Psychologist at U.S. Public Health Services Commissioned Corps
Former Army psychologist still serves Soldiers at Fort Carson.
By Warren Duffie
Dr. Kay Beaulieu has thoroughly enjoyed her military and civilian careers over the last 28 years. She loved both the discipline and camaraderie of the Armed Forces and the freedom of the private sector. However, she always thought it would be nice to have a job that blended the best of both worlds.
She found that job as a psychologist with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a military-style organization that sends full-time uniformed, commissioned health professionals to work with the Armed Forces and other federal agencies and programs. Though this lieutenant commander (the Corps uses Navy ranks and uniform styles) technically is still a Reservist, she is on active-duty status.
On The Job
Beaulieu works at Fort Carson, Colo., in support of the 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. She oversees the newly created Mobile Behavioral Health Team, which provides psychological treatment in the brigade’s aid stations. The team offers individual therapy to Soldiers, refers them to civilian health care providers, and determines whether they’re fit to be deployed to Afghanistan.
“We deal with a lot of Soldiers suffering from PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder, formerly known as ‘shell shock’] from previous deployments,” Beaulieu said, “as well as new Soldiers who are nervous about deploying. We also see people with depression and other psychological issues.”
Beaulieu’s crew consists of four credentialed providers, a psychology intern, a nurse case manager, an enlisted mental health technician, a civilian mental health technician and a clerk. Her main duties involve supervising the team, seeing Soldiers herself, dealing with top Army brass, and writing medical boards (patient health and background reports). She often visits the base processing center to interview Soldiers scheduled to deploy overseas.
An Elite Corps
The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is an elite team of 6,000 health professionals charged with promoting and implementing America’s public health and disease control initiatives. As one of America’s seven uniformed services, the Corps fills essential leadership and service roles within government agencies and programs, the military, and prisons.
It falls under the U.S. Public Health Service – the main division of the Department of Health and Human Services – and is led by the Surgeon General.
The Corps is an active-duty service and currently seeks physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, therapists, dieticians, engineers, mental health specialists, scientists and researchers, and veterinarians.
Both military and civilian health professionals can apply. Some employment benefits include competitive pay, free health and dental care, tax-free housing and meal allowances, 30 days of paid vacation per year, and malpractice insurance coverage.
In Uniform
Beaulieu enlisted in the Army in 1981. She had a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Colorado-Denver, but no one would hire her because she lacked experience.
“The Army guaranteed I would get a job as a behavioral science specialist,” Beaulieu said. “What better way to get the experience I needed?”
After boot camp at Alabama’s Fort McClelland, she attended medic and behavioral science training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She then served in Arizona, Alaska and Texas.
The Transition
In 1985, Beaulieu left the Army to pursue a graduate degree. Over the next eight years, she earned a master’s in counseling and a doctorate in counseling psychology. She counseled women who survived sexual assault, mothers who placed their babies up for adoption, and rape and incest survivors.
In 1992, Beaulieu returned to the Army, earning a direct commission to the rank of captain. She stayed on active duty until 1999, when she decided to launch her own private practice: “I did well, but I missed the structure of the military. I was my own boss, but I had to pay a lot of overhead, including malpractice insurance.”
In 2004 Beaulieu ran into an old Army buddy at a medical conference. The friend told her about a civilian opening at Fort Carson for an assistant chief of psychology services. Ready to return to military life, Beaulieu jumped at the opportunity, applied, and was hired.
She would have been happy to stay in that job. However, last February a colleague told her about the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
“It sounded like a fun and exciting challenge,” Beaulieu said. “Also, while I loved working on a military base, I thought it would be enjoyable to get back into uniform full-time. So I applied, went through the mandatory tests, and was hired.”
Beaulieu’s Advice
“I see a lot of Soldiers who are about to be discharged from the Army. I tell them to find a marketable skill. This could be what they did in uniform or a hobby they enjoy doing. It’s important to have passion for your work. I also tell them to use their GI Bill benefits and get their education.”