- Seven U.S. Navy base schools in Japan, Europe, and Guam will start offering clinical mental health counseling this school year under a 3-year pilot program.
- Fleet and Family Support Center counselors will provide nonmedical, confidential support 2–3 days a week, focusing on resilience, wellness, and early intervention.
- If the pilot succeeds, the model could extend to Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force schools, aligning with DODEA’s Blueprint for Continuous Improvement through 2030.
Seven schools on U.S. Navy bases in Japan, Europe and Guam will start providing clinical mental health counseling this school year under a three-year pilot program. Licensed clinical counselors from Fleet and Family Support Centers will offer nonmedical counseling two to three days a week at each school, an news release by Department of Defense Education Activity stated.
"This partnership is indicative of our shared vision to develop resilient, well-supported students who will be capable of academic success and prosper in a changing world", DODEA director Beth Narvaez said in the statement. By integrating licensed counselors into our schools, we are building our Multi-Tiered System of Supports, strengthening community ties, and investing in the health of military-connected families.
The pilot will be monitored every two years, with yearly reports released to inform future decisions, DODEA-Europe spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry said in an email Wednesday. The model is to be expanded to Army, Marine Corps and Air Force schools if it proves successful. The effort is one of many included in DODEA's Aug. 4-launched Blueprint for Continuous Improvement.
The plan outlines objectives for student, school, talent and organizational growth through 2030 and calls 'implementation of interventions and extensions based on student need' a metric of success. It assists "identify and provide the right amount of support for every student, whether they require enrichment, targeted assistance, or intensive intervention", DODEA-Pacific spokeswoman Miranda Ferguson stated in early August. DODEA and Navy Installations Command agreed to a memorandum of understanding for the pilot on Aug 14, Tackaberry said.
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The command is finalizing plans for implementation, spokeswoman Destiny Sibert wrote by email Thursday from Washington, D.C. "Once implemented, counselors will be in attendance to deliver individual and group counseling, prevention education, and referrals for more intensive levels of care when required", she wrote. "The program represents another key milestone in the Navy's continued pursuit of enhancing quality of service for Sailors and their families", said Tackaberry. There will be a counselor for every school that participates, with the exception of Naples Middle-High at Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy, which will have two, he said.
Other pilot schools are 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. Navy counselors won't take the place of school counselors or psychologists employed by DODEA, Tackaberry said.
Instead, they will offer more nonmedical counseling in the areas of resiliency, wellness and prevention. Private and confidential individual counseling and small group counseling will be done, she said. Students can refer themselves or be referred by parents or school personnel. Counselors will also work with school teams to create awareness of mental health and help deal with students' needs, the release states.
