Officers who provide mental health care serve in a variety of roles in the Commissioned Corps, using a public health model based on building resilience and facilitating recovery for people with or at risk for mental illness or substance use disorders. We are clinical social workers, therapists, nurses, physicians, and psychologists. Officers provide clinical care, respond to public health disasters and emergencies, and develop and implement mental illness prevention and treatment programs that benefit entire communities. Our partnership with the Department of Defense will expand the number of mental health providers caring for military personnel affected by deployments, veterans, and families in need of mental health services and substance use treatment.
“Every day researchers are discovering more evidence that underscores the link between our mental health, our physical health, and our overall well-being. In the Commissioned Corps, mental health officers complement the health care provided to underserved populations and victims of public health emergencies to care for patients holistically.”
CAPTAIN KEVIN M. McGUINNESS
Chairman, Mental Health Functional Group Advisory Committee,
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Read CAPT McGuinness' Bio