U.S. military families, veterans, and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians stationed in Japan and South Korea will soon have access to new mental health care options. Nonprofit Cohen Veterans Network clinics are scheduled to open on U.S. military bases in the Pacific next year, with locations at Camp Foster on Okinawa and Camp Humphreys in South Korea. Additional clinics are planned for Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Yokota Air Base near Tokyo, and Osan Air Base in South Korea at a later, yet-to-be-announced date.
The clinics, which are operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), will focus on providing mental health services to military families, retirees, veterans, and DoD civilians, rather than active-duty personnel, who will continue to receive care through other military channels. The move is part of AAFES’s commitment to supporting military families stationed abroad.
Tom Shull, director of AAFES, emphasized that the mission is focused on improving access to crucial mental health services. “Opening these clinics in the Pacific region offers military families much-needed, convenient access to mental health care and expert support,” Shull said.
The Cohen Veterans Network, founded in 2016 by philanthropist Steven Cohen, has already been operating mental health clinics across the United States. The new clinics will expand its reach to military communities in the Indo-Pacific. Services will include treatment for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grief, anger, family issues, transition challenges, and children’s behavioral concerns. Mental health professionals will offer individual, couples, family, and group therapy, both in person and through telehealth options.
The expansion of these clinics comes at a time when concerns about mental health access in overseas military communities have been growing. In December 2022, the Defense Health Agency limited access to medical services for DoD civilians in Japan, forcing many to seek care off-base. However, finding providers who speak English or are familiar with American cultural norms has been a challenge. A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released in April highlighted the shortage of mental health professionals in Japan, which has fewer mental health workers per capita than the U.S.
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