Thread: 1811 job with Childhood Psych Treatment?

Hi all!

I'm currently a college student, and I'm seriously considering a future career at a federal agency as an 1811. However, after looking over some of the hiring paperwork, my main concern is the Background Investigation.

Some background: when I was a kid I was treated by a psychologist for mild depression. The diagnosis was circumstance and stress related, (a member of my nuclear family was undergoing treatment for a serious illness) and by age 15, treatment was deemed no longer necessary and was discontinued. Since that time, I've had no problems or symptoms whatsoever.

I noticed that on some of the "suitability" paperwork, they ask specifically if you've ever had any psychological treatment. Would psych treatment as a child be the kind of thing that would disqualify you for federal service? Being that this is quite a few years in my past, I would think that it wouldn't be an issue, but I guess stranger things have happened.

Thanks!

I do not think this would impact your BI. You will likely have to sign a release allowing whatever agency to contact the doctor who treated you to confirm the circumstances, diagnosis, etc, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker. Depending upon which agency and the point in your life when you apply, it may be outside the range of years they will research anyway.

As always, carefully parse every question you are asked. The question on the SF-86 is worded as follows:

In the last seven (7) years, have you consulted with a health care professional regarding an emotional or mental health condition or were you hospitalized for such a condition? Answer 'No' if the counseling was for any of the following reasons and was not court-ordered: strictly marital, family, grief not related to violence by you; or strictly related to adjustments from service in a military combat environment.

From what you've said, the form itself is telling you to answer 'No' on this one. In fact, by the time you need to fill out such paperwork it will almost certainly be more than 7 years since you were 15 anyway. Of course, individual agencies may have agency-specific paperwork with different wording.

Definitely wouldn't DQ you. There are plenty of 1811s with serious psychological issues currently on the job. You all know who I'm talking about. Every office has at least one.

While I can't speak from Fed LEO personal experience the situation your describing doesn't strike me as really rising to a level of clinical significance, that's not to say it wasn't a difficult experience though. I'm not implying that. But so long as your symptoms were not recurrent or episodic in nature or rose to a level of suicidal ideation you should be fine. Honestly, the issue of juvenile psychopathology is still a pretty gray area in many respects and because of the prominent developmental changes experienced by youths, adolescents and even young adults to a certain extent its difficult to affirm presenting symptoms as truly positive indicators of an underlying mental illness and specific disorder.

And as noted earlier the issue of depression resulting from grief is very normal and actually I'm surprised you received a official diagnosis because of it. At any rate, if it comes up disclose it and move on but chances are you'll be outside the window of interest anyway.

ALL they are going to ask your psych is one question: does X have a condition which could impact his/her ability to safeguard national security information? YES or NO. That's it. It has never been a problem for me.Can we please get over this stupid stigma?

Now your med exam will ask more questions and likely will need your doc to give a detailed explanation (DSM-4 code, prognosis, suicidal/homicidal ideations, etc), but again, unless you're crazy, you'll be fine. Seriously.