scope:

Purpose:

In accordance with the authority in DoD Directive 5124.02 and pursuant to Section 704 of Public Law 117-263, this issuance:

• Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for health care providers for determining command notification requirements as applied to:

o Service members' involvement in mental health care, overriding command disclosure provisions usually followed for non-mental health care pursuant to DoD Manual 6025.18 and Parts 160 and 164 of Title 45, Code of Federal Regulations.

o Service members who voluntarily seek substance misuse education services, evaluation, or treatment in accordance with DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1010.04.

• Promotes reducing stigma in obtaining mental health care services by balancing patient confidentiality with a commander's need to know certain information for military operational and risk management decisions, ensuring, except in a case in which there is an exigent circumstance, the confidentiality of mental health care services provided to members who voluntarily seek such services.