Fairchild Air Force Base’s Mental Health Clinic Tackles Managing Shortfalls with Group Therapy and Partnership

The mental health clinic at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington made significant changes to its operations in 2021 to address manning shortfalls and reduce patient wait times. These changes resulted in wait times decreasing from over one month to 24 hours or less. According to Staff Sgt. Joseph Chang, a mental health technician, the goal of the clinic is to treat patients and help them return to their best lives. Despite facing challenges with staffing, the clinic now has a mental health provider available each day for walk-in appointments and offers various group therapy options.

The mental health clinic has introduced six group therapy options, including a unified protocol group, a gender-affirming care group, a commitment therapy group, a sleep group, a written exposure therapy group, and a group for regulating emotions. The clinic has also partnered with other agencies such as the military family life counselor and the chaplain to provide faster response times for those in need of more one-on-one care. By collaborating with other agencies, the mental health clinic aims to provide care to as many people as possible and work towards reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Overall, the changes implemented by the mental health department at Fairchild Air Force Base have significantly improved access to care for patients and highlighted the importance of collaboration with other agencies to support individuals in need.