What is The Mental Health Self-Assessment Program (MHSAP)?

The Mental Health Self-Assessment Program (MHSAP) is a mental health and alcohol screening and referral program. It was designed for military families and service members affected by deployment and recruitment. This voluntary and anonymous program is offered online, by phone, and through special events held at installations and reserve units. Anonymous, self-assessments are available to help people with various problems and conditions. Some conditions they help veterans, soldiers and their families with are the following: 

• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Alcohol abuse or using alcohol to cope with your problems
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Generalized anxiety disorder

 

Individualized results and military health resources, including TRICARE, Vet Centers, and Military OneSource are provided at the end of every assessment. Individuals can bring the results of their online or in-person assessment with them to a healthcare provider. If you are interested in participating in this program, want a free assessment or if you wanted to learn more about the program, you can visit www.MilitaryMentalHealth.org or call their toll free number 1-877-877-3647.  

What does this program offer?

National Alcohol Screening Day Kit – Designed as a health fair style event, materials include a kit of educational brochures, screening forms (the AUDIT), scoring instructions, and a “how to” guide to help run and promote an event. In addition, this kit contains promotional material that directs participants to the online and phone screening. This kit serves 500 people. A Spanish kit is available for 50 participants.

National Depression Screening Day Kit – Designed as a health fair style event, materials include a kit of educational brochures about posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. Also included are screening forms, scoring instructions, and a “how to” guide to help run and promote an event. In addition, this kit contains promotional material that directs participants to the online and phone screening. This kit serves 500 people. A Spanish language kit is available for 50 participants.

Family Resiliency Kit – Materials designed to educate family members about coping with the stress of deployment, how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health problems in themselves and their family members, and where to get help. The Family Resiliency Kit is perfect for Family Readiness Groups, Chaplains, and other groups helping military families throughout the deployment cycle.

Customized Online Screening – If any individual military installations, National Guard or Reserve Units are interested in using this program to help their soldiers and families all they have to do is contact Mental Health Self-Assessment Program (MHSAP) and request to add information about local or installation treatment and support services to their own version of the online self-assessment. The Mental Health Self-Assessment Program (MHSAP) said that they would be more than happy to link their info to any customized version. It can be placed directly on the unit/installation’s website. Referral page can include specific information about their Chaplain, mental health professionals, or local support resources. To do this all you have to do is contact them with the request for a personalized web-based self-assessment for your unit/installation/organization. This organization is a positive program that frequently works with other military organizations or affiliations with one goal in mind to help the soldiers and their family get back on their two feet so they can live a happy, healthy, and productive life. Something we all want for everyone, especially our soldiers and their families – the men and women who have given so much to this country.