ORION: A novel solution for tracking service members exposed to trauma and providing targeted outreach.

Abstract

In response to the USS Fitzgerald (FTZ) and USS John S. McCain (JSM) collisions in 2017, Navy Medicine developed the Organizational Incident Operational Nexus (ORION) to track Service members and conduct targeted outreach (Caring Contacts) to those at elevated risk for psychological injury after unit-level, noncombat trauma exposure. A 1-year pilot was conducted to test the feasibility of implementing ORION. During the pilot, crews from the FTZ and JSM received Caring Contacts twice, once in winter/spring of 2018 and once in the summer/fall of 2018. Caring Contacts included reaching out to Service members over email, checking in with Service members over the phone, and connecting them to mental health resources, if desired. Sixty-two percent of the crews of the FTZ and JSM completed Caring Contacts. The Caring Contacts were well received and one in five Service members requested assistance connecting to mental healthcare through ORION. Additionally, all paygrades from enlisted to officers and 66% of Service members who separated from Service requested assistance connecting to mental healthcare through ORION. Findings from the Caring Contacts also demonstrated that 50% of the crews needed mental health support after the collision, with 30% of Sailors reporting accessing care since the collision and an additional 20% requesting care during the Caring Contacts. Overall, results suggest Service members greatly benefited from ORION's proactive approach to confidential outreach. Navy Medicine is now working toward implementing ORION throughout the enterprise and collecting more data to refine the program.

Racial and Ethnic Differences Among Active-Duty Service Members in Use of Mental Health Care and Perceived Mental Health Stigma: Results From the 2018 Health Related Behaviors Survey

“…On a positive note, recent programs, such as the 2009 Real Warriors Campaign (which aimed to break down mental health stigma) and the inTransition Program (a free confidential program that provides access to mental health care) ( 33 ), have been implemented to reduce perceived stigma toward using mental health care. The Organizational Incident Operational Nexus Trauma Tracker ( 34 ), started in 2017, aimed to provide long-term mental health support to sailors who had been exposed to potentially traumatic events. Sailors are contacted by telephone or email at their request to connect them to mental health services.…”

Responding to individuals and communities after disasters and other traumatic events: An introduction.

“…As a complement to Russell et al’s (2022) paper, Bhakta et al (2022) add an important perspective on how to identify and track individuals who may benefit from psychological services following noncombat traumatic events. The authors describe the outcomes associated with the implementation of the Organizational Incident Operational Nexus (ORION) following two Navy vessel collisions.…”

Early intervention and return-to-work procedures for a Navy crew after shipwreck—Using modified prolonged exposure to reestablish operational capacity.

“…Maritime accidents are quite common, involving large numbers of personnel each year (European Maritime Safety Agency, 2022). In a military context, the 2017 collisions of USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain with civilian cargo ships are examples of incidents causing significant psychological challenges for crew members and which appear to have posed a challenge for the U.S. Navy regarding care for personnel (Bhakta et al, 2022; Rose et al, 2020).…”