Military Families
Related Topics
by Eu R. Choo, M.A., Doctoral Student, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, USMC ; and Marianne Cook, LICSW, Clinician, Harvard University Mental Health Service
U.S. service members and their families face unique life challenges. Whether it involves conflicts between military duties and family responsibilities, frequent relocations among duty stations, separation during deployments, or the injury or even death of loved ones, military families face major emotional and psychological stress. A number of service members develop conditions such as depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is also a significant level of suicide and relationship violence in military families. The mental health field and the military are paying increasing attention to these problems.
Resource Organizations » Military Families
21 listing(s), including 1 offering support groups
In Massachusetts
Afterdeployment.org
www.afterdeployment.org/
Outreach Center: 866-966-1020
Afterdeployment.org is a wellness resource for the military
community. Our mission is to help service members, their families,
and veterans overcome common adjustment problems following a
deployment. The resources and exercises on afterdeployment.org
address post-deployment challenges, including: post-traumatic
stress and triggers; conflict at work; re-connecting with family
and friends; depression; anger; sleep problems; substance abuse;
stress management; kids and deployment; spiritual guidance; living
with physical injuries; health and wellness; and much more. The
developers have strived to build a media-rich, fully interactive
Web site. There are assessments, testimonials, forums, blogs, and
workshops.
Bedford VA Medical Center - Crescent House
www.bedford.va.gov/Mentalhealth/cresc.asp
Psychology Service 116 B3
200 Springs Road
Bedford, MA 01730781-687-3021
The Crescent Building Transitional Residence Program (CWT/TR),
located in Lowell, MA, is a unique rehabilitation program which is
designed to intervene in the cycle of homelessness and
institutionalization by providing an environment in which veterans
can acquire skills and supports needed to function productively and
independently in competitive employment and community based
housing.
Make The Connection
A website sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs that
connect Veterans, families, friends and clinicians to information,
resources and support. It provides Veterans and their friends and
family members with information, resources, and solutions to issues
affecting their lives.
Mass VetsAdvisor
The Mass VetsAdvisor is a collaboration between the Massachusetts
Broadband Institute, the Massachusetts Department of Veterans'
Services, the Red Sox Foundation and the Massachusetts General
Hospital Home Base Program. This Web site is a guide to anyone
searching for benefits and programs for Veterans and their family
members. The data is comprehensive and currently provides search
results from Massachusetts and Federal resources, listing only the
benefits and services the Veteran is qualified for, and, where
available, an "action plan" to apply for the benefit. Users will be
able to print, email, save, or forward the action plan to his or
her Veterans Services Officer. Mass VetsAdvisor's goal is to refine
and expand the site over time to improve the quality of the
information and to increase the knowledge and use of benefits,
programs, and services to Veterans and their families.
Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services
Provides information on state and federal benefits, including
details about where and how to apply. In addition to resources for
veterans and their dependents, the website contains information for
members of the Guard and Reserve who have been called-up to active
duty.
State benefits include public assistance for indigent veterans and tuition waivers at state colleges and universities. Every city and town in the Commonwealth has a Veterans' Service Officer (VSO), who is there to find veterans, advise them of their rights and benefits, and then to assist veterans as they apply for and receive state and federal benefits. The Women Veterans' Network, a program of DVS, acts as a central resource for women veterans in Massachusetts. Through confidential peer support the SAVE Team advocates for veterans who experience barriers in obtaining benefits by acting as a liaison between veterans and their families and the various agencies within the federal and state government.
State benefits include public assistance for indigent veterans and tuition waivers at state colleges and universities. Every city and town in the Commonwealth has a Veterans' Service Officer (VSO), who is there to find veterans, advise them of their rights and benefits, and then to assist veterans as they apply for and receive state and federal benefits. The Women Veterans' Network, a program of DVS, acts as a central resource for women veterans in Massachusetts. Through confidential peer support the SAVE Team advocates for veterans who experience barriers in obtaining benefits by acting as a liaison between veterans and their families and the various agencies within the federal and state government.
Military & Family Life Consultant (MFLC) Program
MHNGS has provided short-term, non-medical counseling to Service
Members and their families through the Military & Family Life
Consultant (MFLC) Program to augment existing military support
programs worldwide since 2004. Through the MFLC Program, licensed
clinical providers assist Service Members and their families with
issues they may face through the cycle of deployment - from leaving
their loved ones and possibly living and working in harm's way to
reintegrating with their community and family
Military Rape Crisis Center
The Military Rape Crisis Center provides immediate crisis care,
support, legal assistance, and hope to all survivors of Military
Sexual Trauma and their loved ones. The Military Rape Crisis Center
is privately funded and all services are free of charge for
Military Sexual Trauma survivors. They have offices in Washington
DC and Cambridge MA and have representatives in 35 states as well
as Japan, Germany and England. The Cambridge and Washington DC
offices are open by appointment only. Call to set up an appointment
for either office.
National Center for PTSD
The National Center for PTSD is dedicated to excellence in research
and education on the prevention, understanding, and treatment of
PTSD. Its purpose is to improve the well-being and understanding of
veterans and others suffering from PTSD. The website includes the
definition of PTSD, fact sheets on topics related to PTSD, and
information of finding professional help.
National Center for PTSD
www.ptsd.va.gov/about/divisions/womens-health-sciences-division.asp
Women's Health Sciences Division 166B-3
150 South Huntington Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130857-364-4145
The Women's Health Sciences Division located in Boston, MA, focuses
on the special issues of women and PTSD, and especially on
effective treatments. The Division has pioneered research on the
psychological impact of military service on women veterans. Such
initiatives include development of psychological assessment
techniques, the impact of sexual assault and military sexual
trauma, and on the effect of PTSD on women's health and medical
problems. There is also a major focus on treatment dissemination
and training.
Statewide Advocacy for Veteran's Empowerment (SAVE)
www.mass.gov/?pageID=veteranssubtopic&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Returning+Veterans&L2=SAVE+Team&sid=Eveterans
600 Washington St., Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02111888-844-2838
The SAVE program's primary mission is prevention of suicide and
mental health distress through the identification of issues facing
veterans when they return from service and proactively providing
them with access to benefits and services that may address these
issues and result in positive transitions back to civilian life.
Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists (SOFAR)
SOFAR:Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists is a pro
bono, mental health project that provides free psychological
support, psychotherapy, psychoeducation and prevention services to
extended family of reserve and national guard deployed during the
Global War on Terrorism from time of alert through the period of
reunion and reintegration.
The Home Base Program
The Home Base Program is a partnership between the Red Sox
Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital. We are dedicated to
improving the lives of veterans who deployed in support of the
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and live with deployment- or
combat-related stress and/or traumatic brain injury. We provide
clinical care to veterans as well as support for their families.
The Home Base Program also offers educational courses and materials
for health care providers and the public. We're also bringing
together world-class researchers seeking medical breakthroughs in
the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury
and stress-related disorders.
Outside Massachusetts
Authentic Happiness
Authentic Happiness is the homepage of Dr. Martin Seligman,
Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of
Pennsylvania and founder of positive psychology, a branch of
psychology which focuses on the empirical study of such things as
positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy
institutions.Positive psychology theory and research has been
applied across many domains, from education to health to
neuroscience. Now on Authentic Happiness you can read overviews of
some of the largest initiatives currently underway, including:
positive health, positive education, comprehensive soldier fitness,
positive psychotherapy, and positive neuroscience.
BrainLine
BrainLine is a national multimedia project offering information and
resources about preventing, treating, and living with Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI). BrainLine includes a series of webcasts, an
electronic newsletter, and an extensive outreach campaign in
partnership with national organizations concerned about traumatic
brain injury. BrainLine serves anyone whose life has been affected
by TBI. That includes people with brain injury, their families,
professionals in the field, and anyone else in a position to help
prevent or ameliorate the toll of TBI.
Give an Hour
www.giveanhour.org/
P.O. Box 5918
Bethesda, MD 20824Give an Hour understands that individuals who have served in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and their families, may need help dealing with the
effects of wartime service. This organization wants to help and
offers a variety of mental health services to address individual
needs. Give an Hour is a nonprofit organization providing free
mental health services to U.S. military personnel and loved ones
affected by the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Give an
Hour is offering services to anyone who is or has been affected
directly or indirectly (through a relationship with someone in the
military) by the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Give an
Hour is also providing links to a variety of resources for military
families, including articles that discuss the kinds of difficulties
military families encounter and services available from national,
state, and local organizations.
Military Homefront
www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil
Washington, DC 20001
MilitaryHOMEFRONT is the Department of Defense website for official
Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) program
information, policy, and guidance designed to help troops and their
families, leaders, and service providers.
The Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP), also located on this site, provides support to military families who are geographically dispersed and are unable to access services on military installations. Services are delivered in local communities through collaborative partnerships.
The Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP), also located on this site, provides support to military families who are geographically dispersed and are unable to access services on military installations. Services are delivered in local communities through collaborative partnerships.
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
www.ncdsv.org
4612 Shoal Creek Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78756
512-407-9020
Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
TTY: 1-800-787-3224
The National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence provides
training and consultation, influences policy, and promotes
collaboration with the goal of ending domestic and sexual violence.
The website provides links to extensive resources related to
relationship violence within specific communities. There is a
special section on the organization's efforts to stop relationship
violence in military families: www.ncdsv.org/ncd_militaryresponse.html.
National Military Family Association (NMFA)
The National Military Family Association (NMFA) is an organization
dedicated to serving military families. The NMFA educates military
families concerning their rights, benefits and services available
to them such as Operation Purple®, a program that was
created to support children of deployed service members.
The Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP), also located on this site, http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/sp/jfsap provides support to military families who are geographically dispersed and are unable to access services on military installations. Services are delivered in local communities through collaborative partnerships with Federal, State, and local resources.
The Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP), also located on this site, http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/sp/jfsap provides support to military families who are geographically dispersed and are unable to access services on military installations. Services are delivered in local communities through collaborative partnerships with Federal, State, and local resources.
The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families
The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families was founded in 2007 by
current Executive Director Stacy Bannerman and military family
members of troops who had served or were serving in Iraq and
Afghanistan and veterans. The mission is to provide advocacy,
support, and innovative, experiential recreational and wellness
programs and reintegration retreats, projects and services for
veterans and military families.
Goals:
Direct Support and Services: To provide Sanctuary WeekendsTM for veterans and military family members dealing with the strain of deployment(s), and the trauma of war.
Research and Education: To conduct research on the psychological impact of combat in women veterans and military families and publish and disseminate findings. Provide education, training, and multimedia materials for affected individuals, communities, caregivers, stakeholders and the general public.
Policy and Advocacy: To advocate on behalf of veterans and military families and promote policies for improved prevention, care, and treatment of the invisible wounds of war, including: secondary trauma in military family members, caregiver burden in wives of combat veterans, and military sexual trauma in women veterans
Goals:
Direct Support and Services: To provide Sanctuary WeekendsTM for veterans and military family members dealing with the strain of deployment(s), and the trauma of war.
Research and Education: To conduct research on the psychological impact of combat in women veterans and military families and publish and disseminate findings. Provide education, training, and multimedia materials for affected individuals, communities, caregivers, stakeholders and the general public.
Policy and Advocacy: To advocate on behalf of veterans and military families and promote policies for improved prevention, care, and treatment of the invisible wounds of war, including: secondary trauma in military family members, caregiver burden in wives of combat veterans, and military sexual trauma in women veterans
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
www.taps.org/
3033 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 630
Arlington, VA 22201Office: 202-588-8277
Helpline: 1-800-959-8277
TAPS is the 24/7 tragedy assistance resource for ANYONE who has
suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of the
relationship to the deceased or the circumstance of the death.
Founded out of tragedy in 1994, TAPS has established itself as the
front line resource to the families and loved ones of our military
men and women. TAPS provides comfort and care through comprehensive
services and programs including peer based emotional support, case
work assistance, connections to community-based care, and grief and
trauma resources. TAPS also conducts regional Survivor Seminars and
Good Grief Camps at locations across the country.
Vets Prevail
www.vetsprevail.org/
641 West Lake Street, Suite 304
Chicago, IL 60661Vets Prevail is an innovative new online mental health tool that is
tailored specifically to recent Veterans, helping ease transition
to life after military service and tackle post deployment
re-adjustment challenges. Employing cutting edge technology, the
program creates engagement through dynamically tailored
interactions. The core content is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy, the standard of care for treatment of symptoms related to
PTSD and depression. The program incorporates interactive
multimedia e-learning lessons, peer support, diagnostic
self-assessments, and proprietary software for scheduling and
tracking user activities, thoughts, and feelings. Vets Prevail was
developed through the collaboration of mental health researchers
and clinicians at top universities and hospitals with the backing
of the National Science Foundation and The McCormick Foundation.
Additional Sources of Information
- The “So Far” Guide for Helping Children and Youth Cope with the Deployment of a Parent in the Military Reserves
- National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
- Massachusetts Operation Military Kids (OMK)
- Military Family Life Consultant Program. “Through non-medical counseling, MFLCs support military families with a variety of common issues that occur within the military lifestyle...”
- The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- The American Academy of Pediatrics
- U.S. Army Medical Department
Disclaimer: Material on the MSPP INTERFACE Referral Service website is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. The MSPP INTERFACE Referral Service urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.
