Beyond the Uniform: Serving Families in Systems of Care

1. Beyond the Uniform: Serving Families in Systems of Care Michael Rovaris, LCSW Bridgitt L. Mitchell, M.A. February 2013

2. Learning Objectives • Participants will: • Understand the key components that define military family culture • Examine strategies for engaging military families in Systems of Care • Examine strategies for identifying community resources available to military families • Examine strategies for building working alliances with military families • Practice tools for facilitating military family engagement

3. Reunion Video

4. Why does understanding military life optimize working with military children and families? • Consider cultural implications of military affiliations • Recognize potential influences on child developmental • Tailor strategies for supporting military families

5. CULTURE

6. Understanding the Importance of Culture • “A group’s program for survival in and adaptation to its environment” (Banks & Banks, 2007) • “We do everything by custom, even believe by it; our very axioms, let us boast of free-thinking as we may, are oftenest simply such beliefs as we have never heard questioned.” • –Thomas Carlyle • The Military Connection • “Let’s make a list” • “Ghosts of the Uniform”

7. Military Family Life is Unique “It’s Own Culture” • What are some events or circumstances that can be unique to the military way of life? • How might different families perceive these events in different ways? • How might these circumstances play out in parenting, both as strengths and challenges?

8. Where Military Culture Influences Families • Attitudes • Beliefs • Custom • Traditions • Clothing • Food • Language • Achievements

9. Understanding the Diversity Within Military Service • Understanding that there is no monolithic military service: • Five major branches: • Army • Air Force • Navy • Marines • Coast Guard

10. Understanding the Diversity Within Military Service(Continued) • Commissioned and noncommissioned rank • Various Guard and Reserve units • Installations • Bases, Post, Camps • Units

11. Unspeakable Truth • This is one of the only professions in which it is understood that you may not “live” to return home. • Many families are plagued with the anxiety of “the knock on the door from uniformed officials.”

12. CHILD DEVELOPMENT

13. Children in Military Families • Children in military families are affected by stress and trauma associated with deployments and homecomings • Military life is often demanding • Military has unique cultures that can vary by branch, installation, mission and family • Military families have historically been remarkably resilient • Today’s circumstances can be extraordinarily difficult

14. “From the time of late gestation and birth, we begin to develop a template of expectations about ourselves and other people, anticipating responsiveness or indifference, success or failure” (p. 4). Karr-Morse, R., & Wiley, M. S. (1997). Ghosts from the nursery: Tracing the roots of violence. New York: The Atlantic Monthly Press.

15. Nature/Nurture • What you are born with (Nature)e.g., hyperactivity, impulsivity, attention deficits, and learning disabilities • What you are born into (Nurture) e.g. Chronic Community Violence (War) • Environmental Risk Factors • Child Abuse • Maternal Depression • Domestic Violence • Environmental Protective Factors • Family-centered Support • Community Advocacy Bronfenbrenner, 1979)

16. Maternal Stress • Deployment (self or spouse) • Displaced from traditional family supports, e.g. extended family • If deployed, exposure to environmental teratogens and high stress work place • If not deployed, single parent household management • Inexperience with day to day responsibilities of parenting • Unrealistic expectations of parenthood.

17. Effects of Trauma on Children

18. Resiliency • The ability to “bounce back” from difficult circumstances. • Adults strengthen children’s assets versus fixing deficits • Characteristics (Charlesworth, 2008) • Dealing with stress • Coping with challenges • Developing clear and realistic goals • Problem solving • Relating to others • Treating oneself and others with respect

19. WORKING WITH FAMILIES

20. Identifying Military Families • How does the agency’s intake process interface with the needs of military families? • Does the agency have a menu of services? • Is there an established protocol for working with military families and collaboration with components on the military installation?

21. Rules of Engagement “Families don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” • Rapport • Trust • Partnership

22. Building Service Alliances • Making sure there is a place at the table for military families

23. System Support Characteristics • Expedient Services • Long processes and deadlines may not align with finite residency. • Willingness to collaborate • Expanding service delivery capacity by leveraging diverse resources • Going beyond “ if and only if” to “what will it take?” • Developing creative service delivery strategies

24. How Natural Supports Differ From Professional/Paid Help • Identifying military families • Engaging military families • Building alliances with military families

25. Supporting Military Families • What is the families view of the problem? • WHAT’S IMPORTANT • What does the family need? • Be Specific • Consider beyond your service capacity • What is the overall scope of support necessary for this situation? • What services does your organization/agency have to support this need? • What challenges/opportunities does the family’s military affiliations pose toward service delivery? • What other resources could you integrate toward this need?

26. In A Perfect World: Dynamic Support