Military, Family and Community Network
What is the Military, Family &
Community Network?
Our Mission:
Our mission is to develop and maintain a
multi group community network between the community, federal and state government and
private sectors that creates awareness programs and provides services to
all returning service members and their families.
Background:
National Guard and Reserve members of
the armed forces make up approximately 50% of the service members
deployed. At the same time, these members and their families do not
have the sustained support systems that active duty full time military
members and their families have. Last year, chaplains, family program
members, Vermont Agency of Human Services and the command of the Vermont National Guard approached the
National Center for PTSD and the VA about helping them overcome this lack
of support.
In response to this request, we have held
several outreach-training events as a group (VT National Guard, VA,
National Center for PTSD, Vet Center, chaplains, Family Readiness Group
personnel, ESGR, state agencies, clinical groups and other local area
providers). These events provided an avenue to increase the
networking between currently existing services, communicate common needs
and barriers, and have paved the way to further collaboration.
Over time, it has become apparent
that many services and resources exist, however many do not know about
what else is out there. Our small starter network is now trying to
grow to meet this need and has taken the name: Military, Family
& Community Network. States across the country have started
similar efforts, providing information to guide the collaboration.
The Next Steps:
Today the network serves ALL military
families. The Network consists of a statewide steering committee and
6 local taskforces*. We are in the need of volunteers like you!
This network will become a long lasting
community effort to understand, prevent, and deal with the lingering after
effects of war on communities. We welcome to the network a variety
of community members with the common goal of assisting veterans and their
families in making healthy adjustments from the war-zone to the home
front.
Veterans and Family Members in Need
Ø In
VT, dial 2-1-1 and ask for
information about services for veterans and families
Ø Or
call the Veteran and Family Outreach Program to talk to a veteran
Ø Call
your local VA or National Guard Family Program (www.guardfamily.org)
Ø See
our Calendar of Events for a variety of events relevant to helping
veterans and their families
Community Members
Who Want to Help
Ø Sign
up for our Listserv to receive
emails about community events and more (Send an email to: all-subscribe@vtmfcn.org)
Ø See
our Calendar of Events for
events relevant to helping veterans and their families, OR POST your own
info!
Ø To
volunteer to help in various ways, please sign up by completing our Registration
Form (Word) or Registration
Form (PDF)
*Local
Taskforces
Swanton/St.
Albans/Morrisville (Grand Isle, Franklin, Lamoille)
Camp
Johnson/Burlington/Middlebury (Chittenden, Addison)
Berlin/Barre/Hartford
(Washington, Orange)
Rutland/Bennington
(Rutland, Bennington)
Springfield/Brattleboro
(Windsor, Windham)
Lyndonville/Newport/St.
Johnsbury (Orleans, Essex, Calendonia)
Ten Ways that Community Members can help returning service
members/families
1.
Understand that everyone is affected when troops are deployed, some more
than others. Recognize that it is best for everyone, troops and family
members alike, if they do not have to go through it alone. This includes:
-Service members
-Spouses/partners
-Parents of service members
-Siblings and extended family
-Kids
-Friends
-Employers/coworkers
2. Try
to understand the experiences of war and readjustment to home life
During Deployment:
-War
zone experiences, convoys, culture
-Home
experiences, loneliness, increased resp, kids and sep anxiety
-Communication
issues: between family members, media, status/times uncertainty
Following
deployment:
-Homecoming: difficult adjustment, expectations vary
-Takes ~1 year
-Common combat stress reactions
-Roles, financial issues, employment, responsibility shift
3. Learn
more:
-Books:
ex) While They’re at War, Down Range to
Iraq
and Back
-Movies:
ex) After the Fog, The War Tapes
-Get
to know a service member
-Learn
how military mindset creates issues readjusting: www.battlemind.org
4.
Doctors, clinicians, social workers: become educated about identification
and treatments
-Iraq War Clinicians Guide (www.ncptsd.va.gov)
-PTSD screening and referral
5. Ask.
Offer to listen about their deployment, but do not push if someone is not
ready to discuss things. Also be sure to be an interested audience.
6.
Realize the stigma that accompanies mental health issues and that getting
people to talk or seek help is not always easy. Remind others that
problems readjusting occur for even the strongest people and that seeking
help is not a sign of weakness. Seeking help early is important to
preventing chronic or more severe problems.
7.
Remember kids
-Isolated
children with deployed parents.
-Siblings
as well as service members children are affected
-Kids
don’t necessarily ‘get’ the separation of politics and soldier
support.
8. Be
aware of resources and services
-Family Readiness Groups and
Family
Assistance
Centers
-VA (Veterans Affairs MC) with Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs)
VA in WRJ had primary care walk in clinic: MH services that day
-
Vet
Centers
, VSOs,
-www.ncptsd.va.gov
-VT 211 - Vermont 211 is an
information and referral service that is also connecting veterans and
their families with the services they need in VT. Just dial 2-1-1.
….MUCH MORE
9. Know
some facts:
-90%
of injured service members survive.
-IEDs
(improvised explosive devices) and Traumatic Brain injury (TBI)
-80%
is mild but can have lasting impact
-Can
manifest as personality changes as well as cognitive deficits etc.
-Temperatures
of 130 degrees in
Iraq
10.
Spread the word. Join the VT Military, Family and Community Network
-Attend educational sessions
-Volunteer to help, even in small ways
-Tell others
