The Foreign Service Journal, January 2008

A few days later, on May 4, 2007, I read the State Department’s press guidance on PTSD (see sidebar, p. 48). Its reassuring, nonjudgmental tone differed considerably from the alarming language in the DS officer’s e-mail to me. A Gap Between Theory and Practice Although I was still waiting for the results of my security clearance update, I immediately wrote to the director general, with copies to DS officials, sharing the security officer’s language with him, and offering to help the bureau develop language that was both more in keeping with HR’s language and less threatening to employees. A few days later, I was notified that my clearance had been extended for five years. I wrote again to the DG to reiterate my offer to help craft language concern- ing mental health counseling, and received word that DS would respond directly. In the meantime, I men- tioned this exchange of e- mails to colleagues and heard other stories along similar lines. Some felt that the ques- tions DS was asking amounted to a sharing of treatment records, contrary to the safe- guards outlined in the press guidance. None of my col- leagues sensed that DS saw counseling as a positive fac- tor in eligibility determinations, despite the department’s assurances that it was. Discouraging people from seeking help has, in my opinion, led to a Foreign Service with an unusually high percentage of people with obvious emotional problems: the guy who shoots his gun off in his back- yard in the middle of the night, the couple that neglects their small children, the woman who makes her subor- dinates as miserable as she is, the guy who doesn’t care about his dog biting people — and a lot of employees who lie to DS about having sought professional help. This seems to me to be counterproductive to fostering a Foreign Service corps that is healthy in mind as well as body. The department’s handling of mental health treat- ment surprised me once again during my recent med- ical clearance exam. I learned that I would receive a Class II medical clearance because I am on antidepres- sants. I had assumed that treating my depression with medication would be on par with treating my osteo- porosis with medication, as other people treat their dia- betes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure with pre- scription drugs. Instead of applauding me for tackling my problem head-on, however, State seems to prefer that I go off my meds and become the unhappy, less productive, less collegial employee I was a year ago. No wonder so many FSOs are in bad moods! Despite several follow-ups, I’ve heard nothing from DS about my offer to help them with their language. I have been told that DS is reviewing its investigative processes in light of recent developments in the field. I really hope that it stays focused on this, and that both DS and MED develop consis- tent, supportive and helpful policies that accurately reflect our times and the demands of our profession. Holding on to Hope Colleagues have advised me to drop this issue. People I’ve told about this article have expressed alarm and concern about my ever getting another security clear- ance. The way I figure it, though, my current clearance is not up until 2012. So when I submit the paperwork to renew it, I hope to receive a response from an enlightened DS, along these lines: Dear Colleague, As you know, your security clearance is up for renewal. We noticed that you mentioned having had mental health counseling during the period mm-dd-yy to mm-dd-yy. Concerns about your security clearance should never deter you from seeking professional assis- tance — in fact, the department and DS normally treat mental health counseling as a positive factor in deter- mining security clearance eligibility. Nevertheless, we need the Office of Medical Services to assure us that your condition will not affect F O C U S J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 47 Discouraging people from seeking help has led to a Foreign Service with an unusually high percentage of people with obvious emotional problems.