When You Need to Talk to Someone Who Gets It: Military Connection

By Debbie Gregory.

The DoD is offering a peer-to-peer counseling service to help military service members, transitioning troops and family members deal with issues before they become crises.

Available through Military OneSource, the new service offers assistance from counselors who have at least a master’s degree in the social or psychology field, as well as military experience to help with a host of issues.

With that level of education and experience, peer support counselors can chat confidentially with clients and assist with any underlying issues that might be associated with someone’s need to chat, online or by phone.

Because Military OneSource is the central one-stop service that offers military families a host of direct services as well as information on a vast array of resources, it made efficient and effective sense to add peer-to-peer support to its list of services.

Talking with someone who understands the stress you are experiencing, because they’ve personally been there too, can relieve some of that stress. The peer consultants have firsthand life experience as service members or military spouses in addition to their training. If the situation necessitates, clients can receive a warm handoff to obtain up to 12 sessions with a clinical counselor, per issue.

Active duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, their families and veterans are eligible to receive Military OneSource confidential peer-to-peer specialty consultation up to 180 days after separation from the military. It’s important to note that using the confidential services will not negatively affect your career or the career of your spouse.

For transitioning service members who will soon re-enter the civilian sector, peer-to-peer counselors will offer their expertise during what might be a turbulent and life-changing time.

A confidential peer-to-peer specialty consultation is a relaxed conversation that can be about the challenges of military life, such as deployments or frequent relocation. You can schedule your confidential peer-to-peer specialty consultation by calling Military OneSource 24/7 at 800-342-9647.

Military life is full of exciting and challenging times. Now you can talk to someone who gets it.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their families. We are the go-to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go-to site.

When You Need to Talk to Someone Who Gets It: Military Connection: by Debbie Gregory