Thank you for your service: You’re fired

Not all veterans who have served this country have been served well in return. Many come home to their families injured and traumatized from witnessing the unimaginable. Still, many desire to continue serving by taking jobs in the federal government. 

But a troubling trend is emerging for veterans in the federal workforce who seek mental health services to manage the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder: Federal managers encourage our veterans to seek mental health services but then suspend security clearance, move them to administrative roles, label them unfit for duty, or fire them outright.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an opportunity to move beyond empty rhetoric with respect to mental illness and raise understanding in the federal sector. Employers need to develop strategies to maintain the health and wellness of all employees, especially those who have suffered due to their military service. 

I have the honor and privilege to work with returning service members — all of whom bear some kind of physical or emotional scars from their time on active duty — supporting them in a range of employment and discrimination issues. These brave men and women have sacrificed greatly, with many putting their lives on the line. Witnessing the atrocities of war up close takes a toll on the body and mind. Entering the civilian workforce should not revictimize and retraumatize our returning veterans.

When my clients returned home, they were different people. Some struggle with anxiety, depression, nightmares, fits of rage, inability to concentrate and acute stress or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the mental health hurdles my clients face, they remain committed to serving the United States in meaningful jobs within the federal government.

The stigma that prevents veterans and others from seeking the mental health support they need is now compounded by the very real threat of losing their job if they obtain critical support for recovery and successful reintegration. With the added risk of threatened termination, our veterans are given little choice but to go without treatment or try to disprove their manager’s misconceptions related to a misguided belief that returning veterans with PTSD or other mental health conditions are incapable of doing their job.

In many cases, there is no actual performance concern — only a federal manager’s erroneous views about mental health stereotypes. With proper support, our veterans are more than capable of maintaining their position within the federal government, and many have worked successfully for years in roles that demonstrate they are some of the best in their field.

For example, an Army Special Forces combat medic that I represented entered the federal civilian workforce as a paramedic following his active-duty service. He led an EMS team of Army veterans on an Army base for 10 years, many of whom were diagnosed with PTSD from serving as combat medics. Unfortunately, a single senior administrator sidelined him for seeking therapy for his mental health condition. 

For a team working in an emotionally taxing role while carrying prior traumatic experiences themselves, he was a beloved leader who consistently demonstrated empathy and skill as a paramedic. But despite stellar recommendations from his supervisor, his medical provider and the agency’s own medical team of physicians, plus a history of strong leadership spanning a decade without a single performance issue, a single opinion decided that his PTSD and off-duty medication regimen suddenly made him unfit for duty. 

After a prolonged shuffling between admin duty and leave without pay, he was forced to find a different job to support his family. The federal government casting aside a model employee like him for seeking the care he needs and deserves is not a case of “falling through the gaps,” it’s a glaring failure of our system that allows federal employers to discriminate against veterans with mental health conditions.

As a Navy spouse, I know all too well what our veterans and their families have sacrificed to serve our country, and the dismissal of those who experienced trauma and sought help is unconscionable. Seeking lifesaving mental health care should not put a veteran’s job in jeopardy. Nothing poses a greater risk to a veteran’s mental health than suddenly losing their job and the support of their colleagues — many of whom are fellow veterans.

As we pause to remember and honor the sacrifices our veterans have made, join me in urging leaders in Washington to reaffirm our support of veterans by strengthening the rights of employees who seek mental health services. Over the past decade, our country has made great strides to break down barriers to getting needed mental health treatment, but all strides ring hollow if we penalize veterans for seeking it.

Perry Ann Howell is counsel with Gilbert Employment Law in Honolulu, Hawaii. She represents federal employees before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and individuals undergoing federal background investigations related to their eligibility for access to classified or sensitive information.