The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2016

44 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL v I would like to be reassured that mental health care will not negatively affect security clearances, and that management understands and appreciates the benefits of mental health care and genuinely encourages people to receive the help they need. v I would like MED to give a credible guarantee that self- reported mental health symptoms will not negatively affect clearances and assignments; in the absence of this guar- antee, the disincentive to report will remain irresistible. v I would not only like to hear, but I would like to see evidence that management will not allow the seeking of mental health care to burden the medical clearance and assignments process for years to come. v I would like management to be more vocal on the subject. Only when we can talk more freely can the mental health of FS personnel and their families be improved. v Mental health care in the Foreign Service is excep- tional, thanks to MED’s company of regional psychiatrists and the Employee Consultation Service. I have benefited from their help, and I have four recommendations for improvement: (1) More licensed clinical social workers to work in large posts and cover regions throughout the world; (2) More psychiatrists assigned to smaller regions so they do not need to worry about their own mental health; (3) A commitment to deal with unrealistic goals and consequent unrealistic workloads on employees that lead to excessive stress, anxiety and depression; and (4) Vigi- lance on the part of State Department executive manage- ment to combat the excessive bullying and hazing caused by inexperienced DCMs and other managers who don’t uphold the values of human dignity and respect. v I would like to hear that it’s okay to seek mental health care, and that we have nothing to fear in terms of losing our security clearances and, thus, our jobs. v During security clearance reviews, interviewing agents for DS should be forbidden from asking about men- tal health issues. If such questions need to be asked, they should be handled directly between mental health profes- sionals and patients. v Research has shown that some of the most intel- ligent, creative people are also those most vulnerable to mental health issues. It would be helpful reframe mental health issues as not necessarily a series of illnesses to be stigmatized but indicative of a type of “cognitive diversity” to be recognized and managed within our oft-trumpeted “diverse” Foreign Service. Also, we must support people in a holistic way in this career path, because it isn’t a normal 9 to 5 job. We essentially live at our work sites by being assigned overseas. v I would appreciate it if management understood that employees doing the necessary to care for their own men- tal health should be recognized, evaluated fairly and not simply slapped with a Class 2. v I would like to see examples cited over and over again of people who have sought mental health support who have not been hassled by DS. I have only heard the oppo- site. v Employees and their families need to hear there is high-level commitment to meeting their mental health needs without impeding their ability to maintain a clear- ance. The constant transition of leadership in MED/MHS and MED has resulted in abrupt changes in interpretation of roles and focus. Families are frustrated by the lack of communication and explanation of policies. The evasive attitude toward youth mental health is not helping to de- stigmatize the topic, nor does it demonstrate the depart- ment’s commitment to the well-being of its personnel and their families. Tackling Mental Health Care Issues RECOMMENDATIONS TO MANAGEMENT FROM MEMBERS OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE