This training is designed for civilian behavioral health providers who want to develop a better understanding about military culture so they can more effectively engage with Service members in their clinical work. The training presents information about who comprises the armed forces as well as basics about organizational structure, branches of service, core values, military missions and operations, as well as the differences between the active and reserve components.

Civilian behavioral health providers working with military service members and veterans often face ethical challenges unique to this population. Ethical practice is contingent on effective application of personal and cultural morals, as well as on following professional regulations and expectations. Information about informed consent, boundaries of cultural and clinical competence, disposition-driven diagnoses, multiple relationships, and professional fitness are all presented in the context of work with military-connected clients. Decision-making models are included to address ethical dilemmas, with specific presentation of the role of dual relationships within a clinical framework.

This training is designed for civilian behavioral health providers who want to learn about the impact deployments have on all members of a military family. It explores the unique experiences that Service members, spouses, and children face by presenting research findings and reviewing psychosocial stressors associated with each stage of the deployment cycle.

This introductory training will provide civilian behavioral health providers with an overview of considerations for working with military-connected families. It will begin by summarizing the basic demographics of military families and identifying unique experiences of military couples, spouses, and children. We will then discuss normative military family life stressors, as well as the benefits of military life. The training will conclude by highlighting a variety of strategies and resources that can be used by providers when working with military-connected families. Content focuses on the application of culturally informed intervention methods for working with military-connected families that have consistent and credible empirical support in the scientific literature.