Beyond the Uniform: Serving Families in Systems of

Care

Michael Rovaris, LCSWBridgitt L. Mitchell, M.A.

February 2013

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

Learning Objectives

Reunion Video

Consider cultural implications of military affiliations

Recognize potential influences on child developmental

Tailor strategies for supporting military families

Why does understanding military life optimize working with military children and families?

CULTURE

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”

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?

Military Family Life is Unique “It’s Own Culture”

Attitudes Beliefs Custom Traditions Clothing Food Language Achievements

Where Military Culture Influences Families

Understanding that there is no monolithic military service:

Five major branches:◦ Army◦ Air Force◦ Navy◦ Marines◦ Coast Guard

Understanding the Diversity Within Military Service

Commissioned and noncommissioned rank

Various Guard and Reserve units

Installations◦ Bases, Post, Camps

Units

Understanding the Diversity Within Military Service (Continued)

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.”

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

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

Children in Military Families

“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.

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 FactorsChild AbuseMaternal DepressionDomestic Violence

Environmental Protective FactorsFamily-centered SupportCommunity AdvocacyBronfenbrenner, 1979)

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.

Maternal Stress

Developmental

Period

Gestation /Infancy Preschool Primary School Junior High and High School

Indicator(s)

Interdependency between physical and social & emotional development

**Brain Development **Attachment

Difficulty with self-regulation

Exhibit challenging behaviors in group settings

Lack of empathy

Candidates for expulsion from preschool***

Learning disabilities

Impulsivity, Hyperactivity and Attention Deficits

Aggression Referred for

mental health services***

Exhibit deviant behaviors such substance abuse and violent acts

Bullying Academic difficulties Increase risk of

committing suicide*** Incarceration

Effects of Trauma on Children

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

Resiliency

WORKING WITH FAMILIES

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?

“Families don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Rapport Trust Partnership

Rules of Engagement

Building Service Alliances

• Making sure there is a place at the table for military families

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

System Support Characteristics

Identifying military families

Engaging military families

Building alliances with military families

How Natural Supports Differ From Professional/Paid Help

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?

Supporting Military Families

In A Perfect World: Dynamic Support