The Embedded Behavioral Health Officer in the U.S. Army

In 2012 the U.S. Army has adopted a model of embedded behavioral health with two core components: the behavioral health officers (BHOs) who are directly embedded in deployable units and the embedded behavioral health clinics, which are composed of a multi-disciplinary team of therapists, prescribers, and case managers (Kennedy and Zillmer, Military psychology: clinical and operational applications (3rd ed.). Guilford, New York, 2022). BHOs are the focus of this chapter. These behavioral health providers serve alongside warfighters. Nearly all behavioral health professionals who work in the military health care system will have some interaction with embedded behavioral health. Nearly all Army officers who take command at any level will utilize their embedded behavioral health assets while in command. The purpose of this chapter is to give each of these populations a primer on embedded behavioral health support, from the perspective of those who were recently embedded as BHOs. It provides an overview of the functions of BHOs in garrison and deployed and offers recommendations for the successful integration of BHOs in line units.