PERSONAL COUNSELING
All personal problems should not be referred
to a specialist. Your first duty as a chief is to
recognize whether the problem is beyond your
ability to help or not. Many times you can solve
personal problems with a telephone call. If the
problem is beyond your ability to solve, then give
the division officer a chance to solve the problem.
Stay informed of the progress made toward
solving the problem. If the problem requires
assistance from outside the command, you can
smooth the process by making appointments and
ensuring the counselee gets help. Keep informed
of progress and follow-up!
As a CPO, you may encounter situations in
which persons being counseled must be referred
to other sources for assistance. There will be times
when a person will have special problems that will
require special help. These problems should be
handled by such specialists as the chaplain, legal
officer, and medical officer. The effective CPO
should be able to recognize situations in which
referral is necessary and to assist the counselee
in obtaining maximum benefit from these
referrals. Examples of situations in which
referral would be appropriate include drug
and alcohol abuse, psychological problems or
behavioral disorders, medical problems, personal
limitations, such as a personality conflict with the
counselor and the inability of the counselor to
relate to or comprehend a counselee’s problem.
In each instance, the key to successful referral
lies not in the ability to diagnose a problem but
rather in the ability to recognize those signs or
symptoms that indicate referral to appropriate
sources.
To assist CPOs in fulfilling their advising and
counseling responsibilities with regard to referral,
the Navy has developed an impressive array of
helping resources. A listing of these helping
resources is provided for reference.
Helping Resource
Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers/Alcohol
Rehabilitation Departments (ARCs and ARDs)
Counseling and Assistance Centers (CAACs)
Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor (DAPA)
Navy Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Pro-
gram (NADSAP)
Navy Relief
Chaplain Corps
Command Ombudsman
Family Service Centers (FSC)
Federal Credit Unions
Educational Services
Capability
Alcohol abuse and related physical disorders
Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and psychological
disorders
Primary command point of contact for drug and
alcohol abuse problems
Education program for those with drug/alcohol
abuse problems
Financial counseling
Personal problem and religious counseling
Community orientation and family orientation to
the command and Navy life
Comprehensive family-related information, pro-
grams, and services for Navy families and single
service members
Financial assistance, to include savings and loan
advice as well as family financial planning
Educational assistance, to include degree-granting
programs, correspondence courses, and in-service
educational benefits
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