MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- To ease the hardships and stress military life can sometimes bring, the Marine Corps has developed a new DSTRESS Line for Marines to speak anonymously to licensed counselors.
The service is a 24/7 call center that offers a “by Marine-for-Marine” concept for all active duty, retired, reserve and former Marines, as well as their family members and loved ones, at no cost.
“Marines usually hesitate to go to counseling because they don’t want their command to know about their personal lives,” said Dr. Keita Franklin, behavioral health specialist, Headquarters Marine Corps. “The purpose is for the Marines and corpsmen to not need command endorsement and allow them to speak to their counselor anonymously.”
The hotline was developed in August 2010 and is staffed by veteran Marines, Fleet Marine Force corpsmen and civilian counselors specifically trained in Marine culture. The principle behind the specific counselors is to establish a rapport and develop the necessary skills required to cope with stressors.
If callers are ever in need of further counseling they can release their name, set up an appointment and talk to the same counselor at a further date.
“The DSTRESS Line is yet another avenue for our troops to turn to if they need it,” said Barry Francke, assistant manager and clinical supervisor, Camp Pendleton Counseling Services. “It’s important to keep Marines and their families at ease because it helps them focus on the mission.”
The goal of DSTRESS is to help callers manage stress, whether it relates to work, relationships, deployment or finances. The callers do not need to reveal their identity and all calls are strictly confidential.
Currently, the DSTRESS Line is a pilot program that reaches out to those in the Western U.S., Hawaii, and Alaska, but there are plans in the works for a global Marine Corpswide expansion.
The hotline also plans to offer video chat, texting and online chatting in the future, depending on the caller’s preference.
To reach the DSTRESS Line, call 1-877-476-7734 or visit www.dstressline.com. For more information about the program call 703-784-9517.
In addition to DSTRESS, the Marine Corps also offers counseling services to service members and their families at Military One Source, which can be reached at 1-800-342-9647 or visit www.militaryonesource.com.