Defense Health Care: Better Tracking and Oversight Needed of Servicemember Separations for Non-Disability Mental Conditions
Abstract
Why GAO Did This Study. Non-disability mental conditions, such as personality disorders, can render a servicemember unsuitable for military service and can lead to an administrative separation. GAO was mandated to report on non-disability mental condition separations. This report examines the extent to which (1) DOD and the military services are able to identify the number of enlisted servicemembers separated for nondisability mental conditions, and (2) the military services are complying with DOD requirements when separating enlisted servicemembers for non-disability mental conditions, including personality disorders, and how DOD and the military services oversee such separations. GAO analyzed DOD and the military services separation policies, policies related to tracking separations, reports the military services submitted to DOD regarding compliance with separation requirements, and interviewed DOD and military service officials. What GAO Recommends. GAO recommends that DOD and the military services develop a method to identify the number of servicemembers separated for non-disability mental conditions and take a number of actions to ensure that their policies and processes can ensure that servicemembers are appropriately separated for non-disability mental conditions in accordance with DOD s separation requirements. DOD generally concurred with GAO s recommendations, but did not provide information on how or when it plans to implement the recommendations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA615417
Entities
People
- Cathleen J. Hamann
- Deirdre Brown
- Laurie F. Thurber
- Lisa Opdycke
- Marcia A. Mann
- Randall B. Williamson
- Vikki Porter
- Zhi Boon
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office