Military Families Outreach Program assists families with deployed loved ones
Alliance Magazine News Service 4/6/09
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| Patrice Picard, executive director at FSMC, with Specialist Thomas and Sergeant Middleton of the Teaneck Armory, distributed memory kits to military families. Photo by Pamela DeMassi. |
Military families face the same challenges as any family—work, finances, raising children, and so on. They also face the additional stress of knowing a household member will leave for extended periods of time.
Recognizing that issues surrounding deployment can be particularly straining if swept under the rug, Alliance for Children and Families member Family Services of Morris County, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., has committed to providing military families with somewhere to turn.
Family Service has been helping families deal with the impact of war since the agency’s founding in 1813. In collaboration with the area United Way, chamber of commerce, military, and community, Family Service has expanded those roots by implementing the Military Families Outreach Program. The program responds to the needs of modern military families, including families with loved ones in the National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves.
Motivated by the idea that “these families do not have to suffer in silence,” the new program provides military families with assistance, including counseling, to address the challenges they face during a deployment—daily stress, fears, and anxiety.
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Mary Burke with her sons, Kyle (left) and Joseph (right). |
The Burkes, a military family of four—including mother, Mary Burke, 7-year-old Joseph Burke, and 3-year-old Kyle Burke—are one of many military families that have reached out to Family Service through the Military Families Outreach Program.
During a recent deployment of his father, Joseph Burke began experiencing difficulty sleeping at night. Anxious about his father leaving for a year, Joseph would check the locks on all the household windows and doors before going to bed; he was fearful burglars would rob their home, Mary Burke explains.
“Everyone handles their situation in their own unique way. For me, I chose counseling,” Mary Burke says. “The counseling offered at Family Service has made a difference in our lives. We need a place to talk about our feelings and that we’re not alone.”
She adds, “We are very fortunate that our community has these services to help us get back to our normal, everyday routine. While we still need more time to work things out, I can already see a definite difference in our day-to-day lives. My little boy is less anxious, having fun with his friends, and is very active in school sports.”
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| Volunteers joined Family Service of Morris County to create 830 memory kits which were distributed to Military Families Outreach Program participants. Memory kits include items such as scrap books, photo albums, and disposable cameras. |
There is an immediate need for the services provided by the program, Patrice Picard, executive director at Family Service, says. Approximately 3,000 area National Guard soldiers and their families are in need, with no decline in sight. “We have heard that the needs of the families will continue for years, and that deployments of National Guard and reserve troops will continue.”
The Military Families Outreach Program helps families identify their needs and offers support, including hands-on assistance in obtaining services at Family Service and in the community.
A case manager is assigned to each family to explain the services available through Family Service and in the community; this includes services available at other local organizations. The case manager works with each family to proactively address issues, aiming to alleviate problems before a crisis occurs.
Common family challenges addressed by the Military Families Outreach Program include:
- stress, anxiety, and depression;
- marital issues and increased domestic conflict;
- increased use of alcohol, drugs, and overeating;
- parenting issues and children’s adjustment;
- salary decrease and financial pressures;
- post traumatic stress; and
- problems re-entering family life and the workforce.
Currently, the Military Families Outreach Program offers services to families in New Jersey’s Morris County. However, Family Service is looking to replicate the program statewide. Along with its state association, Family Service Association of New Jersey, an Alliance member, Family Service has been invited to sit in during a discussion with the New Jersey National Guard about how to respond to the needs of returning troops.
For more information about Family Service’s Military Families Outreach Program, contact Valerie Hart, case manager, at 973-538-5260, ext. 326.
Family Service of Morris County in Morristown, N.J., is driven by a mission to strengthen the community by empowering individuals and families to meet and overcome life's challenges. The organization is the oldest social service agency in Morris County and one of the oldest in the United States. Family Service offers various services for children and families. Services are categorized into six areas: child and adolescent services, senior services, families in transition services, support and therapy groups, an employee assistance program, and services for military families. |  | |
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