FORT POLK, La.  –   As the 2025–2026 school year gets underway, Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital has reintroduced its school-based behavioral health program, placing an experienced clinical social worker inside Parkway Elementary School to provide direct care for military children. The initiative strengthens resilience and quality of life for Soldiers and Families—key components of Army readiness.

Dr. Joyce Hewitt, a licensed clinical social worker with more than two decades of experience across multiple specialties, will lead the effort. She said her decision to join BJACH was both professional and personal.

“My daughter reminded me that I had stepped away from what I love most working with children,” Hewitt said. “As a military child myself, a veteran, and the parent of military children, I understand the unique challenges military Families face. Coming to BJACH felt like the right way to give back, especially here in my home state.”

Hewitt holds a doctorate in social work and has served in roles ranging from child welfare and medical social work to forensic and geriatric care. She said school-based behavioral health services reduce absenteeism, ease the burden on parents, and allow providers to deliver therapy in a child’s daily environment.

“The program is primarily referral-based,” she said. “Parents can connect through teachers, counselors, primary care managers, the BJACH clinic or the patient portal. Students are seen at their schools during regular hours, and when schools are closed, care continues at BJACH. This makes therapy more accessible, convenient and impactful.”

Why school-based care matters

Lt. Col. Ashley Cesar, BJACH’s deputy commander of clinical services and a child psychiatrist, said the program could not have come at a better time.

“School is not just where children learn—it’s where friendships form, routines are established and struggles often surface first,” Cesar said. “Having a provider like Dr. Hewitt embedded in that setting means we have someone who understands those dynamics and can intervene in ways that directly support a child’s emotional and social development.”

Cesar said children’s challenges often ripple through families, affecting Soldiers’ ability to focus on the mission.

“By addressing concerns that arise in the school setting, we help stabilize the child and, by extension, the family,” she said. “For service members, this means fewer distractions and greater confidence that their children are supported—key ingredients to mission readiness.”

Meeting educational needs

Tiffany Koch, school liaison officer for the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, said the program is also a benefit to Vernon Parish schools. She pointed to the educational philosophy of Maslow before Bloom, which highlights how a child’s basic emotional needs must be met before they can fully engage in academics.

“Unhappy children, those with anxiety, low self-esteem or low confidence, can be difficult to motivate and keep engaged,” Koch said. “Sometimes lack of motivation and engagement leads to behavior problems that affect not only that child, but the classroom environment. That’s why education agencies nationwide are bringing behavioral health specialists into schools as vital members of their team.”

Thanks to the partnership between BJACH and Vernon Parish schools, she added, local schools gain access to licensed behavioral health professionals at no cost to the district.

“This benefits families too,” Koch said. “Parents and service members don’t have to leave work, check their child out of school, and attend appointments at the hospital. Care is delivered on-site at the school. That means fewer missed school days, fewer missed appointments, and less time away from the mission for Soldiers.”

This partnership reflects the Army’s emphasis on people as its decisive edge, ensuring families have access to resources that support readiness and resilience.

Prevention and resilience

In addition to therapy, the program provides preventive and group services, including anger and stress management, coping skills training, and psychoeducational classes on deployment, bullying and other challenges common to military life.

“This is prevention and resilience building at its best,” Cesar said.

Hewitt said the program’s mission is to promote wellness and reduce stigma around seeking care. “We’re here to help children succeed in school and in life,” she said. “Our goal is to build resilience; empower Families and provide the support our military community deserves.”

Her message to parents and educators: “You don’t have to face these challenges alone. We are here to partner with you and make sure every child has the support they need.”

By investing in the well-being of children and families, BJACH is contributing to the Army’s mission: ready, resilient Soldiers supported by strong, connected communities.