WANTED: Military Cultural Competencies Standards in Counseling

Professional Experience Article

Military cultural competence in mental health counseling continues to gain national attention. Professionals have theorized that limited outcomes in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in the military may be related to limited familiarity with the military. National surveys have shown low military cultural competence among providers and limited educational efforts on military culture or pertinent military pathology in counselor training programs. Military families, with their own unique military cultural identity, have been recognized as a population with heightened risks associated with deployment. In response to these findings, military counseling psychology organizations have researched the value of implementing Military Cultural Competence education geared towards community and organizational mental health care providers and the results have been widely distributed. Assessments of military cultural competence have also been developed. The clinical impact of enhanced cultural competence in general to date has been limited. The military, however, with its highly prescribed cultural identity, may be a model culture for developing a military cultural competency curriculum within an institution of higher education.

The ACA Code of Ethics (2014) advises counselors to take an active role in recognizing diverse cultural histories of the clients they serve. Counselor education programs and clinical supervisors have the responsibility of developing professional counselors while inculcating multiculturalism and diversity into course curriculums and supervision plans with the goal of increasing awareness, knowledge, and skills that will foster competencies in this area (ACA, 2014) However, counselor education agendas are limited around military-cultural awareness and competencies and do not address specific counseling approaches tailored to this unique population. With the increasing need for clinicians to provide services to military personnel, it is compulsory for providers within the community to possess the necessary culturally competent knowledge and skills to respectfully address the mental health needs of servicemembers. Counselor educators and supervisors also have an obligation to incorporate culturally specific awareness and competencies into the training of novices in the counseling field. Additionally, with the growing number of military, veterans and their families needing mental health services and support, seeking treatment outside of the overburdened VA and DOD health care systems is becoming more common. To competently meet the needs of this community and establish an effective working relationship that will minimize attrition, it is imperative that counseling professionals possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and evidence-based treatment methods in the context of military culture.

To learn more about this topic, join FMHCA’s Military Services Committee as we move towards advocacy and increased training to better meet the needs of this distinct population.

Maria Giuliana, LMHC, Qualified Supervisor, is FMHCA's Regional Director Northeast and Chair of the Military Services Committee. She is the founder of Beyond The Matter Counseling and Consulting Services in Jacksonville, Florida. Her Clinical, Leadership, and Advocacy experience include presenting at professional conferences on a variety of clinical topics including cultural and ethical competencies related to military and LGBTQ+ clientele.