'Life skills' renamed 'mental health'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Danny Monahan
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  In an Air Force wide-change, installation life skills support centers, including here at Minot Air Force Base, have been renamed mental health clinics.

"The name change was ordered by Air Force leadership to better reflect our mission of seeing to the mental health of our active duty members and their families," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Nathan Galbreath, 5th Medical Group Behavioral Health Flight commander. "Life Skills Support Center caused a lot of confusion, as it really didn't describe our function well."

Originally named mental health, it was changed in 2001 to life skills to avoid negative connotations.

"Using the name life skills support center was originally a move by the Air Force to help people get around the perception that mental health care is for 'broken' or 'crazy' people," said Colonel Galbreath. "However, there was no way to really measure whether this had the intended result of changing people's perceptions. Consequently, it became pretty clear to Air Force leadership that the confusion the name caused outweighed any perceived benefit.

"In my opinion, being upfront and clear with folks is always better than a fancy label or snappy marketing. I think people appreciate being treated with respect, and ultimately the name change goes a long way towards showing people our commitment to helping them overcome the challenges that life puts in their path," he added.

For Airmen who self-refer for mental health care, an individual's unit is contacted about 10 percent of the time and about three percent of cases have adverse career outcomes, according to Colonel Galbreath.

"To address concerns held by Airmen about seeking treatment for mental health issues, it should be clear that privacy is the norm when their issue does not represent a danger to themselves, the mission, or others," said Colonel Galbreath.

For more information about the mental health clinic, call 723-5527.