CAPT Joan Hunter
Director of Psychological Health, NGB
CAPT Hunter is the Director of Psychological Health for the National Guard, a Joint
program that supports the mental health needs of Guard members and their families.
In this capacity, she serves as principal staff and advisor to the Chief of the
National Guard. CAPT Hunter has been tasked to "build" the National Guard’s
psychological health program; placing a state Director of Psychological Health in
every state and territory; based on the DoD Mental Health Task Force Report recommendations.
In this capacity, CAPT Hunter partners with both the National Guard Bureau’s Manpower
and Personnel Directorate, (J-1) as well as the Joint Surgeon’s Office; specifically
on availability, accessibility, quality and effectiveness of the full spectrum of
psychological health needs and services provided to Guard members and their families.
CAPT Hunter is a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. Before
assuming this assignment, she held the position of Deputy Division Director, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Occupational Health, Division of
Employee Assistance and Work-Life Programs. While at HHS, she directed policy and
operations for a federal consortium network of 436 Federal agency components; serving
the mental health needs of approximately 700,000 Federal employees and their families.
While at FOH, CAPT Hunter created and directed the first occupational health Law
Enforcement Assistance Program.
CAPT Hunter has been managing psychological health programs for over 16 years. She
represented HHS, USPHS as a critical incident stress management expert to DHS, FEMA
and directed the mental health support operations for deployed FEMA responders.
She has also advised Federal agency Directors on best practices in workplace behavioral
health management. CAPT Hunter has certificates in Advanced Critical Incident Stress
Management and Federal Workplace Mediation. She has also been a Field Instructor
for students at Virginia Commonwealth University and Salisbury University MSW programs.
CAPT Hunter earned her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from George Mason University
and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. CAPT
Hunter has been a keynote conference speaker representing the U.S. Surgeon General
and has received numerous awards for her outstanding service, including the HHS
Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service.
