Frequently Asked Questions

The providers listed in the Star Providers Directory are licensed behavioral health providers who have received additional training on military culture and military-related behavioral health topics. In general, you will find licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists in the directory. 

You will know what type of SBHP training a therapist has received by looking at their directory listing. A bronze, silver, or gold star appears under a provider’s name, indicating the highest level of SBHP training they have completed (bronze for Tier One, silver for Tier Two, and gold for Tier Three). Additionally, the directory listing for each provider also indicates which training(s) the provider has completed under the “Tier Training” section. 

• Tier One training covers military culture, including the military’s organizational structure, branches of service, core values, missions and operations, and the differences between the active and reserve components. It also reviews military family life stressors, as well as the impact of deployment on service members and their families and other unique considerations for working with the military community. 

• Tier Two covers the mental health challenges and difficulties that are often associated with military service. Topics include PTSD, sleep problems and suicidal thoughts and behaviors and how to screen for these concerns in those who are serving or have served.  

• Tier Three training focuses on specific evidence-based treatments that have been shown to be effective with members of the military community for addressing conditions such as PTSD, insomnia, and suicidal behavior. 

In addition to having a master’s or doctorate degree in a mental health discipline, providers in the directory will also have passed licensing board exams for providing clinical services (or be under clinical supervision) to provide clinical services to individuals seeking behavioral health care.

You can search the provider directory several ways, including by geographical location using your zip code or city name. If you do not find a provider near you, many Star Providers offer telehealth options.  

Behavioral health providers vary in terms of their training and licensure. They could be licensed as a psychologist, clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, or mental health counselor, or a combination. Each of these licensures represents a different type of training and focus. Providers will also vary in terms of therapeutic approach and how they relate to you. It’s important that you find a good fit with a provider who you feel can meet your treatment goals and needs. Talk with your provider about your treatment goals and how their therapeutic approach, training, and experience can help you achieve them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

Star Behavioral Health Providers does not cover the cost of care. Each provider’s directory listing will include some information on the insurance and payment options they accept. Each provider can share detailed information about the cost of their services. 

The military will not know you have searched the Star Providers Directory unless you share that information with them, such as if you were referred to the directory by someone within the military, (e.g. your superior, a Behavioral Health Officer). 

You can browse the directory like any other webpage. If you use the directory to connect with a provider, your information will be sent directly to the provider you choose. You have control over if and how your information is shared. 

SBHP trainings are designed to increase your knowledge, skills and confidence for working with the military population, including service members, veterans and their families. 

Contact Star Behavioral Health Providers to update your contact or licensure information:

• All states except Indiana and Ohio: SBHPSupport-ggg@usuhs.edu 
• Indiana: SBHPadmin@purdue.edu
• Ohio: ohioadmin@starproviders.org

No, SBHP does not cover the cost of behavioral health care. 

If you need to cancel your training registration, please email:

• All states except Indiana and Ohio: SBHPSupport-ggg@usuhs.edu 
• Indiana: SBHPadmin@purdue.edu
• Ohio: ohioadmin@starproviders.org

Please let us know what additional training topics you are interested in. To express interest in future trainings contact us:  

• All states except Indiana and Ohio: SBHPSupport-ggg@usuhs.edu 
• Indiana: SBHPadmin@purdue.edu
• Ohio: ohioadmin@starproviders.org

Yes. To ensure consistency of competencies among all providers on the SBHP directory, Tier One is required for all providers who want to join the directory, including those with military experience. While an introduction to military culture is a large focus of Tier One trainings, they also include an introduction to and overview of the Star Behavioral Health Providers program. In fact, other providers with military experience who have completed the Tier One training have informed us that they still found the content very beneficial and learned information they did not know. 

The Star Providers Directory is simply a tool to connect clients with providers and is not involved in payment or reimbursement of providers. You can indicate your accepted payment methods on your directory listing, which helps patients choose a provider that best fits their needs. 

At this time, most of our trainings take place on Zoom in live sessions.  Some Tier One trainings are also offered in person.

In order to join the directory, mental health providers must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Complete a Tier One training
2. Hold a master’s degree or higher as a mental health provider
3. Maintain an active state license
4. Be capable of accepting referrals from an external source

You will be asked to provide supporting documents to show you have fulfilled the above requirements. 

Anyone is welcome to take a Tier One training. To advance into Tier Two or Tier Three trainings, providers must first join the directory. 

Providers listed in our directory must be able to accept clients referred to them from outside their agency or organization. Providers who are limited to seeing only clients with their own healthcare system such as VA clinics/hospitals, in-patient facilities/hospitals, university counseling centers or prisons are not eligible to be listed on our directory unless they have a private practice on the side. 

Providers who work with Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) can still join the directory.  CMHC providers will need to set up internal mechanisms to route referrals to their CMHC admissions process to ensure that all referrals are responded to as quickly as possible.  The sbhpadmin@purdue.edu helpdesk can provide further assistance. 

We’d be happy to help. Please reach out to us at: 

• All states except Indiana and Ohio: SBHPSupport-ggg@usuhs.edu 
• Indiana: SBHPadmin@purdue.edu
• Ohio: ohioadmin@starproviders.org

Yes. While we encourage all providers to continue with more advanced levels of training, you can just take Tier One and join the directory if you meet the requirements noted above. 

To request removal from the directory, please contact:

• All states except Indiana and Ohio: SBHPSupport-ggg@usuhs.edu 
• Indiana: SBHPadmin@purdue.edu
• Ohio: ohioadmin@starproviders.org