New 931st ARG member helps Reservists combat stress

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  As an U.S. Army Veteran who served in Baghdad, Iraq, Jeremiah Raymo is no stranger to the stresses faced by today's servicemembers.  This includes the challenges facing McConnell Reservists.

"As military members, we live a unique life; Reservists in particular deal with a lot of unique stressors because they have to balance a military career, a civilian career, a family and possible deployments," Raymo said.

To help Reservists combat these stressors, Raymo was recently appointed to the 931st Air Refueling Group as a director of Psychological Health (DPH).  This position that enables him to help Reservists cope with stress and other mental health-related concerns, not limited to clinical treatment.

A relatively new program instituted by the command in 2012, Air Force Reserve Directors of Psychological Health are trained to use their education, knowledge, training and expertise to increase individual, unit and Group readiness, they help Airmen and their families maximize psychological health, resilience and well-being so they can prevail over the unique challenges of the mission and life in and out of the military, Raymo said.

Since instituting the program in 2012, the AFRC now has 18 of the 19 slots filled, including McConnell, which hired Raymo last October.  Similar to the active duty DPH, the Reserve provides limited clinical services for beneficiaries eligible to receive services, including initial evaluation and short-term problem resolution for up to eight visits.  This helps is not limited to unit training assemblies; it is available to the Reservist any time they need it.

In contrast to the active duty program, the Reserve program is more community based, rather than based on the military installation the Reservist is assigned to.  This is important, as many Reservists do not live near their assigned units, Raymo said. 

After initially meeting with an Airman, Raymo evaluates how to best help the individual. If it extends beyond eight sessions, or a situation requires additional expertise, Raymo will assist the member in finding resources to get the help they need.

"This programs is both comprehensive and specific for Reservists in that the idea is not to take the Airman away from their community (should they need help), but to be a liaison that can help them find help within their local community," said Raymo.

As a liaison between the Airman and their mental health community, Raymo is able to shed light on local, approved programs that members may have not known about beforehand.  This requires Raymo to be active within the community by serving on a community action information board.  A former member of the Wichita State University Center for Community Support and Research behavioral Health initiative, Raymo is no stranger to the local mental health community. 

For those who wish to access Raymo on a walk-in basis, he is available during UTA weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information, or to schedule an appointment, email jeremiah.raymo@us.af.mil, or call (316) 759-2009.