New pre-deployment program to assist Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Matthew Hubby
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics Traumatic Brain Injury 4 program has been created by the Department of Defense to improve mental health programs for pre-and-post deployment.

The ANM is a computerized screening, about an hour long, to establish a baseline for brain function. Not an intelligence test or screening for mental illness, this screening's goal is to establish a baseline assessment prior to the servicemember deploying.

"This program is expected to assist us in better identifying possible issues," said Dr. Kate McGraw, 436th Medical Operations Squadron clinical psychologist. "It is not intended to prevent deployments or detect mental illness. It will just allow mental health to have an established baseline on file, which is valid for a year, to compare to when the servicemember returns home."

There is also the Traumatic Stress Response program to educate servicemembers on possible symptoms of stress they may encounter while deployed and when they return home, to help ease the transition.

"The DoD has also said that by July, 2010, people will be required to visit a mental health provider 60 days prior to deployment," said Dr. McGraw. "After that they will have to see the provider 90 to 180 after deployment and then again at the one and two year post deployment marks. This will hopefully reduce the stigma of visiting mental health and increase prevention and early identification for servicemembers who may be struggling with stress from their deployments."

There are also many services besides the mental health flight available to servicemembers at any time, some of these are: Military and Family Life Consultant, Alcohol Drug Abuse Prevention Training, Family Advocacy Program and the Airman Family Readiness Center.

"Deployments can be stressful," said Dr. McGraw. "But stress can always be overcome. If someone is threatening suicide, or feels suicidal, they should call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or call 911."