December 13, 2010 - Having served as a mental health care provider for servicemembers and their families throughout the last several years, I have seen firsthand the challenges families face with the effects of combat, multiple deployments and high operational tempos. Children who were once able to cope just fine, become anxious or withdrawn; parents who used to function at the highest levels, now feel overwhelmed to the point that just putting food on the table can be a nearly insurmountable task; and deployed parents returning home find that their kids no longer even speak to them. The confusion, frustration and at times, devastation these situations can cause has been a growing concern for me personally and the Navy as whole.
There are many wonderful providers who care very much about helping these families. However, with Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) filled to capacity, community providers with lengthy waiting lists, and Family Service Centers already going above and beyond the call of duty to serve these families, it soon became clear to me and the Navy that these services weren’t enough to address the growing needs of our military families.
In 2007, Navy Medicine answered the call. Clearly there was a gap for these families. The providers and Family Service Center staff needed a bridge, but most of all, the families needed help.
Project FOCUS (Families Over Coming Under Stress) is a prevention service designed to help families address the stressors related to deployment. The program includes the entire family and is customized to suit its specific needs. FOCUS is offered in several formats: family consultations, family level training, small group training, and workshops. FOCUS builds strong connections with other military family providers to support a network of care for families. {continued}
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Project FOCUS: Military Families Over Coming Under Stress
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment