USU Welcomes More Than 400 Providers to Military Mental Health Short Course

The Army surgeon general delivered the keynote address for the event, which offered continuing education in military medicine and mental health.

(Left to right) COL Janet Vaughn, LTC Connie Thomas, COL Marlene Arias-Reynoso, CAPT Robert Lippy, and COL Elisha Pippin take part in a leadership panel discussion during the 2026 Military Mental Health Short Course. (Photo by U.S. Army Maj. George Mesias)

July 22, 2026 by Zachary Willis

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) welcomed more than 400 registered mental health professionals to the 2026 Military Mental Health Short Course, held both in person and online in Bethesda, Maryland, June 29 through July 1. 

Lt. Gen. Mary K. Izaguirre, the 46th Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and commanding general of U.S. Army Medical Command, opened the three-day course as keynote speaker. The event’s theme, “Preparing the Force: Achieving Mental Health Excellence for the Future Operating Environment Through Innovation, Culture, and Mentorship,” set up sessions on large-scale combat operations (LSCO), emerging technology, leadership and interdisciplinary care.

U.S. Army Col. David Sensiba presents a plaque of appreciation to U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mary K. Izaguirre following her keynote address at the 2026 Military Mental Health Short Course. (Photo by U.S. Army Col. Marlene Arias-Reynoso)

Day one included a joint session on the war in Ukraine, led by Dr. Bruce Crow, a psychologist and associate director of program evaluation at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who walked attendees through psychological lessons the conflict has offered so far. The day closed with an ethics presentation from Dr. Dexter Freeman, assistant director of the U.S. Army-University of Kentucky Master of Social Work Program, and a networking social for attendees. 

USU’s Student Counseling Center, part of the university’s Department of Family Medicine, co-sponsored the short course with the U.S. Army Medical Command, a component of the Department of War (DoW), and continuing education credit was provided through the Defense Health Agency’s J-7 Continuing Education Program Office. The course was open to mental health providers from every service branch across the DoW’s Military Health System (MHS), including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychiatric nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, chaplains, and mental health technicians. The course has previously been held at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence; this was its first year in the Washington, D.C., region.

U.S. Army Maj. George Mesias, deputy director of the Student Counseling Center, reported, “Many attendees were visiting USU for the first time, and everyone reported having a wonderful time on campus. Bringing together such a diverse group of mental health professionals allows us to network and promote excellence in the delivery of mental health care.  It's ultimately about building a resilient, unified front capable of supporting our warfighters across every branch.”

U.S. Army Col. David Sensiba, of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, served as the course’s lead planner, opening and closing each day of the event. Mesias and retired U.S. Army Col. Nathan Keller, director of the Student Counseling Center, served as the university’s lead planners for its portion of the course. Keller also presented a session titled “Battlemind: A Retrospective,” tracing the Army program developed to help soldiers manage the psychological transition from combat deployments to home station.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Nathan Keller, PhD, presents 'Battlemind: A Retrospective' during the 2026 Military Mental Health Short Course. (Photo by U.S. Army Col. Marlene Arias-Reynoso)

Sessions ran across four tracks: Mental Health in LSCO, Innovation and Military Systems, Culture, Leadership and Mentorship, and Interdisciplinary Mental Health. The course's five learning objectives ranged from analyzing readiness requirements for large-scale combat operations to applying tools such as artificial intelligence for suicide prevention and command decision-making, and from strengthening engaged leadership and clinical supervision to addressing moral injury and expanding access to care in resource-constrained environments. Other topics included virtual mental health delivery, embedded care for the National Guard, and expanding access to care in resource-constrained environments. 

On the final day, senior, mid-grade and enlisted providers held three leadership panel discussions over a working lunch, and presenters shared six poster presentations on topics including perinatal mental health screening and training combat medics to serve as mental health “extenders” in the field. Across the three days, the course offered 36 continuing-education sessions.

USU educates a number of its uniformed students to become psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners, and events like the short course connect that pipeline to providers already serving across the MHS. Keller said that the course reflected that continuing mission. “The Uniformed Services University was privileged to host the Mental Health Short Course,” Keller said. “This event served as a significant platform, convening over 350 multidisciplinary mental health professionals from across all services to facilitate the exchange of research, discuss cutting-edge treatment interventions, and cultivate professional networks dedicated to enhancing the psychological well-being of our service members and their families.”

Attendees gather for a group photo during the 2026 Military Mental Health Short Course at USU. (Photo by U.S. Army Maj. George Mesias)