Counselors told not to treat PTSD and suicide?

Missoula therapist fights human resources firm over confidentiality, PTSD treatment for soldiers

By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian

Outraged by a change in a counseling contract that provides mental health care to military personnel and their families, a Missoula therapist is waging a one-person war to defend soldiers' rights.

Taking on this battle is David Stube, a licensed clinical counselor who is fighting Ceridian, a global human resources firm that is contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide psychological health services to soldiers.

The issue came to light in January when Ceridian sent a letter to counselors it contracts with in all 50 states. The letter asked those professionals to sign an addendum that not only waives doctor-patient confidentiality, but also forces counselors to agree not to provide counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, addiction issues, or violent or suicidal behavior.
Stube refused to sign the addendum and believes Ceridian's new requirements and the Defense Department's acceptance of those changes are unethical. Now, a few months into the fray, he's recruited and gained support from Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.

"If you are a soldier or in a soldier's family, this means you can no longer be counseled for these conditions, even though all military websites refer all soldiers to Ceridian MilitaryOne Source counselors for these exact issues," Stube said. "The websites neglect to tell the soldiers that the counselors have agreed to not treat PTSD, depression, addiction issues and problems with dangerous angry behavior.

"Furthermore, if the counselor does not post their clinical notes after each session on the Ceridian website within three days after seeing the soldier, the counselor will not be paid," Stube said.
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Missoula therapist fights human resources firm