Psychological Health Center of Excellence

The Psychological Health Center of Excellence is one of the Centers of Excellence within the Research and Engineering Directorate of the Defense Health Agency. PHCoE collaborates across the Department of Defense and with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies to provide leadership and expertise to inform policy and drive improvements in psychological health outcomes. 

Tools

Clinical Support Tools

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense develop clinical practice guidelines for several psychological health conditions, substance use disorders, suicide risk, and other conditions. Guidelines improve patient care by reducing variation in practice and systematizing best practices.

PHCoE has created resources that complement psychological health CPGs. These resources, called clinical support tools, condense CPG material, highlight critical information, and present it in a digestible manner. CSTs are not intended to replace or supersede CPGs; rather, they address a particular aspect of a CPG or help to disseminate knowledge about the evidence-based treatments to patients, families, and military leaders.

Resources

Clinician's Corner Blogs

A U.S. Sailor stands by to signal to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 9, on the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), during Operation Epic Fury, March 15, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)

Our leaders, clinicians, and experts draft blogs on current topics of interest. Our readers include: psychological health care providers, researchers, policy makers, and others interested in psychological health in the Military Health System.

Clinician's Corner Blog >

Psych Health Evidence Briefs

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Luke Hirsch, 1st Combat Camera Squadron aerial combat camera journeyman, scans his surroundings during Scorpion Lens 2026 at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, March 19, 2026. Combat camera Airmen are specifically trained and equipped to rapidly deploy to austere combat environments and organically advise, produce and transmit the full spectrum of public affairs capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Heller)

We produce expert-reviewed evidence briefs that cover current and future service member treatments who have common psychological health conditions. They summarize the available scientific evidence and clinical guidance to inform providers, patients, and others who may have questions.

Psych Health Evidence Briefs >

Veterans Crisis Line logo 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifefline logo Call 988

If you have an emergency or are in crisis, please contact the Military Crisis Line or the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

PHCoE Mission

Improve the lives of our nation’s service members, veterans, and their families by advancing excellence in military psychological health care research.

PHCoE Vision

Be the trusted source and partner to facilitate evidence-based research and clinical practices across the continuum of care to enhance the psychological health of the military community.

PHCoE Purpose

  • Enhance the readiness of the military community by providing psychological health research consultation and expertise to leaders, providers, service members, and their families
  • Serve as the primary Defense Health Agency hub supporting, guiding, and managing empirical research to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of psychological health care and prevention of psychological health disorders in the military community
  • Provide research to support the increase of access, reduction of barriers, and optimal use of psychological health resources across the Military Health System
  • Create and manage empirically-based information and products to support optimal psychological health and readiness across the enterprise

History of PHCoE

First established in 1995 as the Gulf War Health Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, its mission was to care for Gulf War veterans with war-related physical and mental health challenges. In 1999 it became the Deployment Health Clinical Center – one of three DOD centers of excellence for deployment health. (The others being the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center and the Naval Health Research Center.) The center was responsible for coordinating the evaluation of veterans seeking care for post-deployment health concerns.

In 2008, the National Defense Authorization Act provided a congressional mandate for the creation of centers of excellence for posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury within the DOD. As a result, DHCC became a center under the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. The NDAA charged the center with implementing plans and strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of PTSD and other mental health conditions.

In 2016, DCoE and its centers, including DHCC, transitioned to DHA and in 2017 DHA completed the consolidation of DCoE and its centers and retired the DCoE brand. DHCC officially changed its name to the Psychological Health Center of Excellence to better align with its current mission.