By Nicolle Bettis, inTransition Program coach
inTransition, a Defense Department (DoD) program, helps service members who are receiving mental health treatment transition—to a new health care system or provider. Program participants are assigned a personal coach who monitors and guides them through their transition.
Nicolle Bettis became an inTransition coach six months ago and although she herself, never served in the military, she feels a strong connection to the military community because of her Navy veteran father and retired government civilian mother. The DCoE Blog staff recently took the opportunity to chat with Nicolle about her work—supporting service members.
Q. What is an inTransition coach?
A. As a coach, I help service members through a transition, like relocating from one base to another; retirement; or temporary leave prior to discharge. I provide resources and information and coordinate mental health treatment. In some cases, I even help the service member initiate treatment for the first time. The treatment can be provided by military treatment facilities, VA hospitals/clinics, TRICARE providers, independent insurance or community service agencies.
Q. What makes inTransition different from others programs?
A. I believe inTransition provides a bridge when there’s a gap in services. inTransition helps service members and their families receive continuity of care while moving between health care systems or providers. The majority of service members I work with feel overwhelmed with all the changes they’re experiencing. They’re often juggling many large issues at once like relocating, trying to find employment (or filing for unemployment), struggling financially, enrolling in school—all while coping with mental health concerns, like post-traumatic stress disorder.
The majority, if not all, of the service members I have worked with are unfamiliar with the resources available, including: OEF/OIF program managers at the VA; community resources designed to assist service members; Vet Centers; veteran discounts; support groups; and employment resources specifically designed to help prior-military men and women to name a few.
Q. What’s your most memorable experience?
A. Through motivational interviewing techniques, I was able to encourage a guarded service member to open up about their military experiences. After a few sessions, the service member was connected to a mental health professional and thanked me for motivating and assisting them through the process. Helping this service member realize the benefits of continuing treatment was a rewarding feeling because I knew they were on the right track to getting better.
Q. What should we know about inTransition?
A. Both providers and service members should know that we offer coaching and support for service members transitioning—we are here to help. Separating from active duty or returning to civilian life can be extremely difficult and just knowing that someone is available to talk to, if and whenever needed, can be comforting. I’ve had several service members say that they appreciate me checking in with them regularly.
Also, as a coach I can provide resources on several topics in addition to mental health, and I think this aspect is often not used because most people simply don’t know about our services.
Q. How can people contact inTransition?
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