Military Pathways, a Department of Defense funded program, is commemorating
Military Appreciation Month and Mental Health Month in May by launching a
web-based greeting called “i-Salute.” The site,
www.i-Salute.org, allows friends and family to send an online greeting
to active duty soldiers, veterans and military families in honor of their
service and sacrifice, while providing access to a variety of online health
services including anonymous mental health self-assessments.
To send an i-Salute, users can visit
www.i-Salute.org, where they can choose a custom greeting and write
their own personal message. “Military Pathways is excited to be able to offer
an easy, free way for service members and their families to connect, show
thanks to one another and assess their mental health all at the same time,”
said Connie DiCocco, executive director of Screening for Mental Health, Inc.,
the non-profit that runs the Military Pathways program.
Military Pathways offers service personnel and their families the opportunity to
take anonymous, mental health and alcohol use self-assessments online, by phone
and through special events held at installations worldwide. The
self-assessments are a brief series of questions that help those in need of
assistance find it, without the stigma that is often attached to seeking care.
“Our goal is to help individuals identify their own symptoms and access
assistance before a problem becomes serious. Simply enough, service members,
veterans and their families won’t have the same fear associated with seeking
help if presented with an anonymous process of screening,” said DiCocco.
The self-assessments address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression,
generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use and bipolar disorder. After
completing a self-assessment, individuals receive referral information
including services provided by the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs,
such as TRICARE, Military OneSource and Vet Centers.
“As May is both Military Appreciation Month and Mental Health Month, this is the
perfect opportunity to honor our service members and their families. And
although we are launching this in May, it will be available year-round as it is
important that we thank those in the military for their service and sacrifice
throughout the year,” said DiCocco.
To send an i-Salute or take an anonymous self-assessment, visit
www.i-Salute.org.
About Military Pathways
Military Pathways gives service personnel and their families the opportunity to
learn more about mental health and alcohol use through anonymous
self-assessments offered online, via telephone, and through events held at
installations. The program is designed to help individuals identify symptoms
and access assistance before a problem becomes serious. The self-assessments
address alcohol use, PTSD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder and bipolar
disorder. After completing a self-assessment, individuals receive referral
information including Tricare, Military OneSource and Veterans Affairs. The
program is run by the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, Inc. and is fully
funded by Force Health Protection and Readiness, Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs.