Students head to their classes at Nile C. Kinnick High School on Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Seven schools on U.S. Navy installations in Japan, Europe and Guam will begin offering clinical mental health counseling this school year under a three-year trial program.
Licensed clinical counselors from Fleet and Family Support Centers will provide nonmedical counseling services two to three days a week at each school, according to an Aug. 25 news release by Department of Defense Education Activity.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to building resilient, well-supported students who are prepared to succeed academically and thrive in a dynamic world,” DODEA director Beth Narvaez said in the release. “By embedding licensed counselors into our schools, we are strengthening our Multi-Tiered System of Supports, reinforcing community connections, and investing in the wellness of military-connected families.”
The pilot program will be reviewed twice a year, with annual reports issued to guide future decisions, DODEA-Europe spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry said by email Wednesday. If successful, the model could be expanded to Army, Marine Corps and Air Force schools.
The initiative is part of DODEA’s Blueprint for Continuous Improvement, announced Aug. 4. The plan sets goals for student, school, talent and organizational development through 2030 and identifies “implementation of interventions and extensions based on student need” as a measure of success.
It helps “identify and provide the right level of support for each student, whether they need enrichment, targeted help, or intensive intervention,” DODEA-Pacific spokeswoman Miranda Ferguson said in early August.
DODEA and Navy Installations Command signed a memorandum of understanding for the pilot on Aug. 14, Tackaberry said. The command is still finalizing implementation plans, spokeswoman Destiny Sibert said by email Thursday from Washington, D.C.
“Once in place, counselors will be available to provide individual and group counseling, prevention education, and referrals to higher levels of care when needed,” she wrote. “This initiative reflects another important milestone in the Navy’s ongoing commitment to strengthening quality of service for Sailors and their families.”
One counselor will be assigned to each participating school, except Naples Middle-High at Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy, which will receive two, Tackaberry said.
Other schools in the pilot include E.J. King High at Sasebo Naval Base and Nile C. Kinnick High at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan; Guam High and McCool Middle on Guam; Rota Middle High at Naval Station Rota, Spain; and Sigonella Middle High at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy.
The Navy counselors will not replace DODEA-employed school counselors or psychologists, Tackaberry said. Instead, they will provide additional nonmedical counseling focused on resiliency, wellness and prevention.
Individual counseling will be conducted privately and confidentially, while group counseling will involve small groups of students, she said. Students may refer themselves or be referred by parents or school staff.
Counselors will also collaborate with school teams to promote mental health awareness and address student needs, according to the release.
