The Brandon Act:

(Written by Patrick and Teri Caserta)

 

• Mental health safe word for someone to say when they feel suicidal or need any kind of mental health help

  • They can go to medical or Family Services

  • Just say “I need to talk to someone about the Brandon Act”

  • Can be used for any civilian entity or military establishment

• This safe word can be used for the following reasons not just mental health:

  • Suicide/Hurt others

  • Any type of Sexual Abuse/Assault/misconduct

  • Bullying

  • Hazing

  • Stress

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Domestic abuse/violence

  • Physical/mental Abuse

  • Alcoholism

  • Drugs

  • Eating Disorders

  • Divorce

  • Financial/Debt/Gambling/Betting, etc.

  • Personality disorders

  • Anything

• All that should be said is “I have to see or talk to someone about the “Brandon Act” and they can go or get taken medical or Family Services where it will decided who they need to see or where to go.

• There will be no questions asked by anyone within the command

• The person they tell, needs to keep quite and not tell anyone else

• No discussion with anyone

  • If that person talks, then they will be written up or disciplined 

• If they end up being suicidal or needs to be admitted to a hospital, the medical professional will call the CO only and the CO will inform the people who are on a need to know basis

• No one can say anything about why their sailor/troop/airman is out due to HIPPA laws

• When the sailor/troop/airman comes back to work, there will not, under any circumstances, be any retaliation on them for seeking help

• No ridiculing 

• No bad evaluations

• No bullying 

  • No making them do all the dirty work

  • No holding back rank

  • No consequences done to them

• The command will welcome them back with no retaliation

• The sailor/troop/airman can opt to be sent to a new duty station if the command is doing anything that drives them to suicidal thoughts and ideology  

• A criminal investigation will be done by an impartial, non-biased party

• The FBI should be the entity who investigates crimes on a military establishment

  • The investigation will NOT be done by the command 

  • The investigation will NOT be done by the Inspector General

• If the command is responsible for the suicide, everyone involved should be held accountable

  • Being relieved: during and after the investigations

  • Loss of rank

    • Rank withheld so they cannot make rank during an investigation

    • If they are deemed responsible, then they do not get the higher rank and will be demoted

    • Kicked out of the Military

    • Captain’s Mast

    • Admiral Mast

    • Court Martialed

    • Jailed

    • Thrown in Prison

• Responsibility is defined as:

  • Anyone’s actions that drove them to commit suicide or are having suicidal thoughts

    • If they were the ones bullying

    • If they were the ones who were doing the hazing

    • If they were the ones sexually abusing or harassing

    • If they were the ones who were abusive in any way

    • If they saw what was going on to others and didn’t report it

    • If they were told about anything happening with others and did not put a stop to it

    • If they turned a blinds eye to what is going on in the command

• The Brandon Act is designed to help the entire command by allowing service members to get help immediately before they do something drastic such as suicide or possibly murder others within the command or base.