SOUMIS
DND Psychologists serving CAF Members
By Alexandra Anderson, M.Sc.
CF H Svcs C(A)
Février est le mois national de la psychologie. C'est donc une excellente occasion de définir les responsabilités professionnelles typiques des psychologues, tout en soulignant le rôle et les contributions des psychologues du MDN qui servent les membres des FAC dans les FMAR(A).
Le rôle principal des psychologues est de fournir des services d'évaluation, de consultation et de conseil/thérapie. Ils peuvent diagnostiquer et traiter les maladies mentales et travaillent souvent en collaboration avec des psychiatres, des médecins de famille, des infirmiers en santé mentale, des travailleurs sociaux, des conseillers en toxicomanie, des gestionnaires de cas et des aumôniers.
Selon la Société canadienne de psychologie (SCP), un psychologue « étudie comment nous pensons, ressentons et nous comportons d'un point de vue scientifique et applique ces connaissances pour aider les gens à comprendre, expliquer et modifier leur comportement. » (www.cpa.ca/fr/). Les psychologues peuvent se spécialiser dans certains domaines ; par exemple, les troubles de l'humeur, les troubles anxieux, les troubles de la personnalité, les troubles de l'alimentation, les dépendances, les troubles du développement et le syndrome de stress post-traumatique (SSPT). Ils travaillent en milieu clinique, dans la recherche et/ou l'enseignement.
Psychologists have extensive training in the variety of empirical treatment methods. The methods they employ will depend on the particular circumstances of the patient they are working with. Treatment is significantly more than just “talk”! For example, one method is specifically designed to assist patients in increasing their motivation. Another method involves changing negative patterns of thinking and behaviour. Yet another example is a method that focuses on changing behaviours to better match the patient’s values and beliefs. Several of the Psychologists here at Canadian Forces Health Services Centre (Atlantic) also have additional training in highly specialized treatment methods, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
CF H Svcs C (A) employs 10 Psychologists in Mental Health Services. At a ratio of approximately one Psychologist for every 1,400 members, MARLANT has nearly double the number of Psychologists compared to what is available to the general civilian population of Nova Scotia. This means that CAF members have relatively fast access to Psychologists, with wait times much shorter than they are for the general civilian population.
All of our Psychologists are registered with The Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP) www.nsbep.org, whose mandate is to protect the public by ensuring that providers are properly trained and qualified. For more information about Psychologists, consult NSBEP, the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) www.apns.ca and/or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) www.cpa.ca/fr/.
To learn more about mental health services provided by Psychologists at CFB Halifax, please contact your primary health care provider.
As part of Psychology Month, the Mental Health team has organized a display table on the fourth floor of the CF Health Services Centre, just outside the elevator. At the display you can read about mental health and available resources.
Due to physical distancing requirements, we were not able to take a group photo of our Psychologists here at CF Health Services Centre this year. In lieu, we’ve shared a photo of our Mental Healthy display from Psychology Month 2020.
For more information about Psychology Month, visit www.apns.ca ou www.cpa.ca/fr/psychologymonth/..
