Welcome to COPE NC.  The fact that you are reading this is a positive step in your mental health.  You are not alone.  You have a community that cares about you and we are honored to be a part of that community. 

The first thing to remember is that what you are experiencing are normal reactions to some very abnormal and stressful events.  Realizing that you have some concerns and taking steps to address them is a positive sign and show of strength. 

We have compiled some questions you may have about the program to see if this is right for you.  

• What is COPE?
• Who can benefit from COPE?
• How does this work?
• Is COPE available to family members?
• What can I expect?
• How long does therapy last?
• Is this confidential?
• What if I become suicidal or homicidal?
• What do you expect from me?
• What type of computer equipment do I need?
• What if I don't speak or write well?

What is COPE?

COPE stands for Confidential Online Psychological Evaluations. COPE is the only service where you are screened for mental health issues and actual treatment is provided online or by telephone with a licensed mental health professional. We currently offer counseling through secure messaging, however, plans are in place to include counseling via telephone, live chat, and video. We will also be implementing access to medications if appropriate.  

Who Can Benefit from COPE?

The soldier that will benefit the most from COPE is one who is trying to reintegrate and negotiate back into civilian life. COPE is designed for any soldier or family member who is seeking treatment for transition issues or minor PTSD. It is also for those that have limited mobility, time constraints, or have few providers in their area. COPE can also assist those facing stigma to accessing services, and those fearful of discrimination when seeking care and treatment.  

COPE is not appropriate for patients that need on-site traditional care, schizophrenia, and other serious mental illnesses. COPE is also not appropriate for people who are suicidal or homicidal. 

Is COPE available to family members?

Yes, COPE is available to serve the needs of family members. We are acutely aware that when a loved one returns home from service, emotional conflict and transition issues can arise. During this period of transition, spouses may feel helpless and alone. Professional help from COPE is available to successfully address these issues.  

How Does this Work?

To begin COPE, you will provide some basic information about yourself such as your address, your gender, your age, and your contact information. Please be truthful as this is a confidential service and no one (not even your Commander) will know that you are accessing mental health services unless you tell them.  

Here are the steps:

1. When you are registering with us, you will answer a few questions about the state of your current mental health. You will create a username and password in order to log into a secure portal to communicate with your counselor. No substantive communications occur through your normal email address.
2. A mental health professional will review your results to determine if you are a candidate for online or telephonic counseling. We call this person a screener. The review of your information will occur within 24 hours of submitting it (on weekends it may take longer).
3. If you are a candidate for this type of counseling, then your information will be forwarded to a mental health professional who is volunteering their time to do the actual counseling. Your counselor should respond within 24 hours of receiving your information. Please note that the screener has access to all of the resumes of the counselors and is attempting to match your needs with the qualifications of the counselors.
4. Your counselor will send a message to your secure portal to start the counseling. Currently, all counseling is text based and not real time, however, live chat, telephone, and video will be available soon. When your counselor sends you a message, you will receive an email in your normal account asking you to log on to review the message. You may log on very soon after you receive the email and respond to the counselor, but you may not receive a return message immediately because this is not real time interaction.

What Can I Expect?

It is important to understand what you can expect from this service. To start this pilot in North Carolina, several officers reviewed COPE and agreed to make this available to you and members of your family. Officers, as well as state officials, are aware of the problem facing soldiers who want to access mental health services. Again, you are not alone. According to the NC Guard, there are several of you that need mental health assistance.  

COPE is an alternative for you. It may be the bridge until you can receive an appointment with the VA, it may be the periodic check-in you need with a counselor to keep you on the road to recovery, or it simply may not be for you. 

You and your counselor will work out your goals and how to attain them. The two of you will agree upon how often the counselor will check for messages, when you can expect a response, and how long both of you think counseling will last. 

How Long will Therapy Last?

We are grateful to you for your service to our country. We want you to be in a better place. The counselors are volunteering their time and we need to be respectful of their time also. You can expect to receive between 5-20 hours of traditional counseling. We see counseling ending with COPE in a couple of ways:

1. If you receive an appointment with the VA;
2. If you progress and decide that you are feeling better;
3. You feel that this type of therapy is not for you; or
4. You become suicidal or homicidal.

Is This Confidential?

COPE is confidential on many levels unless you become suicidal or homicidal. 

First, all communication between you and your counselor takes place over a secure and confidential web portal not over regular email. You will receive emails advising you to log on to your secure account to view and communicate with your counselor. These emails only advise you to access your account, they do not make any mention of the topic of discussion. 

Secondly, neither your commander nor anyone within the Guard will know that you are accessing counseling. It is totally confidential. The Guard will know how many people accessed the service and their thoughts about it, but not the specific person who accessed it.  

Finally, COPE uses several means to ensure your personal information is safe and secure. All communication and information sent over the Internet is encrypted, the database is encrypted, and the facility where the data is housed requires a combination of biometric scans, keys, and other identifying information to enter the facility. 

However, to protect you or others in the event that you become suicidal or homicidal, we will contact the NC National Guard Chaplain if you indicate that you will take your life or someone else’s. As you know, that communication will still remain private. If the counselor believes that the situation is imminent and very grave, the counselor will call your emergency contact and the local authorities. 

Additionally, at the start of the registration process, you will be evaluated for your mental health status today. If you are high risk at the onset of the program, the screeners will contact the NC Guard to attempt to get you the help you need as quickly as possible. If you become worse while you are in counseling, then your counselor may advise you to contact the NC Guard for more assistance. 
 

What If I Become Suicidal or Homicidal?

Tell your counselor.  Remember this is not real time interaction so you may not receive help for several hours after you send a message saying that you are suicidal.  Depending on the severity of the situation, your counselor may notify the NC Guard Chaplain or the local authorities.    

There are several resources for you too. You can call:

1. VA Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255
2. National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE
3. Military One Source: 1-800-342-9647

Additionally, the NC National Guard Support Chaplain, MAJ Steven King is available to you through these methods: Email: steven.king4@us.army.mil, Office: 1-800-621-4136, x6198, Cell: 919-610-4392 (if emergency). 
 

What Do You Expect From Me?

We expect you: 

1. To work with your counselor on meaningful markers for success. This will help you and your counselor agree on the terms of the counseling and when counseling will decrease.
2. To give us your feedback at an appropriate time.
3. To breathe. What we mean is that we want you to feel better and sometimes you need to just take a few deep breaths. We hope COPE is a way to achieve some healing for you.

What Type of Computer Equipment Do I need?

All you need is a regular computer with access to the internet. You can access it at home, a public library or wherever you can find internet access. We will soon be introducing counseling by telephone and video. For video counseling a standard web camera is required. If you do not have one, a Patient Services representative from COPE can assist you in obtaining one.

For optimal performance with COPE, we recommend using Internet Explorer.  

What If I Don’t Spell Well or Write Well?

Don’t worry about how you write. When using secure messaging, you are simply expressing how you feel. And if you don’t spell well, we built a spell check for the messages!