Defense Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness Secretary Gilbert Cisneros Jr. has signed a policy implementing the so-called Brandon Act, making it easier for service members to seek mental health support.
“Our greatest strength is our people, and we are committed to their well-being,” Cisneros said in a news release. “Therefore, I firmly believe that seeking mental health treatment is a sign of strength and resilience. This policy, spurred by the passage of the Brandon Act, is an important step in ensuring that our service members are able to seek mental health treatment when and how they need it.”
Signed into law by President Joe Biden in December of 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, the Brandon Act creates a self-initiated referral process for service members seeking a mental health evaluation. It aims to reduce stigma by allowing them to seek help confidentially. It establishes a formal reporting mechanism for service members to communicate concerns about their mental health and the mental health of their colleagues and ensures that appropriate action is taken by the chain of command to address reported concerns.
The law is named after Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta, who died by suicide in 2018.
“We honor Petty Officer Brandon Caserta’s memory by ensuring that our Military Services have procedures and processes in place that allow service members to seek help confidentially, for any reason, at any time, and in any environment, and aim to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health care," Cisneros added.
Implementation of the policy will occur in two phases. In phase 1, due to start within 45 days, military departments are to establish procedures to implement the policy for active-duty service members.
In phase two, military departments are to work to establish policy standards for all service members not serving on active duty.
"Additional mental health resources include the 988 Veterans Crisis Line, Military OneSource non-medical counseling, and the 24/7 Psychological Health Resource Center, the DOD release said. For more information, visit health.mil/mentalhealth.
