United States Air Force Academy

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Counseling and Advising

Cadet walking across the Terrazzo at the Academy

The U.S. Air Force Academy is committed to helping cadets succeed and reach their peak potential. If you are having trouble coping with the military, academic, physical or social aspects of Academy life, these services and options are available to assist you.

PEAK PERFORMANCE CENTER

The Peak Performance Center (PPC) is the lead embedded program for maximizing performance in the psychological, academic, social, and physical domains used to enhance wellness, resilience, and normalize help-seeking for future Air Force and Space Forc leaders. The PPC staff is comprised of Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Psychologists, and Enlisted Behavioral Health Technicians with specialized certifications. We are uniquely positioned to help cadets overcome the unique developmental, personal and military challenges they face at the Academy. From personal issues and Academy stressors to physical and mental performance enhancement, the PPC helps cadets work toward solutions and help prevent daily stressors from becoming overwhelming or debilitating.

The PPC is open Monday through Friday with four embedded locations in both dorm buildings, serving each Cadet Group, as well as an office in the Athletic Department.

To schedule an appointment, call (719) 333-2107 or send your Cadet Group representative a Teams message.

MEDICAL GROUP

Cadets can access mental health services through the Academy’s Medical Group or may be referred here by the Peak Performance Center. Services are available in three categories:

  • Mental Health Clinic: provides comprehensive, outpatient mental health therapy to cadets and medication management if/as needed
  • Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) Program: alcohol and substance misuse education, evaluation and treatment
  • Family Advocacy Program (FAP): healthy relationship education, prevention and intervention to address any concerns of family/partner violence

For assistance, call 719-333-5177 or 719-333-5178.

MILITARY FAMILY LIFE COUNSELORS (MFLC)

Military Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) are licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, or psychologists who provide confidential, non-medical and short-term counseling support to active duty service personnel and their dependents as well as cadets, and cadet candidates. They support a range of issues including relationships, crisis intervention, stress management, grief, academic challenges, performance improvement, occupational and other individual and family issues.

Confidential face-to-face counseling is available both on and off base by appointment or walk-in. No referral is needed and no records are kept. MFLCs have experience with the questions and concerns of military life; many of them are veterans, spouses and National Guard or Reserve Component members. Additionally, all counselors receive ongoing training on military matters and military life.

MFLCs are on call from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. To speak with a counselor, cadets can call 719-360-4896 or 719-246-6802. For the Preparatory School, cadet candidates can call 719-466-0453.

SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS COUNSELING

Cadet Wing chaplains provide counseling and assistance with issues ranging from stress and military life transitions to grief and loss. Chaplains provide personal, moral and spiritual care and information shared is treated with absolute confidentiality. To speak with a chaplain, call 719-333-2636. In addition to their offices in the 4th floor of Sijan Hall, chaplains and religious affairs airman are assigned to each of the four Cadet Groups with offices in Sijan and Vandenberg Halls open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For after-hours emergencies, call 719-333-2633.

CADET PERSONNEL DIVISION

In addition to functioning as the Military Personnel Section (MPS) for cadets at the Academy, the Cadet Personnel Division oversees officer classification and assignments including, but not limited to:

  • Rated & non-rated Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs)
  • Graduate school
  • Cross-commissioning into the Army, Navy or Marines
  • Medical school
  • Casual status & diversity lieutenants
  • Other specialty programs
  • Developing cross-cultural competency by building an understanding of a specific disciplinary or interdisciplinary area
  • Understanding differences between individuals and groups of people
  • Acknowledging interpersonal conflict when it arises and overcoming conflict by seeking common goals to find a resolution
  • Collaborating with others from different worldviews to accomplish a given task or mission
  • Developing awareness, sensitivity and understanding of various personal life experiences, backgrounds (geographic, socioeconomic, economic or work), language abilities, philosophical/spiritual perspectives, race, gender and more
  • Awareness of the social and cultural development of gender and the impact it has on behavior, personal values and followership
  • Impact of gender on interpersonal relationships, with a focus on treating wingmen with respect and dignity
  • Group cohesiveness and cooperation and building awareness of organizational gender-related issues

Cadet Personnel Division staff can advise cadets on potential career fields and their associated requirements.

CADET WING SUPPORT

Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) are responsible for the health, morale and welfare of each squadron. AOCs continually review each cadet’s progress and are the primary points of contact between cadets’ families and the Academy. In addition, Academy Military Trainers (AMTs), who are non-commissioned officers (NCOs), complement AOCs in providing daily support to cadets.

First-class cadets, serving as cadet officers, and second-class cadets, serving as cadet NCOs, play a major role in guiding their peers. They provide the front-line supervision of military, academic and athletic performance and help assess the resiliency of each cadet in the squadron. Our AOCs, AMTs and upper-class cadets are trained to assist cadets in these areas and refer them to the many professional services listed above.

PEER PROGRAM

The PEER (Personal Ethics and Education Representative) program is a volunteer cadet-led program overseen by the Peak Performance Center. Each squadron has designated PEERs who are specially trained and certified to provide support and referral services to cadets facing the challenges and stressors of the Academy.