Investigating Opportunities to Improve Service Member Access to Non-Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Abstract

Service Members in the United States military have several options to choose from for non-clinical mental health counseling. This research focuses on investigating the Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) program from the perspective of accessibility, with an aim to determine what works well and where there may be opportunities to improve using architectural changes in developing a future architecture. The research scope limits the investigation to the Continental United States (CONUS) and East of the Mississippi (EOM) area of operations, where the MFLC program is provided by a single contractor.

This research develops the foundation by using a literature review, and introduces the three methodologies used throughout the thesis, including the Architecting Innovative Enterprise Strategy (ARIES) Framework, System Dynamics, and Systems Architecture with a focus on stakeholder analysis. The research approach in this thesis focuses on understanding the existing MFLC enterprise, beginning with both internal and external influences that can promote or hinder change. The stakeholders key to the enterprise are then analyzed to understands their needs, and these needs are then subsequently used to determine how well the current architecture supports meeting those needs.

The research then shifts to envisioning some aspects of potential future architectures and how those choices could utilize feedback loops to further improve accessibility. Finally, the thesis concludes with both key findings on the existing MFLC enterprise, highlighting its current strengths of flexibility and adaptability. Recommendations are made for pilot programs and for future work to continue the application of the ARIES process.