Courtesy Photo | Portsmouth, Va (April 2) (left to right) LT Samuel Hart, LT Mackenzie Cummings, HM2s...... read more read more
**PORTSMOUTH, Va. (April 24, 2026)**A Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Team (SPRINT) from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) was deployed to Old Dominion University (ODU) from March 23 to 25, to provide critical psychological support to the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet population. The intervention followed the tragic shooting of an ROTC instructor, and a group of cadets subsequently killing the suspect, which deeply impacted the cadet community.
The SPRINT team’s mission was to deliver early psychological intervention, leader consultation, triage, and linkage to care, ensuring the mental well-being of the cadets during this challenging time. The team’s efforts were focused on addressing immediate emotional needs, normalizing stress responses, and connecting individuals to appropriate resources for ongoing support.
SPRINT was designed to provide mental health resources when local resources are overwhelmed or non-existent. SPRINT can be called by the Command for unit-specific mishaps, like training accidents, deaths, or suicides, and operational needs like units in combat.
“SPRINT is an invaluable resource for Commands, units, and individuals after an adverse event. Our amazing SPRINT members help to clarify and support coping processes, provide resources to Commands, and help connect those needing additional support to local resources. SPRINT remains a dynamic resource, adaptable to the needs of the specific event and the Command,” said Capt. Robyn Treadwell, Director of Mental Health at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. “Each member provides unique strengths and leans into the situation, and our team does a phenomenal job each time.”
For the ODU response, NMCP sent a 5-member team consisting of two Social Workers, a psychology intern and two Behavioral Health Technicians. Overall, there are 14 members available for deployment, with the ability to surge more members if needed. During their time at ODU the team made 88 non-clinical contacts with cadets and staff.
The team conducted coordinated group sessions emphasizing psychological first aid, helped cadets process their emotions, normalized stress responses, and identified those who may need additional support. Cadets received education on common post-incident reactions and were informed about available mental health resources. The team tailored this information to each cadet’s eligibility, including access to Military Treatment Facility (MTF) services and civilian or community resources.
“I had the opportunity to facilitate the senior class that was actually involved in the taking down of the assailant during that particular disaster,” said Lt. j.g. Kayla Neely, a social worker at NMCP. “We got the opportunity to provide the psychological first aid during that meeting with them. Kind of give them the opportunity to kind of get some of the things that they were feeling off their chest.”
The SPRINT team let the students know that they were a resource, and that that they were there for them. With the team’s help the students were able to process what they had experienced.
To ensure continuity of care, the team collaborated with ODU’s clinical counseling liaison for ROTC, reinforcing access to services and support systems after the SPRINT team’s departure.
The deployment of the SPRINT team underscores the Army’s commitment to the mental health and resilience of its ROTC cadets. By addressing the immediate psychological needs of their cadet population and providing pathways for continued care, the intervention aimed to foster healing and ensure that cadets have the resources they need to navigate this difficult time.
Navy Medicine is committed to supporting the mental health and recovery needs of our service members. The SPRINT team is one of many tools that Navy Medicine uses to address situations when individual sailors, or entire units experience an event that can affect their mental well-being.
| Date Taken: | 03.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2026 14:53 |
| Story ID: | 563546 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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