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Department of Defense Wants Change in Military Sexual Trauma Counseling

Being awarded a security clearance can require an intrusive review of a soldier's life and could require veterans with disabilities, among others, to submit very personal information. The Air Force Times reported that the Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking to ensure soldiers who have been victims of military sexual trauma (MST), don't have to disclose any counseling they may have undergone as a result of that trauma.

To date, no reports have indicated that anybody has ever been denied a security clearance because they've disclosed counseling for MST. The DoD, however, wants that part of the questionnaire removed. It's feared that some will continue to not seek counseling out of concerns that it'll be used to deny their clearance.

The form for clearance, SF 86, requests applicants disclose both the reason as well as the date on which they sought "mental health counseling." That same form requires the soldier to grant open access to their medical records to federal investigators to complete their background check.

An exemption for reporting combat-related stress or mental health issues already exists, which includes other types of counseling as long as the soldier isn't being "counseled for violent behavior." Some are advocating for the exemption to be expanded to include all counseling related to service in the military, not just combat experiences.

The DoD was informed their request to remove the MST counseling question cannot be accomplished because policy changes in that area cannot be performed unilaterally.

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