Presentation Title
Counseling LGB Service Members in the Military: The New Culture of Acceptance
Location
Fenn Tower Ballroom
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Start Date
4-11-2014 5:00 PM
End Date
4-11-2014 5:50 PM
Abstract
Recent historically significant changes have occurred bringing with them new hope to the worlds of LGB service members. Never before in the history of the U.S. military has such a diverse group of individuals been able to serve openly and proudly like in today’s military. On September 20, 2011, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was officially repealed allowing lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members to serve openly in the military. Furthermore, on July 18, 2013 the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was also repealed opening up the availability of federal protections for married LGB service members, including veterans’ benefits, health insurance, and retirement savings. Together, these two monumental changes have provided significant benefits to a subpopulation of the larger military culture.
With these changes come significant considerations for mental health services for LGB service members. Namely, the ethical dilemma between reporting sexual orientation and patient care is lifted. Along with this positive change, several concerns still exist. Most prevalent concerns include continued sexual stigma and victimization, concerns related to revealing sexual orientation despite the new approval, and the potential that military mental health providers lack the experience to work effectively with LGB service members (Johnson et al., 2013). Although military personnel may not see LGBT as a sign of poor mental health, 39% of LGBT service members reported not wanting to receive mental health treatment from anyone associated with the military (NCCOSC, 2013). Hence, as future military psychologists, we desire to expand upon the role of mental health providers in this population as well as how we can prepare for the unique needs of this population.
Counseling LGB Service Members in the Military: The New Culture of Acceptance
Fenn Tower Ballroom
Recent historically significant changes have occurred bringing with them new hope to the worlds of LGB service members. Never before in the history of the U.S. military has such a diverse group of individuals been able to serve openly and proudly like in today’s military. On September 20, 2011, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was officially repealed allowing lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members to serve openly in the military. Furthermore, on July 18, 2013 the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was also repealed opening up the availability of federal protections for married LGB service members, including veterans’ benefits, health insurance, and retirement savings. Together, these two monumental changes have provided significant benefits to a subpopulation of the larger military culture.
With these changes come significant considerations for mental health services for LGB service members. Namely, the ethical dilemma between reporting sexual orientation and patient care is lifted. Along with this positive change, several concerns still exist. Most prevalent concerns include continued sexual stigma and victimization, concerns related to revealing sexual orientation despite the new approval, and the potential that military mental health providers lack the experience to work effectively with LGB service members (Johnson et al., 2013). Although military personnel may not see LGBT as a sign of poor mental health, 39% of LGBT service members reported not wanting to receive mental health treatment from anyone associated with the military (NCCOSC, 2013). Hence, as future military psychologists, we desire to expand upon the role of mental health providers in this population as well as how we can prepare for the unique needs of this population.
