USU's Center for Deployment Psychology Leads Nationwide Mental Health Initiative

USU's Center for Deployment Psychology bridges a critical gap in care for National Guard members through Star Behavioral Health Providers, which trains civilian mental health professionals nationwide and connects service members with military-aware therapists in their communities.

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Wilfried Rumingan, project coordinator with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Center for Deployment Psychology, represents SBHP at the 2025 American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 25, 2025. The conference gives mental health counselors the opportunity to learn how SBHP equips clinicians to support service members, veterans, and their families. (Photo courtesy of CDP)

December 24, 2025 by Dr. Paula Domenici, Program Director, Training & Education, HJF employee collaborating with Center for Deployment Psychology

The Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University (USU) leads a vital initiative to enhance mental health care for service members, veterans, and their families with an emphasis on members in the National Guard (NG) community. This effort is at the heart of Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP), a novel collaboration that addresses a shortfall in mental health services for NG members who often lack access to care and resources at military installations.

Addressing a Civilian Care Gap

Unless activated on orders, NG members typically don't receive services on military bases and must instead rely on civilian mental health care in their communities. Yet, many civilian clinicians lack the necessary training for serving military-connected clients. Without that preparation, these providers may not recognize the stressors of military life or appreciate the values and nuances of military culture. This gap in understanding can leave NG members feeling misunderstood, potentially leading them to delay treatment or to discontinue care once they begin.

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Elizabeth Rose, project coordinator with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine,Center for Deployment Psychology, introduces the Tier One training offered by Star Behavioral Health Providers (SBHP) in Draper, Utah on June 21, 2025. She presents an overview of SBHP and its mission to kick off the one-day workshop focused on military cultural competence, unique characteristics of military families, and the impact on those who serve and their families. (Photo courtesy of CDP)

To bridge this gap, the CDP and the Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) at Purdue University founded SBHP in Indiana in 2011. The goal was simple: provide specialized training to civilian mental health professionals so they can deliver military culturally competent care that is evidence-based. Since receiving funding from the National Guard Bureau in 2019, SBHP has expanded from a state model to a national network and is now operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A Vital Directory and Tiered Training

A cornerstone of SBHP is its openly accessible provider directory, a resource that allows military members, veterans, and their families to find trained civilian therapists near them. Individuals can search this user-friendly tool based on their preferences and needs, including: in-person or telehealth services, location, concerns, payment methods including TRICARE, and other criteria. The directory also serves as a critical referral resource for NG Directors of Psychological Health (DPH) and Behavioral Health Officers (BHO), enabling them to connect NG soldiers and airmen with SBHP-trained providers in their communities. To be listed in the directory, providers must meet certain requirements. One criterion is completing the foundational Tier One training, Introduction to Military Culture and the Military-Connected Experience. Tier One is a prerequisite to all additional courses.

The CDP manages this national initiative and develops the training curricula, which are offered to enrollees as continuing education at no cost. Tier One training is a single-day workshop that introduces participants to the distinctive elements of military culture and life, exploring core values, service branches, missions and the roles of Active Duty, NG, and Reserve Components.

Tier Two, also a one-day workshop, covers four topics: posttraumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders, suicide and ethics. This workshop builds upon the foundational tier with more specialized sessions on psychological screenings and assessments for specific mental health difficulties often associated with military service, as well as ethical challenges unique to working with service members and veterans. After completion of Tier Two, participants can elect advanced training in Tier Three and Tier Special Topics. These advanced trainings offer more specialized skills and knowledge in evidence-based psychotherapies to treat conditions such as PTSD, suicidal behavior, or insomnia, as well as high-priority areas such as moral injury, intimate partner violence, and lethal means safety counseling.

Evolving to Meet the Need

The CDP, in partnership with MFRI, regularly gathers input from DPHs, BHOs, and training participants to enhance the directory and training content, ensuring it remains up to date, easy to access, and evidence-based. Participants express feeling greater preparation and confidence in their ability to work with the military population after completing SBHP trainings. One participant noted gaining new insights into the challenges faced by Reservist and Guard units, while another, who initially felt unprepared, found the military-specific training valuable in complementing their graduate education. This feedback, along with quantitative data collected on pre- and post-training surveys, highlight SBHP's effectiveness in enhancing civilian mental health professionals' preparedness for serving military members, veterans, and their families.

As SBHP expands nationally, the CDP team is working to extend outreach to civilian providers across the country. They are also partnering with Air and Army NG behavioral health teams in all 54 states and territories to raise awareness of the directory as a referral tool and strengthen collaborations. The project's paramount goal is to remove barriers to care and make the connections between service members and trained civilian mental health professionals as simple and seamless as possible.

Civilian therapists interested in SBHP professional development opportunities can learn more at https://starproviders.org. Military-connected individuals can also use the site to find military-informed clinicians ready to help, while DPHs, BHOs, and other professionals working with the military community can search the directory to connect service members, veterans, and their families with the support they need.

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During an SBHP workshop, a CDP instructor discusses military subcultures to help civilian providers better understand the unique environments service members operate in. (Photo courtesy of CDP)