text: Combat and Operational Stress Control
  SECTION III — BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC
  TREATMENT ASPECTS
  7-8. Behavioral health/neuropsychiatric treatment exists when there is an explicit therapist-patient or
  therapist-client relationship.
  TREATMENT PROVISION
  7-9. Behavioral health/neuropsychiatric treatment is provided for Soldiers with behavioral disorders to
  sustain them on duty or to stabilize them for referral/transfer. This is usually a brief, time-limited treatment
  as dictated by the operational situation. Behavioral health/neuropsychiatric treatment includes counseling,
  psychotherapy, and behavior therapy, occupational therapy, and medication therapy. Treatment assumes an
  ongoing process of evaluation and may include assessment modalities such as psychometric testing,
  neuropsychological testing, laboratory and radiological examination, and COSC providers’ discipline-
  specific evaluations.
  7-10. Behavioral health/neuropsychiatric treatment is provided to Soldiers with diagnosed behavioral
  disorders and who require more intentions for their diagnoses. It is both inappropriate and detrimental to
  treat Soldiers with combat and operational stress reactions as if they are behavioral health disorder. A
  therapeutic relationship may promote dependency and foster the patient role. Likewise, medication therapy
  and the highly structured treatment modalities imply the patient role. Medication for transient symptom relief
  (insomnia or extreme anxiety) may not be detrimental if there is no expectation that medication will continue
  to be prescribed.
  7-11. Treatment standards are the same in the deployed environment as in garrison. When operational
  requirements dictate that clinical standards of treatment/care are waived or relaxed, it must be approved by
  the AO COSC consultant. Treatment should be tailored to the anticipated availability of the Soldier and the
  COSC provider. Short-term interventions are more practical than long-term commitments. If longer-term
  treatment is necessary, design the intervention in time-limited modules. Under no circumstances should
  treatment diminish the Soldier’s ability to provide self-care and to defend himself. Exceptions include
  emergency stabilization and preparation for evacuation. In addition, the Department of Veterans
  Affairs/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines website offers clinicians evidence-based assessment and treatment
  algorithms for acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and many other
  behavioral/neuropsychiatric disorders.
  PRIMARY TASKS
  7-12. Table 7-2 discusses the primary tasks and purposes of BH/neuropsychiatric treatment.
  Table 7-2. Primary tasks and purposes of behavioral health/neuropsychiatric treatment
  Primary task Purpose
  Identify and diagnose behavioral Identify and initiate treatment for patients with behavioral health/
  ­
  health/neuropsychiatric disorder/ neuropsychiatric disease processes.
  disease
  Stabilize patient Stabilize behavioral health/neuropsychiatric patients for evacuation
  ­
  from the theater for treatment of disease process in the continental
  United States-support base.