Pentagon may drop mental health question

[babylonsister]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070616/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/pentagon_security_clearance;_ylt=ArXkgx3ByS_VFK1_tBuWcxLMWM0F

Pentagon may drop mental health question

By PAULINE JELINEK and ROBERT BURNS, Associated Press Writers Sat Jun 16, 4:26 AM ET

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops would no longer be asked to reveal previous mental health treatment when applying for security clearances under a proposal being considered by the Pentagon.

The idea stems from the finding that service members avoid needed counseling because they believe that getting it — and acknowledging it — could cost them their clearance as well as do other harm to their careers, The Associated Press has learned.

"This is just one of several items under review by the Department of Defense and the services in an effort to remove the stigma associated with mental health issues," said Air Force Maj. Patrick Ryder.

The proposal is to omit a question regarding mental health treatment that appears on a form required by the Office of Personnel Management, the agency that does the majority of investigations for granting clearances to military and civilian workers in the federal government.

Currently, the questionnaire asks applicants whether they have consulted a mental health professional in the last seven years. If so, they are asked to list the names, addresses and dates they saw the doctor or therapist.

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[Kagemusha]

1. They only now discovered a stigma associated with this?

To the extent it's a legitimate issue about stigma, great, but this re-evaluation never came up until the DoD got desperate for warm bodies.

[babylonsister]

2. I have to agree; the military needs warm bodies, and this is one way to

get them, so what if some are really loose cannons.