Military life presents unique and difficult challenges to service members and families. Naval Branch Health Clinic Key West, along with the local military community, offers numerous resources to military members, retirees and family members with stress-related illness or injury.

Causes of stress include work, operational tempo, deployment, isolated duty stations, moving to a new location, natural disasters, cost of living and finances, illness, divorce and death. Unmanaged stress from prolonged or repetitive stress responses might lead to more serious problems, similar to any other injury that's left untreated.

"Early recognition and treatment of stress illness or injury can get you back to full function at work and at home," said Cmdr. Duneley Rochino, Naval Branch Health Clinic Key West officer in charge. "It's critical for each of us to take active steps to build resilience in ourselves, our families and our work units."

NBHC Key West offers counseling and case management services from a social worker and can make referrals for a TRICARE network psychiatrist.

An on-site Veterans Affairs psychiatrist and VA telehealth services are also available for active duty dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder, operational stress or other issues. The clinic can also tap into resources from NBHC Jacksonville's Deployment Health Center. Talk to your primary care manager at 305-293-4834 to find out more.

NBHC Key West also has an American Red Cross office on-site. It provides resiliency and reconnection workshops (by clinical professionals) for military members, veterans and families; emergency communications and messaging for military members and families; disaster preparedness support; and information and referral services. The office is open Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To sign up for a class or find out about volunteer opportunities, call 305-293-4842.

Fleet and Family Support Center, located at Sigsbee Park, has resources available to promote self-reliance and resiliency to strengthen military members and families. Social workers offer services such as deployment support, family advocacy, transition assistance and life skills education, with a specialist for services like financial management counseling. Drop by or call 305-293-4408.

Also aboard Naval Air Station Key West, a Navy chaplain is available to provide counseling services for military and families for a number of issues. The chaplain's office is located at Boca Chica Field. Call 305-293-2318.

The Military Crisis Line offers 24/7 confidential support for service members, veterans and families who are in crisis or know a service member who's in crisis. Call 800-273-8255, text to 838255 or go online to chat at www.veteranscrisisline.net.

Military OneSource provides 24/7 support for service members, families and survivors with issues like moving, spouse employment, parenting, relationships, finances, legal and other issues. Call 800-342-9647 or visit www.militaryonesource.mil.

Tips to build resilience include: make connections, avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems, accept that change is a part of living, move toward your goals, take decisive actions, look for opportunities for self-discovery, nurture a positive view of yourself, keep things in perspective, maintain a hopeful outlook and take care of yourself.

Learn more about building resilience, from the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center at: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcphc/health-promotion/psychological-emotional-wellbeing/Pages/resilience.aspx.

NBHC Key West is one of Naval Hospital Jacksonville's six health care facilities located across Florida and Georgia. NBHC Jacksonville's priority since its founding in 1941 is to heal the nation's heroes and their families. Of its patient population (163,000 active and retired Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Guardsmen and their families), about 84,000 are enrolled with a primary care manager and Medical Home Port team at one of its facilities. To find out more or download the mobile app, visit www.med.navy.mil/sites/navalhospitaljax.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Hospital Jacksonville, visit www.navy.mil/.