We conduct military psych evaluations for individuals who wish to enlist but have been advised to undergo an assessment first, or for those currently serving who have been asked to undergo an evaluation to be promoted or remain in the service. Psych evaluations for military service are conducted to evaluate the mental health, stability, and suitability of armed forces personnel for various roles. We conduct military fitness for duty psychological evaluations for all branches. The process often starts with a military psychological screening before we get into (and charge for) more extensive testing. We are proud to conduct testing for military clearance and grateful to those who want to enlist or commission.
These evaluations are crucial for ensuring that individuals can effectively manage the stresses and responsibilities associated with service and are fit to perform their duties safely and efficiently. They are often required of anyone whose history or current behavior “flags” them as needing to be evaluated. It all begins with a military psychological screening to determine if a larger evaluation is warranted. Our services are part of the military waiver evaluation process.
Military Psychological Screening
Our first step is always a military psychological screening. Before we begin a full battery of testing, we would like to provide you with feedback about your chances of meeting the established criteria. If your need for military clearance has been explicitly noted, we’ll meet with you to discuss your history and current symptoms, providing you with an idea of your chances of getting cleared based on our experience.
We cannot make promises. Each branch is fair but strict in its assessments, as they should be. If your request involves clearance from multiple issues, the military psychological screening process may be more extensive. In that case, however, it is still designed to provide you with a general idea of your chances.
Armed Forces Psychological Screening Results
You may be able to bring your military psychological screening results to your recruiter or other experts, who can also give you an opinion about whether you are likely to pass and get cleared. We must emphasize that the military psychological screening results provide no guarantees. We’ll try to communicate your chances, but nothing is certain, given that many pieces of data are considered during the clearance process.
Military Fitness for Duty Psychological Testing
If your military psychological screening suggests a good chance of being cleared, you’ll likely proceed to the next steps. Military fitness for duty psychological evaluations are crucial for assessing a service member’s mental and emotional well-being, ensuring they can perform their duties effectively and safely. Here are some common components of our military fitness for duty psychological testing:
- Psychological Assessments: The first and most prominent part of military fitness for duty psychological evaluations is standardized tests, interviews, and self-report questionnaires to evaluate various aspects of mental health, including mood, cognition, personality traits, and coping mechanisms. If there is a specific reason you have been referred for military fitness for duty testing, we will ensure that the tests we choose cover that aspect.
- Trauma Screening: Prospective service members may be assessed for past traumatic experiences, which could impact their mental health and ability to function in their roles.
- Risk Assessment: A military fitness for duty psychological evaluation called a “mental status exam” that will include assessing the risk of suicide, self-harm, or harm to others. This evaluation helps identify individuals needing additional support or intervention to mitigate these risks.
- Stress Management: Military fitness for duty evaluations may include assessing a service member’s ability to manage stress effectively, as armed forces duties can be inherently stressful. We provide stress management and resilience-building techniques as an adjunct to the evaluation process.
- Substance Abuse Screening: A military psychological screening may include screening for substance abuse or dependence, as these issues can significantly impair a service member’s mental health and performance.
Overall, military fitness for duty psychological evaluations aim to identify mental health concerns among prospective service members and ensure the overall readiness of those who want to serve. We then go beyond helping you obtain military clearance if you meet the criteria by providing you with ideas and suggestions for managing the stress and requirements of serving.
Key Aspects of Military Psych Evaluations
Here are some key aspects of psych evaluations for service:
Purpose of Military Psych Evaluations
The primary purpose of psych evaluations for military service is to assess an individual’s mental and emotional fitness. This includes evaluating their ability to cope with stress, adapt to changing situations, and perform under pressure. It also aims to identify any psychological issues or conditions that could impact their performance or pose a risk to themselves or others.
For initial enlistment, military psych evaluations are ordered when something from a recruit’s past, even their distant past, is flagged as needing more inquiry, such as a psychiatric diagnosis, psychological treatment, or an inpatient stay.
For those who wish to commission as officers or for the JAG corps, or want to attain a certain security clearance, it may be part of the process. Our evaluations are also used to assess whether a candidate is a good fit for a job.
These screenings may occur at various stages of a servicemember’s career, including during recruitment, pre-deployment, and post-deployment phases.
Military Psych Evaluations Screening Process
Psych evaluations for military service typically involve a combination of psychological testing, interviews, and a review of historical records. The specific psychological tests and procedures used may vary depending on the branch of the armed forces and the nature of the assignment. Sometimes, all that is needed is an interview and a review of the client’s history.
Military psych evaluations may assess various factors, including cognitive abilities, emotional stability, interpersonal skills, impulse control, and resilience. They may also examine past experiences, traumas, and coping mechanisms to assess an individual’s ability to handle the job’s challenges. Additionally, the evaluations may consider factors such as a history of substance abuse, a criminal record, and family background. The person making the referral for assessment, whether a recruiter for recruits or an officer for those already serving, will usually be quite specific about what is needed.
Other Aspects of Military Psych Evaluations
There are a few other things to know about psych evaluations for military service related to how they might differ from regular testing: 
Military Psych Evaluations and Privacy
Like other medical evaluations, psych evaluations for military service are subject to confidentiality and privacy regulations to protect the rights and well-being of the individuals undergoing evaluation. Information obtained during military clearance assessments is typically kept confidential and only shared with authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis. However, you must remember that there could be negative repercussions if you decide not to share the results.
Military Fitness for Duty and Clearance Status
Depending on the evaluation results, individuals may get a full military clearance, require additional monitoring or support, or be deemed unfit for certain roles or deployments. In cases where significant mental health issues are identified, individuals may receive treatment, counseling, or other interventions to address their needs and improve their overall well-being. Sometimes, all that is required is more time to pass since an issue or challenge arose. In other words, it is not always a simple “yes” or “no” following military psych evaluations, but rather a mixed bag.
Military Clearance Process
Military psych evaluations typically involve several steps designed to assess the mental and emotional fitness of individuals seeking to serve in the armed forces or increase their rank or security clearance. While the specific procedure we might use will depend on the direction your recruiter or commanding officer gives you, the following is a general overview of the process:
1. Psychological Assessment Intake
We do an initial screening process that includes a review of your request, any letters from commanding officers or recruiters, and aspects of your history. This screening may also involve completing questionnaires about your mental health and personality traits. Before we charge you the full fee and commit to providing this service, we want to ensure that we are reasonably sure we can assist with your military clearance. Even from there, there are no guarantees, but if it’s clear that we cannot help, we want you to know that before we delve too deeply.
We do not charge our full fee upfront; instead, we charge as we proceed, so you do not pay the full amount unless we determine that you qualify to receive a letter in support of your clearance. Even then, there are no guarantees.
2. Armed Forces Clearance Interview
Assuming everything in the first step checks out reasonably, we will conduct an in-depth interview to assess your suitability for our service. This interview may cover topics such as past experiences, coping skills, stress management, and any history of mental health issues. Usually, no single thing will disqualify you, so it’s essential to be open and honest during the interview. It’s certainly a negative if the service finds out that you minimized something or left it out. We will provide a well-rounded report describing your fitness; no one is expected to be perfect.
3. Clearance and Psychological Testing
Your commanding officer or recruiter may require you to complete a battery of psychological tests designed to assess cognitive abilities, personality traits, emotional stability, and potential for coping with the demands of service. Common tests used in military psych assessments include the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI test) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI test). Sometimes, these tests are not required; however, we can discuss whether they might be beneficial if we use them and bring some scientific rigor to our conclusions about your potential military clearance and fitness to serve.
4. Military Clearance Evaluation and Decision
After completing all assessments and examinations, we review the findings and write a comprehensive letter to you, addressing any specific questions that were asked and generally describing your fitness or to take on new responsibilities. The armed forces will use this information to assess your psychological fitness for service. Remember that their evaluation of what we present will result in military clearance for enlistment, placement in a specific armed forces occupation, or disqualification from service. Our letter is a suggestion, but they decide what happens next. Again, they are quite thoughtful and fair, but understandably strict because they need to ensure that our armed forces are effective and strong.
In some cases, you will be asked to undergo periodic behavioral health assessments throughout your service to monitor your mental health and well-being. This ongoing monitoring helps identify and address emerging issues affecting your performance or readiness.
It’s important to note that the specific procedures and criteria for psychological assessments can vary widely depending on factors such as the branch of the armed forces and your intended role. Additionally, the process may be subject to updates and revisions to reflect advances in psychological science and evolving priorities within the armed forces. We will work to ensure we are caught up on all this.
Conclusions and Our Work
Psych evaluations for military service play a crucial role in safeguarding mental health and readiness of armed forces personnel, ensuring they can effectively fulfill their duties. We always start with a military psychological screening for a low fee to give you an idea of your chances. In other posts, we also cover how to get a psych eval and what it’s like to be psychologically evaluated.
We also provide fitness-for-duty testing for other occupations, individual therapy for those who want to serve but need to overcome a challenge first, and leadership coaching for those who wish to commission as an officer. Our goal is to provide both testing and avenues of support.
If you have any questions about military psych evaluations or want to discuss the request you’ve received to undergo one, please feel free to contact us or schedule a consultation anytime. We would like to thank everyone reading this post for considering serving their country or for supporting someone who is considering doing so.
