JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ─ Naval Hospital Jacksonville was one of 10 medical facilities chosen to join in the Defense Health Agency’s Targeted Health Care Pilot program, which began in May. The program is in response to the growing need for behavioral health treatment, which has nearly tripled in the last 20 years.

“The overarching goal is to connect people with the right resources, efficiently utilize our mental health staff, and reduce time for our beneficiaries getting assistance when it comes to mental health care,” said Cmdr. Colby O’Quin, associate director for Mental Health at Naval Hospital Jacksonville. “Many facets of the program we had already implemented.”

The new approach uses vectoring or a triage (a preliminary evaluation) to determine the appropriate resource for the presenting problem. Resources can range from non-medical support (Military and Family Life Counselors, chaplains, Military OneSource, etc.), to Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultants, to Group Therapy as a primary intervention, and/or Specialty Behavioral Health. Some examples of group therapy are Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia, Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma, and Battlefield Auricular Acupuncture.

With Targeted Care, beneficiaries will be connected to the most appropriate resource to support their needs. It will allow individuals to have the most effective course of care. Targeted Care helps coordinate all installation resources. This increases access to care, reduces the time spent waiting for initial and follow-up mental health appointments, and increases readiness.

The program will continue through October, where permanent decisions for the future care of mental health will be decided. For more information about the program or the department, visit: https://jacksonville.tricare.mil/Health-Services/Mental-Health/Targeted-Care-Pilot-Program/

Naval Hospital Jacksonville and Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Jacksonville deliver health care and readiness. NH Jacksonville and its five branch health clinics serve 175,000 active duty, active-duty family members, and retired service members, including 54,000 patients enrolled with a primary care manager. NMRTC Jacksonville and its five units support warfighters' medical readiness to deploy and clinicians' readiness to save lives. To learn more, visit: https://jacksonville.tricare.mil.