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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
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