naval Air Station Sigonella has many available resources.

    The Fleet and Family Service Center, the mental health clinic at the U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella, and the NAS Sigonella chaplains are all here to provide such resources.

    Mental health is one of the key components in a healthy life. It goes hand in hand with physical health, and research shows that a strong mental health lowers the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which bolsters the immune system.

    If you ever hit a low and need someone to just listen and maybe provide some friendly guidance, meeting with a chaplain is always a good choice.

    “When I sit down to meet with a person, I let them lead them guide the conversation to what they want to talk about,” said Chaplain Lt. Ryan Albano. “I often ask guided questions to help identify underlying issues, supportive relationships, and tangible actions they can start doing that same day.”

    Chaplains can also help with grief and loss. “Our approach is to listen with compassion and walk through the grief process with our people and help them heal,” said Chaplain Lieutenant Commander Steven Hervey. “This includes education on the grief cycle, working together on coping skills for dealing with difficult emotions, providing a 100% confidential place to vent and process, and simply listen at times when others may not.”

    The chaplains are committed to confidentiality. Albano added, “Anything you share with us stays with us.”

    The Fleet and Family Service Center provides brief, nonmedical counseling for individuals, couples, and families that address defined problem areas.

    “FFSC provides individual, including child from age five and up, couples and family counseling,” said John Ferreira, NAS Sigonella’s Family Advocacy Representative. “Our role is to provide brief solution focused counseling.”

    “There are a wide variety of issues that bring people to counseling,” said Ferreira. “For example, we assist people with issues that include adjustment (such as coming to Sig), a death, COVID or another significant stressor in their life.” Some other issues that can be discussed in counseling include marital concerns, conflict with supervisor or coworker, co-parenting, family issues or issues children commonly face.

    The mental health clinic at the NAS Sigonella Hospital is another mental health provider on base. It provides psychology services, psychiatric services and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Programs (SARP). They assist with therapy, treatment, and evaluations for things like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug and alcohol abuse or dependence, and medication management.

    “We start with 90 minute assessments discussing current symptoms, past treatments and experiences, medical conditions, health history and plan of treatment,” said Mental Health and SARP Department Head Lieutenant Commander Chai Wu. “Treatment pace and content is usually patient driven. Medication and therapy are the primary modalities of treatment."

    For people who want to work on their mental health on their own, Wu has some suggestions. “Optimize sleep, diet and exercise,” said Wu. “Meditation and mental health apps like Headspace or CBT are good for anxiety and insomnia.”

    Mental health resources are still available amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are unable to make it to the mental health providers or counselors, there are easy options to communicate without face to face conversation. For example, FFSC offers teleconference appointments, and the chaplains offer dialogue through email or a HIPAA-compliant virtual platform.

    Although mental health providers onboard NAS Sigonella have changed the way they provide their service, they still give the same quality of assistance.

    “COVID-19 has created new challenges for service members and their families,” said Chaplain Albano. “I often tell my boys that they are living through historical times as nothing like this has happened for almost 100 years.”

    If you feel like you need extra support during uncertain times you can contact any of these services and they will help you in your time of need.

    ”Regardless of faith or no faith, race, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation,” said Albano. “I care about you and would love to support you in any way I can!” Military personnel have always had to take care of their health physically, but mental health is equally essential to mission success. If a service member is struggling mentally, NASSIG can provide the necessary care to support them and others in our community.

    story from: The Signature | August 7, 2020

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.28.2020
    Date Posted: 09.30.2020 10:53
    Story ID: 379508
    Location: IT

    Web Views: 115
    Downloads: 0

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