Chief Counselor
Duties
The Chief Counselor is responsible for helping crew and civilians with personal, psychological and emotional problems.
They also carry out mandatory psychological evaluations, advise the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer on First Contact missions and on other people and races where necessary, advise the Commanding Officer in emergencies and can sometimes act as a Morale Officer where there is none available. They must also liaise with the Executive Officer to compile annual individual crew member reports.
The Chief Counselor is able to relieve any crew member from duty if they are certain that their judgement is being affected by a severe emotional or psychological condition. In the case of the Commanding Officer, this would usually be carried out in liaison with the Chief Medical Officer and the Executive Officer where possible.
The Chief Counselor is considered a member of the Senior Staff. They are responsible for the crew in their department. The Chief Counselor is the Counselor with the highest rank and most experience.
Training
Training
- A Four year Counseling course at a Starfleet Medical Academy facility, (this can be extended to six years if specialist subjects have also been taken).
OR
- A relevant civilian degree/qualification (expected to be at least three years in length) followed by a 2 year fast track Counseling Officer’s course at a Starfleet Medical Academy facility.
Internship
- Once graduated, a counselor must work through an internship where they are observed during some of their sessions in their first months or years of practice, (the length of time depending on their experience and ability), usually by the Chief Counselor or Assistant Chief Counselor, or where necessary the Chief Medical Officer or Assistant Chief Medical Officer. During this time, they will hold the rank of Ensign, and the internship can be served on a ship, base or any Starfleet facility as seen fit.
- The intern's mentor will decide when they are able to serve independently and sign them as clear for independent duty. Promotion to the rank of Lieutenant JG indicates that a counselor has completed their internship and can serve independently, although internship can, of course, be completed before promotion.
Evaluations
A psychological evaluation is a mandatory part of Starfleet service and usually takes place either on an annual basis or after taking up a new post.
There are three main points for a counselor to consider when carrying out an evaluation; adjustment, prevention and fitness.
- Adjustment: how is the crew member adjusting to their ship/base? How are they functioning within the department? How are they interacting with others they work closely with? How are they dealing with long stints in space?
There are all sorts of variants that can make it difficult for a crew member to adjust to their position...have they been able to settle in? Difficulties in this area can be a distraction or inhibit productive work.
- Prevention: Are there any signs of illness or strain? How is their general health and basic functioning? Are they dealing with the stress of serving Starfleet?
If there are any early signs of mental illness or stress, it is better to act sooner and prevent the problem from developing than to leave it and have to treat it later.
- Fitness: Is the crew member mentally fit for duty? Are they capable of making impartial and safe decisions?
This is the most important part of the evaluation. A crew member must be mentally fit in order to be cleared for duty, this includes being able to make sound decisions under pressure.
The results of an evaluation should be reached by questioning and gentle guidance by the counselor. It will be the answer to some of the above questions, and sometimes also a crew member’s previous record, that allows the counselor to come to a decision.
Sessions & Treatment
Whether a patient is ordered to see a counselor by a senior member of staff, or if they choose to see one of their own accord, a counselor’s role in a counselling session is to both assess and treat.
Through questioning and gentle guidance by the counselor to discuss the issue that has resulted in them attending a counseling session, the counselor must first assess what is wrong. This could range from straight forward stress to trauma induced problems, or some symptoms could be signs of mental health issues. Sometimes it may take a number of sessions to fully diagnose a patient. A diagnosis is needed before treatment can begin.
Once a diagnosis is made, the counselor must then decide how best to treat a patient. This could be as simple as further sessions to allow a crew member space and time to talk through a problem with the counselor, or they may need more directed therapy, such as behavioural therapy. In cases of trauma, it is often conducive to have the patient explore and speak about the trauma that took place in order to face it and then work through it. In some cases, the condition may be severe enough to warrant medication.
Medication
Having been extensively trained in a Starfleet Medical Academy facility, the Chief Counselor is able to prescribe medication for use in cases of mental illness. They may not prescribe any medications for physical conditions.
Liaison
The common positions and departments a counselor will most likely need to liaise with:
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