WEBPAGE AND LINKS VERIFIED AS OF MARCH 04, 2025

***NEW***
NAVADMIN 166/23 - issues policy to the Navy to implement DoD Directive-type Memo 23- 005, “Self-Initiated Referral Process for Mental Health Evaluations of Service Members.” Mental Health is health, and every service member deserves a deliberate strategy for strengthening their mental health. Download the Brandon Act fact sheet to learn more.

Download the Mental Health Playbook version 1.1 has been updated to reflect The Brandon Act (NAVADMIN 166/23).
Due to the use of hyperlinks, this document is best viewed in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome when using Navy computers. Once saved to your computer, right-click the document, select “Open with” then choose either browser.

“Above all, Command, whether at sea or ashore, is fundamentally about preparing for and leading in combat…Be relentless in building a culture of the highest character, a tough, resilient team that wins…Keep a close watch on your own mental, physical, and emotional health, and the health of those you lead.”  -CNO Gilday, excerpts from the Charge of Command

To prepare our teams for combat, we must ensure each member of the team, their minds, bodies, and spirits, are ready for combat, or for supporting those who go forward. For this reason, ensuring the health, especially the mental health of our people, is paramount.

This playbook is designed to assist Navy leaders in preventing, mitigating, or addressing mental health issues within their commands. This work begins well-before a mental health issue occurs. It starts with the climate our leaders create and how they lead the people in their care.

Navy-wide, we must become comfortable with the idea of preventative maintenance for our people. Most of us are absolutely comfortable with the concept of preventative maintenance for our equipment and machines. Today, it is equally, if not, more important to apply this term to our people. As Benjamin Franklin said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”