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(e) there is no indication of a current problem.
Security Executive Agent Directive 4 (“SEAD 4”), National Security Adjudicative Guidelines (Effective June 8, 2017).
As you can see, much of the mitigation surrounds actually seeing a mental health professional, obtaining treatment, and following through on the treatment plan. Consider the officer who self-referred because of his drug use. That concern was mitigated because seeking counseling for his addiction meant that the acknowledged his drug involvement and substance misuse, and his seeking counseling was evidence of completing a treatment program. Conversely, the concerns about his psychological condition were never raised. Put another way: seeking mental health guidance is not a problem; it was the underlying factual solution that mitigated the government’s concerns.
To underscore my point, I will use a more extreme example. A few years ago, I had someone retain me who had attempted suicide on two occasions. This individual self- reported the incidents on the SF-86 because they were involuntarily hospitalized. The situation was serious and, given the facts initially disclosed, we had to go through a robust appeal for their security clearance, which we ultimately prevailed in.
So, what was the evidence we provided? Well, plenty of statements from fact witnesses who knew this person well and could attest to their mental stability. However, the critical evidence came from two medical professionals: a clinical psychiatrist and a licensed clinical social worker. The clinical psychiatrist provided a letter detailing the length they provided psychological services for this individual, the treatment plan, and evidence showing that my client was following the treatment plan to a “T”. The licensed clinical social worker did the same, and even provided some details about the counseling
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