This is a localized story from a CNIC Press Release. The original story is linked.

Commander, Navy Installations Command’s (CNIC) Fleet and Family Support Program (FFSP) announced the addition of Virtual Clinical Counseling to its services.

Virtual Clinical Counseling is short-term, non-medical counseling with solution-focused therapy provided by licensed clinical counselors for individuals, couples, and families available through Microsoft Teams.

Clients can access the program with no need for a Common Access Card.

The program is available to all FFSP-eligible personnel, including those at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or CFAY.

“Virtual counseling is just another avenue to help Sailors and their families with problems in daily living,” said Rebecca Goodman, Clinical Counseling Program Analyst. “This could include difficulty adjusting to the military lifestyle, marital and personal problems, parenting issues, grief, and any other challenges that can have a negative effect on Navy families and military readiness.”

Due to the need for more counseling services and to provide flexibility and convenience, CNIC’s Counseling, Advocacy and Prevention (CAP) Program added additional remote clinical counselors as the program launches.

The remote counseling soft launched services overseas April 1. The service was made available enterprise-wide earlier this month.

Brittany Kendrick the CFAY FFSC’s Clinical Supervisor. Her office is on the fourth floor of the Community Readiness Center across the street from the Commissary. Kendrick said the virtual counseling offerings provide flexibility, reduce wait times and increases the availability for all FFSC counseling services.

It’s important to note that “the Virtual counseling program is a supplement to our face-to-face programs,” Kendrick said. “Virtual counseling is another resource available. It’s not replacing any additional resources we already provide.”

Those resources include counseling sessions for individuals, couples, families, and children in addition to popular group offerings like Resiliency Bootcamp and the Symptom Reduction Group.

The in-person and virtual sessions are important to many active-duty service members as they help “Sailors navigate personal situations and build healthy relationships successfully,” Kendrick said.

While open to family members and eligible civilians, the feedback received from active-duty personnel helped to improve the Symptom Reduction Group specifically.

“We recently changed the times that Symptom Reduction Group meets because some of the Sailors said it would be easier to come at the end of the day instead of shifting back to a work mindset after the session,” Kendrick said of the group that had previously met just before lunch.

Some base community members may prefer to focus on their spiritual health, the CFAY Chapel of Hope is another resource.

Chaplain (Cmdr.) David Kim is the installation’s Command Chaplain.

Kim said he and other Chaplains can help people work through day-to-day stressors like “adjusting to the military lifestyle, couples counseling, parenting, and individual concerns like grief or loss.” Chaplains also provide those resources under full confidentiality.

“Sometimes, people just want someone who will listen,” Kim said. “We’re here to provide that and, if they want, we can help them find professionally-trained counselors, therapists or doctors.”

Personnel interested in virtual counseling services may call 1-855-205-6749 to connect with a centralized scheduler, who will be able to make an appointment or fill out a virtual interest form.

For more information on Virtual Clinical Counseling or other Fleet and Family Support Program services, contact the CFA Yokosuka FFSC at 243-3372 or [email protected].

Resources:

Local Mental Health Resources:

https://cnrj.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/CFA-Yokosuka/

Virtual Counseling Interest Form | DocuSign

https://www.docusign.mil/Signing/?insession=1&ti=f669dfa6d00b4cf0a3a5d93b8f69d9ec

Duty Chaplain: 090-1468-2779

Chapel of Hope: 243-2010 or 046-816-2010