Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) has many resources for service members and their families when it comes to health care, a newer one of which is the Mental Health Operational Outreach Division (MHOOD) clinic located in the Naval Station San Diego Navy Exchange and commissary complex.

The clinic, which officially opened April 26, 2018, is a location where anyone with access to Department of Defense health services can walk in, be assessed, and receive treatment.

“The basic idea is any active duty person, from any service, can walk into our clinic and be seen by a provider and a psychiatric technician,” said Lt. Cmdr. Stephenie Scully. “When we have someone come in, we’ll intake them, and then we will either treat them here, or we’ll do a warm handoff with a more appropriate resource.”

While service members and their families may be able to access mental health care resources at a branch clinic through Military One Source or any DoD-sponsored hospital, the MHOOD clinic operates much like an urgent care clinic for mental health, and it gets people help at critical times.

“The MHOOD provides a more immediate response for active duty patients who come to us,” Scully said. “We’re trying to foster a culture of ‘no wrong doors,’ meaning that anyone should be able to go to their command medical provider, local clinic, Fleet and Family Support Center, their chaplain, or us, and they will get the help they need.”

The Navy’s refocus on operations comes with an increased focus on resiliency. As the Navy has safety programs and equipment for Sailors to use to keep themselves safe while doing their jobs, the medical professionals at the MHOOD clinic help commands train Sailors to keep themselves safe and engaged while they are deployed on the nation’s business.

“One of the things we do is help train the Fleet,” Scully said.

“We’ve had one command triad request a team to come aboard and talk to them about the importance of mental health to resiliency and a successful mission, and I think that as more people become aware of who we are and what we do, we’ll be able to work with more operational commands to provide tools for their crews which might help them detect potential problems before they become critical,” said Scully.

Whether a command is interested in developing resiliency training, or a person feels a need to seek urgent help or a diagnosis for mental health concerns, MHOOD is a place where people can walk in and feel like they are making progress toward improvement.

NMCSD’s mission is to prepare to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver quality health services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training, and research. The vision of the hospital is to be the nation’s premier military medical center, providing world-class patient care anytime, anywhere.

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