Who you gonna call?

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Patrice Clarke
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Most everyone knows who to call during a medical emergency. Even when there is a fire you know who to call but what happens if you have an emotional or spiritual emergency? 

Team Incirlik has several avenues for base members to get the emotional and spiritual emergency attention needed. 

The main place to go would be the 39th Medical Group mental health branch. 

"We offer many different programs to help the community with a variety of concerns," said Maj. Lisa Blackman, 39th MDG mental health branch chief. 

The mental health branch offers the Family Advocacy Program to base members. 

"This program focuses on building healthy Air Force families through prevention and treatment of family violence," said Major Blackman. "We want people to come to us before the problem gets to the emergency level. However, if violence has already occurred it is even more important that we help the family quickly, before someone is seriously injured." 

The Family Advocacy Program serves active duty members, retired military, other eligible Department of Defense beneficiaries (DoD civilian, NATO forces), and their dependents. It provides treatment for suspected and substantiated spouse physical and emotional maltreatment and child physical, emotional, or sexual maltreatment.

"We also offer programs for new parents with pre-school children through the New Parent Support Program," said Major Blackman. "These programs include a home visit from a nurse who can guide a parent through everything from feeding to appropriate discipline of a temper tantrum." 

The Mental Health Branch also offers the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program and the Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Program to address alcohol and drug use. 

Finally, the Life Skills Support Center is also a part of the Mental Health Branch. Life Skills is the place to go for outpatient mental health care, to include treatment of work stress, anxiety, depression, marital stress, or deployment stress. 

"We want base members to know that we are here for them at all hours, and our primary mission is to get them back to work and back to a healthy family life," said Major Blackman. 

Another avenue that base members can use when in need is the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. 

"I'm here to give members of Team Incirlik who have been sexually assaulted an avenue to seek help and maintain confidentiality in reporting in a safe and less intrusive process," said Capt. Kim Bell, 39th Air Base Wing sexual assault response coordinator. 

The Air Force does not tolerate sexual assault and has implemented a comprehensive policy that reinforces a culture of prevention, response and accountability that ensures the safety, dignity and well-being of all members of the Armed Forces and Team Incirlik. 

"Our men and women serving throughout the world deserve nothing less, and their leaders - military and civilian - are committed to maintaining a workplace environment that rejects sexual assault and attitudes that promote such behaviors," said Captain Bell. 

In the case of sexual assault the SARC isn't the only person that a victim can turn to. They can also call a chaplain. 

"It's like we do spiritual triage," said Chaplain (Capt.) James Taylor. "We want to help as many people as we possibly can." 

The advantage of speaking to a chaplain is it's completely confidential. 

"Just as the emergency medical technicians are here to help the body and life skills is here to help the mind, the chapel is here to help the spirit," said Chaplain Taylor. "We are here to set you in the right direction spiritually." 

No matter body, mind, or spirit Team Incirlik has someone to call in a time of emergency.