Does Mental Health Treatment Disqualifications Secret Service?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Seeking mental health services does not affect one's ability to gain or hold clearance eligibility

. Adjudicators regard seeking necessary mental health treatment as a positive step in the security clearance process.

Can someone with bipolar disorder get a security clearance?


A past or present mental, emotional, or personality disorder is not by itself a disqualifying condition for a final security clearance

. A psychological condition does not have to be formally diagnosed as a disorder to be a security concern.

Can you get a security clearance if you take antidepressants?

Over the years, the government has made marginal efforts to educate security clearance holders about the fact that most common mental health conditions – i.e. depression and/or anxiety – do not generally disqualify individuals from obtaining a security clearance unless the condition: makes them a danger to themselves …

What disqualifies you from getting a security clearance?

Those include

criminal convictions that lead to a prison sentence of a year or longer, receiving a dishonorable discharge, “criminal incompetence,” and drug addiction

.

Does the military check your mental health records?


The Army may check medical records if there are red flags about the recruit's fitness for duty

. The Army often turns away individuals based on military disqualifications: mental health disorders, hearing and vision loss, underlying health conditions, poor physical fitness and obesity.

Can you get a waiver for anxiety in the military?

Army standards continue to stipulate that applicants who test positive for marijuana require a waiver to be eligible for enlistment, and

applicants with a history of ADHD, depression, or anxiety will not meet enlistment standards and might not even qualify for a waiver, depending on their specific case

.

Can you have a mental illness and work for the CIA?

“People who come to the CIA are normal people, meaning they've had some difficulties in their life, perhaps a physical or mental disability, or went through a bad period. But

as long as they meet our threshold, and they can perform the job while holding a security clearance, we will hire them.

Is bipolar disqualifying for military?

Due to the severe and chronic nature of the symptoms and the side effects and special laboratory monitoring of the medications,

troops diagnosed with bipolar disorder generally are considered unfit for duty

and are medically retired from service.

Does anxiety disqualify you from the Air Force?

Anxiety, Self-Harm, and Phobias

Anxiety issues, either current or historical, or panic, agoraphobia, social phobia, simple phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders, other acute reactions to stress, and post-traumatic stress are disqualifying for entry into the service.

Does mental health affect security clearance?


Seeking mental health services does not affect one's ability to gain or hold clearance eligibility

. Adjudicators regard seeking necessary mental health treatment as a positive step in the security clearance process.

Does suicidal thoughts disqualify you from the military?


Both suicidal gesture and self-mutilation are disqualifying for military service

, by DoD regulation.

What is an SF 86C?

The SF 86C is

a certification document that allows the reporting of changes in previously reported information on the SF 86

.

How hard is it to get a secret clearance?

The National Security Agency denied the most applicants–

9.2 percent

. The National Reconnaissance Office and the Central Intelligence Agency had the next greatest number of denials, at 7.4 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. These numbers might seem relatively low, but there's a reason for that.

What do they check for secret clearance?


Credit and criminal history checks

will be conducted on all applicants. For a Top Secret security clearance, the background investigation includes additional record checks which can verify citizenship for the applicant and family members, verification of birth, education, employment history, and military history.

What percentage of security clearances are denied?

You may even wonder if you should continue with the process, particularly if you're not getting a paycheck while you wait. But don't lose heart –

20-30%

of all interim are denied, but that is vastly different than the figure of final clearance denials, which hovers around 1%.

What happens if you lie about your medical history at MEPS?

If you're lucky,

you'll simply get an administrative, other than honorable, or dishonorable discharge

. If you're unlucky, you could be convicted of a felony, punishable by a $10,000 fine and three years in prison. All of this is clearly spelled out in your enlistment documents.

Does MEPS look at medical records?

However, if the recruit has no glaring issues to report, passes the medical exam at MEPS, meets the height and weight standards, academic standards, legal and criminal standards, and scores well on the ASVAB test,

there will be no need to pull the detailed medical records

and dig any deeper.

Can you get a waiver for depression in the military?


Army issues waivers to more than 1,000 recruits for bipolar, depression, self-mutilation

. WASHINGTON — The Army issued waivers over 13 months to more than 1,000 recruits who had been diagnosed and treated for mood disorders and 95 more for self-mutilation, according to data obtained by USA TODAY.

Can you join the military while taking antidepressants?

Are antidepressants disqualifying? (

Response 1:

Antidepressants are disqualifying for one year after you stop taking them

. You must stop with your doctor's advice; do not stop on your own. These medications often have to be reduced slowly to lower side effects and reduce risk of relapse.

What kind of people does the CIA recruit?

According to the CIA's Career page, the agency doesn't recommend any particular course of academic study over another. Instead, they seek

a wide variety of people with talent, knowledge, skill, and integrity

.

What does the CIA look for in applicants?

“We have a strong mission for those who are looking for more meaningful work, toward a higher ideal, with interesting problems.” Certain skills are required for any position at the CIA, according to Robinson. “All of our positions require

strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills

.”

Does the CIA recruit civilians?

Once you leave the military, your clandestine service career may still await you, but getting in is a lot more … ho-hum.

Anyone (well, any U.S. citizen) can apply to work at the CIA as an operations officer by applying on the website, just like any other government job.

Can someone with BPD join the military?

For veterans to receive benefits for personality disorders, their condition must stem from a psychiatric condition incurred or aggravated by their military service. For example,

borderline personality disorder benefits are not granted if there is evidence of the condition pre-dating the veteran's service

.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.