DVIDS – Information – I Am Navy Medication – and Behavioral Well being Tech – Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kevin Jiang

There's a commonsense normal that Kevin Jiang, the hospital's Corpsman Second Class, desires everybody to know relating to psychological well being.

“You don't have to attend till you’ve got an issue to hunt psychological well being care,” mentioned Jiang, a behavioral well being technician assigned to the Military Medical Readiness Coaching Command in Bremerton.

With the Division of Protection designating Might as Psychological Well being Consciousness Month, the position of BHTs like Jiang is essential in serving to to extend understanding of the significance of psychological well being and consciousness.

“A Navy behavioral well being technician is a specialty inside the doctor ranking that focuses on the psychological well being and well-being of service members,” defined Jiang, a local of Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of Temple Metropolis Excessive. Faculty in 2016 and Grand Canyon College alumnus in 2022. “Technicians are supervised by psychologists, psychiatrists and different psychological well being professionals to supply one of the best degree of care to service members.”

The NMRTC Bremerton Behavioral Well being division gives a variety of outpatient behavioral well being companies, as demonstrated simply up to now yr with particular person psychotherapy, operational and readiness-related psychological assessments, and Reliability Program employees evaluations. Employees for sailors, marines and coast guardsmen in 299 instructions rules. within the Pacific Northwest and as distant as Naval Air Station Lemoore. There was a excessive degree of scientific participation by Jiang and different behavioral well being technicians, which was characterised by their participation in 198 security checks, 1,092 entry to care appointments, and 130 group remedy periods, in addition to particular person follow-up care of sufferers.

“A Navy Behavioral Well being Technician is chargeable for triage assessments, security assessments, therapy planning, short-term particular person remedy, group remedy co-facilitation, and disaster intervention,” Jiang mentioned. .

BHTs within the Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program participated in scientific logistical help, which included receiving and reviewing 307 Drug and Alcohol Program Counselor packets on behalf of service members from instructions all through the Northwest area Pacific, scheduling 318 analysis appointments for these dedicated to its DAPA command. as self-referrals or command referrals, and coordinate the suitable degree of care wants for 318 sufferers inside the clinic or by means of scientific placement by means of case administration.

“BHTS are important to offering high quality psychological well being care to service members to enhance particular person effectiveness and high quality of life,” Jiang mentioned.

Army leaders have acknowledged that there are [still] There are boundaries for some to even contemplate looking for psychological well being care. Jiang and her division assist overcome these obstacles for anybody looking for sources for therapy and help with out concern of being judged or impacting their profession or safety clearance eligibility.

One such available useful resource is the Division of Psychological Well being's 'Psychological Well being Workplace Hours' for lively obligation service members to drop in any Thursday between eight a.m. and 9:30 a.m. to ask questions, queries, join with care, help, sources and knowledge. wants.

“I imagine that Psychological Well being [Office] The hours are phenomenal to take these first steps. It’s a secure area the place you possibly can discuss and determine with the supplier your subsequent steps,” Jiang beneficial, noting that, on the whole, the psychological well being division does a superb job reaching out to individuals who wish to rent their companies.

“The therapy is [usually] on his personal initiative,” Jiang added. “Service members usually come to the clinic entrance desk to schedule an appointment or can communicate with a supplier or unbiased doctor to make a referral.”

BHTs additionally take their specialised coaching on the highway, supporting the wants of the Navy's fleet by deploying to floor ships, in addition to aiding varied instructions with Particular Psychiatric Response Intervention (SPRINT) missions to supply well being help. short-term psychological reduction after traumatic occasions to minimize long-term results. psychiatric dysfunction and promote most psychological preparation.

“Being a BHT-qualified physician permits me to be extra thorough in offering healthcare,” Jiang mentioned. “I’m a greater listener and a greater communicator. “It’s not nearly service members being bodily wholesome but in addition psychologically resilient.”

The Division of Psychological Well being emulates the Protection Well being Company in selling resilience by together with some each day routines that anybody can implement to assist enhance coping expertise, equivalent to train, balanced vitamin, high quality of sleep, rest/meditation, aim setting and establishing social help connections. Jiang additionally advocates together with some easy steps that anybody can take to assist others.

“Probably the most vital items of recommendation I may give is to comply with up with others. Common check-ins with folks to see how they’re doing and providing help are very useful,” Jiang mentioned, additionally emphasizing that others ought to prioritize self-care and doing issues that deliver them pleasure.

Jiang has labored at Naval Medication for 5 years and serves as their clinic's referral supervisor. It was after finishing her sophomore yr on the College of California Riverside that she determined to enlist as a Navy hospital corpsman.

“I used to be ending my diploma in psychology and wished to do one thing new. My good friend enlisted as a physician after ending highschool. I adopted in his footsteps. “I all the time imagined myself working within the medical area,” Jiang mentioned. “Via the Navy, I’ve developed self-discipline, resilience and a way of id. I’ve additionally gained expertise collaborating with varied folks, which has improved my communication and problem-solving expertise.”

There have been intangible rewards for his efforts to assist others in want.

“Probably the most rewarding side of my place is witnessing sufferers' progress and progress all through their therapy,” Jiang mentioned.

Though NMRTC Bremerton is Jiang's solely obligation station, he elevated a Protection POW/MIA Accounting Company deployment to Vietnam for a stays restoration mission in late 2023.

“I supplied medical help to my staff and native Vietnamese employees,” Jiang shared. “I used to be glad I had the chance to work with my unbiased physician to supply medical help.”

Nonetheless, regardless of his affinity for his present place, Jiang has all the time dreamed of being a bodily therapist.

Which implies that it will likely be in a position to deal with each the physique and the thoughts.

When requested to sum up his expertise with Navy Medication in a single sentence, Jiang responded, “My expertise in Navy Medication has been rewarding and has educated me to be expert and resilient.”