Laurie T. Martin

Among the counseling supports the U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) offers to service members and their families is short-term, solution-focused counseling for common personal and family issues, called non-medical counseling within the DoD. This chartbook summarizes findings from an evaluation of whether non-medical counseling provided by the DoD is effective in improving outcomes and whether effectiveness varies by problem type and/or population.

Among the counseling supports the U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) offers to service members and their families is short-term, solution-focused counseling for common personal and family issues, called non-medical counseling within the DoD. This report evaluates whether non-medical counseling provided by the DoD is effective in improving outcomes and whether effectiveness varies by problem type and/or population.

Survivors of improvised explosive device attacks often have traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Those recovering from TBIs often find they must coordinate services across multiple systems of care, something that would be difficult even without cognitive challenges. This report documents RAND s assessment of a program designed to facilitate care coordination for such individuals.

Over the past decade, the government has expanded funding and services to meet increasing demand for improved veteran access to high-quality mental health services. This report describes findings from a study designed to gather information on mental health related needs facing veterans in the Detroit metropolitan area to identify gaps in the support landscape and inform future investments for community-level resources to fill the identified gaps."

This report assesses the U. S. military s approach to reducing stigma for mental health disorders and their treatment, how well it is working, and how it might be improved. It presents priorities for program and policy development and research and evaluation to get service members the treatment they need as efficiently and effectively as possible."

Despite supporting more than 200 psychological health and traumatic brain injury programs, the Department of Defense lacks a way to develop, track, and assess the performance of this portfolio. RAND researchers developed a potential model and tools to support a centralized, systematic, and ongoing process to aid in making decisions around continued program support and expansion.