Rona Barrett, a TV personality, once said, “The healthy, the strong individual, is the one who asks for help when he needs it, whether he has an abscess on his knee or in his soul.â€
Today we are living in stressful times and it’s not always easy to maintain our resiliency, sometimes we need to ask for help.
The Air Force Reserve Command has put together a program to help its citizen Airmen maintain their balance and health. The AFRC Psychological Health Advocacy Program provides mental health resources to all AFRC members and their families, regardless of their deployment status. Their mission is to build a culture of support for psychological health prevention and resiliency which is a part of normal military life.
The Yellow Ribbon program provides regional mental health teams who assist reservists and their families to locate resources regardless of income or location and ensures that quality mental health care services are provided to those requesting services. They also provide wing leadership consultants regarding psychological health concerns.
“Our service is free and confidential with the exception of duty to warn, harm to self or others,†said Roselyn Leyva, AFRC psychological health advocacy outreach specialist in the western region. “We provide resource and referral services for any type of mental health issues as well as other issues such as child and youth, financial relationships, and more. Our objective is to be proactive and help to alleviate common stresses and strengthen emotional wellness.â€
AFRC PHAP services are free and available 24/7 for reservists and their families. Services are also confidential (exception of duty to warn).
“Our case facilitator will perform an initial assessment and provide resources and referrals,†Leyva said. “She also performs follow-up to ensure the Airmen or family members needs or concerns were met and will provide additional resources if needed.â€
In addition to a case facilitator, the program also has outreach specialists who are responsible for outreach, education, advocacy and training for installation leaders and Yellow Ribbon Program events. They also serve as liaison for Air Reserve technician’s at Reserve medical units.
Many resources are available by phone or online. Others are located in your community and some services will come to you. PHAP members use federal and private services such as active-duty and Reserve resources, Veterans’ Affairs, military family life consultants and Military One Source, to address relevant mental health concerns.
For more information, call a west regional representative:Â
Karen Orcutt, RN, (707) 424-2704
Suzy Phillips, (707) 424-8189
Roselyn Leyva, (707) 424-8896
