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| Posted to Website: | 12/08/2003 |
Resources for Military Families
From: Susan Criscenzo
Employee Assistance Program Consultant
UNC at Chapel Hill and UNC Hospitals
To: Military Personnel facing Deployment and Spouses/Family of Military
I would like to encourage all UNC military employees and family members who are faced with deployment to contact me about the following services:
- Explore interest in a support group on campus. I am willing to act as facilitator and arrange meeting times and location.
- Link people together by email and/or phone tree for purposes of lending each other support and assistance.
- Possible establishment of a web site for information and links to additional sites
- Individual assessment for employees and family members who are experiencing specific personal and/or work problems
- Resources to address other needs as identified
Susan Criscenzo, EAP Consultant
I can be reached at 929-2362 or scriscen@unch.unc.edu
CAMPUS SUPPORT GROUP:
There is a regular support group meeting for employees who have had family members deployed. To participate, please contact Susan Criscenzo at 929-2362 or scriscen@unch.unc.edu
SERVICES OFFERED TO MILITARY FAMILIES:
Services that may be helpful to military personnel and their families will be listed here and updated regularly. Please take the time to research any services listed here to determine their appropriateness for your situation. We will attempt to post only legitimate resources, but the responsibility of checking them will be the employee's. If you know of a resource that you think others would find useful, feel free to email me at scriscen@unch.unc.edu. I will review the material before having it posted.
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For military personnel being deployed who need help finding placement for their pets (or who are interested in being a foster family for a military pet): http://www.netpets.org
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Operation Doula Care-Doulas are women who physically and emotionally support other women during labor and delivery. Operation Doula Care is offering free doula services to pregnant military wives whose husbands have been deployed. The website address is http://www.OperationDoulaCare.org. Phone 406-896-9292. The NC state represenative is Stacey Carver rscarver@abts.net
RESOURCES THROUGH THE MILITARY:
The following information and resources were passed on to me from a retired Deputy Director of the USAF Family Support Center, UK (1982-1986). I hope you will find them helpful. I hope also that you will contact me about the suggested resources I have listed at the end of this email.
Families are always affected by deployments; the soldiers, their spouses and family worry about each other and experience loneliness. Financial strains are common and the deployed soldier's spouse is also strained by the addition of new roles that the soldier usually assumes. Additionally, some life events, such as giving birth to a child, are more difficult to cope with when a partner is away from home. These strains are magnified when the deployment starts rapidly and lacks a specific start or return date. According to the research, the two most stressful times in the deployment is waiting to deploy and anticipating the hopeful return. Prior to deployment family issues get compacted in a short space of time and so they are more intense. Upon return role changes and dynamics require an adjustment period.
There are three or perhaps more military systems that are supporting the spouses and military members before, during and after deployment:
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The Military installation they are assigned to, such as Pope AFB, Fort Bragg, etc. Most major military installations have a Family Support Center that provides many programs for families.
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The military unit they are assigned to; such as 82nd Airborne Rangers, 1st Tactical fighter Wing, etc. They can usually provide unit information and close support. They may have senior seasoned spouses who have already put together a system of communication and support. They may have a list of all the spouse's phone numbers, addresses and email addresses.
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The last system is the family itself. If the family was having problems before the deployment, the deployment causes a synergistic effect. Kids with problems accelerate the issues. Families that are strong and have good skills suffer the stress and grow. As with all families, strength comes from strong values, family traditions, roles and rules, customs, spiritual beliefs, respect for each family member and love.
OTHER WEBSITES:
The Office of the Governor's Military Support Page:
http://www.governor.state.nc.us/mil/
UNC-Chapel Hill Counseling & Psychological Service (CAPS): This site is more directed toward the student population, but contains some additional information for military families
Air Force Reserve Command
http://www.afrc.af.mil/reserveInfo.htm
Naval Reserves
http://reserves.navy.mil
Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
One of the programs within Disaster Services is our Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) division. Armed Forces Emergency Services is the worldwide program through which the American Red Cross provides its services to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. The primary services are: Reporting and Communications; Access to Military Aid Society financial assistance in emergency situations; Information and Referrals; Counseling; Disaster Relief; and Health Services. In keeping with the American Red Cross mission of helping people in crises, Armed Forces Emergency Services will keep American families in touch with their military loved ones around the world.
http://www.informatics.org/redcross
Article on stress of deployments for military families
USAtoday.com/life/2001-10-09-military-families.htm#more
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