Leaders can ensure the well-being of their team during deployments by maintaining regular communication, providing access to mental health resources, promoting social support among team members, and addressing any stress-related issues promptly. Resources like the "Families Overseas Booklet" offer strategies for managing deployment impacts on Uniformed Personnel and their families.
For Leadership
A successful mental health strategy for leaders includes promoting mental health literacy, providing access to mental health resources, encouraging open discussions about mental health, and implementing stress management and resilience-building programs. The "mhGAP Operations Manual" guides leaders in integrating mental health services into their teams.
Leaders can optimise sleep by educating their team about its importance, promoting good sleep hygiene practices, and implementing strategies to manage sleep in operational environments. The "Leadership Training Module on Sleep" offers comprehensive strategies for leaders.
Leaders can promote mental resilience by providing training, encouraging open communication, and implementing stress reduction strategies. Resources like the "Sustaining Mental Readiness in the Context of Prolonged Stress" guide offer practical strategies for leaders to enhance team resilience.
Medical officers are crucial in delivering mental health care, conducting screenings, providing treatments, and supporting the integration of mental health services into general healthcare settings. Refer to roles and responsibilities in Annex I of the Mental Health Strategy for UN Uniformed Personnel. Resources like the "mhGAP Operations Manual" guide medical officers in implementing these strategies.
For Medical Officers
Medical officers can integrate mental health services by incorporating mental health screenings into routine check-ups, training primary care staff on mental health issues, and utilising resources like the "mhGAP Operations Manual" for practical guidance.
Medical officers play a critical role in suicide prevention by conducting risk assessments, providing immediate intervention, referring patients to mental health specialists, and implementing evidence-based prevention programs. The "Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Non-Fatal Suicidal Behaviour Case Registration" offers guidelines for effective prevention.
Medical officers should provide pre-deployment training on stress management, offer mental health support during deployments, and ensure access to post-deployment mental health services. Resources like "Families Overseas Booklet", "Family Functioning and Deployment", and "Helping Your Family With Reintegration".
The strategy includes training manuals and guidelines for identifying, intervening, and supporting individuals at risk of suicide. Resources like "Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Non-Fatal Suicidal Behavior Case Registration" and the "Unit Leaders Guide to Suicide Prevention" offer comprehensive approaches to suicide prevention.
For Families
Resources like the "Families Overseas Booklet" and "Family Functioning and Deployment" offer strategies for military families to manage the impacts of deployment. These include maintaining routines, communication strategies, and understanding the stressors associated with deployment.