As clinicians, we’re always looking for ways to help our patients learn more about psychological health conditions, how to seek help and how to help others. We urge that early intervention can positively impact their well-being and even their careers. We also know that almost half of patients who seek care leave treatment too soon, so it’s essential to direct them to resources that provide information to help between care and following care. Finding good resources that speak directly to patients can be difficult. Fortunately, the Real Warriors Campaign is only a click away.

Sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), Real Warriors is a multimedia public awareness campaign designed to encourage service members and veterans coping with mental health concerns to reach out for appropriate care or support.

The campaign offers resources that help reduce misperceptions about psychological health concerns and engage patients in their care. The content is written in clear, simple language, often in 500 words or less, to ensure that readers can comprehend the information quickly and easily.

Consider these tips to use campaign tools and resources in your patient care:

• Help service members better understand the whole treatment process, from symptom recognition to reintegration. Show them videos of real service members who engaged in treatment for psychological health concerns. These videos help dispel myths and model success.
• Explain your role and the care you provide by sharing articles such as “Types of Psychological Health Professionals” and “Understanding the Types of Psychological Health Care.”
• Link patients to resources to use between sessions, including the article “Healthy Ways for You to Manage Psychological Health Symptoms,” the DCoE Outreach Center where patients can confidentially speak or live chat with trained health resource consultants 24/7, and the Military Crisis Line for help in an immediate crisis.
• Order or download free campaign materials such as “5 Questions to Ask Your Psychological Health Provider” or the “Know the Facts” booklet. These tools help patients better understand psychological disorders and prepare for appointments with providers.
• Visit the website’s “Health Professionals” section to review evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, learn more about signs and symptoms of combat stress and learn how to build your own resilience through proactive self-care and stress management.