Care From a Psychiatrist Who Has Worn the Uniform
Mental Health Care for Service Members & Veterans
Military psychiatry and TMS therapy for active duty, veterans, military families, and first responders—in Vancouver, WA, minutes from Portland, OR.
A Military Psychiatrist Who Understands, Because He Served
Over three combat deployments, Dr. Jerald Block served as a psychiatrist in Iraq and Afghanistan for the US Army. He is a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 25 years of clinical experience, and an Army veteran who has treated soldiers where they serve. If you are searching for a military psychiatrist near Portland or veteran mental health care in Vancouver, WA, you will find something here that is hard to find anywhere else: a doctor who has lived the world you are describing.
Nearly one in four service members will seek mental health care during their careers (DoD Health of the Force report). Reaching out takes courage, and it deserves a response from someone who understands deployment stressors, reintegration, and military command dynamics firsthand—not from a textbook.
Why Military Mental Health Needs a Different Understanding
Military life creates pressures that civilian care often misses. Deployment stress and combat exposure leave marks that don’t show up on scans. Coming home brings its own challenges—reintegration with family, transitioning to civilian work, and the invisible wounds that can surface months or years later. A provider who has been to forward operating bases reads these experiences differently than one who has only heard about them.
Career context matters, too. For pilots, aircrew, air traffic controllers, and others in flight-status or security-clearance roles, medication side effects are not just a comfort issue—they can affect qualification for the job itself. Dr. Block has written extensively about mental health and aviation medical clearance in his FAA blog series, and that expertise shapes how treatment plans are built for anyone whose career depends on staying sharp and staying qualified.
Who We Serve
We provide veteran depression treatment and broader psychiatric care for the whole military and service community in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area:
- Active-duty service members from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and other regional installations
- Guard and Reserve members balancing military obligations with civilian careers
- Veterans, including those recently separated and navigating the transition home
- Military families, who carry the weight of deployments and separations too
- First responders—police, firefighters, and medical providers whose work brings similar exposure to trauma
Treatment Options That Respect Your Career
TMS therapy is a non-invasive, medication-free option that is FDA-cleared for treatment-resistant depression and for eligible OCD patients; PTSD, anxiety, and mild traumatic brain injury applications remain off-label or investigational. Because TMS doesn’t require sedating medications, it doesn’t affect deployment readiness the way some prescriptions can—service members and veterans can maintain their daily responsibilities while receiving care. In a study published in August 2024 in The American Journal of Psychiatry (Dalhuisen et al.), TMS outperformed optimized medication for patients whose depression had not responded to prior treatment.
TMS is not the only path. We also offer psychotherapy and careful medication management, and Dr. Block will work with you to choose the approach—or combination—that fits your diagnosis, your goals, and your career constraints.
TRICARE Coverage
TRICARE began covering TMS therapy in 2018 (TRICARE Policy Manual, Chapter 7, Section 28.1) for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. We work with TRICARE Prime, Select, and Reserve Select, and we’ll help you navigate referrals and prior authorization from start to finish. See our TRICARE coverage guide for the step-by-step process.
Confidential, Judgment-Free Care
We understand the importance of discretion in military, aviation, and public-safety careers. Consultations are confidential, and we provide a judgment-free environment where you can focus on healing without compromising your professional standing. If you have concerns about how treatment could interact with your career, raise them—Dr. Block has helped many patients think through exactly these questions.
Military & Veteran Mental Health FAQ
Yes. TRICARE began covering TMS therapy in 2018 (TRICARE Policy Manual, Chapter 7, Section 28.1) for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Prior authorization is required, and we work closely with TRICARE to help you navigate the process from referral through approval.
Yes. TMS is a non-invasive, medication-free treatment, so it doesn’t require sedating medications that can affect deployment readiness. Many service members maintain their normal duties while receiving treatment. Talk with your Primary Care Manager (PCM) about a referral, and we’ll help coordinate the authorization.
Yes. We understand the importance of discretion in military and aviation careers and provide confidential consultations in a judgment-free environment. Dr. Block has navigated military command dynamics himself and is happy to discuss any career-related concerns before you begin treatment.
Yes. Dr. Block treats soldiers, first responders, police, firefighters, and medical providers. The pressures are often similar: high-stakes work, exposure to trauma, and careers where seeking help can feel risky. We proudly care for those who put their lives on the line.