My Life As A Military Spouse

"With You All the Way”

Defense and USO officials joined military families at the U.S. Navy Memorial here yesterday to celebrate the launch of a new DVD created to help military children cope with a parent’s deployment.

"With You All the Way” -- a joint effort by the Defense Department, USO and the Trevor Romain Co. -- offers school-age children help with preparing for and dealing with all stages of deployment, from pre-deployment to separation to reintegration.

“We are grateful for the dedication and creativity of people like Trevor Romain and the generosity of groups like the USO,” said Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon’s office of family policy and children and youth. “With [their] support, we are better able to help bridge the gap that results from months and miles of separation between children and their parents. This is no small feat and the worthiest of missions.”

The free DVD is slated to be distributed through USO centers and Military OneSource in May as part of a children’s deployment kit that also contains a stuffed bear called Cuzzie, postcards, a journal and a set of dog tags inscribed "With You All the Way.”

"The USO is devoted to supporting the military family, especially military children who aren't able to choose their situations,” said Sloan Gibson, USO president. “Our partnership with Trevor Romain allows us to bring unique programming to these individuals, giving them resources to handle some of the tough circumstances and sacrifices that come with being a military child."

Thompson echoed his remarks, calling the DVD a “fantastic resource.”

“The DVD helps to let [military children] know that even though it may feel like they are alone, we are with them all the way,” she said yesterday. The DVD follows main characters Jack and Skye as they help their friends Darrell, Pablo and Brittany deal with different aspects of deployment. Darrell’s brother is preparing to deploy, Pablo’s mother has deployed again, and Brittany is adjusting to having her father back home. It also includes interviews with military families who discuss how they work to stay connected. Noted children’s author and motivational speaker Trevor Romain interacts with the characters and guides viewers through the DVD. When faced with deployment, Thompson noted, parents and children often deal with a gamut of emotions ranging from anger and fear to worry and uncertainty.

“But something else that I know … is that together they work hard to stay connected and to work through all those feelings,” she said.

While it’s a natural impulse to want to bottle up or hide feelings, the weight of doing so can take its toll, Thompson said, using the “doughboys” from World War I as an example. They “had a song that told them to ‘pack all your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile,’” she said.

“Can you imagine how heavy your kit bag – your backpack – would be if you packed it full with your worries?” she said. “Since 1915, we’ve learned that although you can pack your worries away, you may only want to do so for a while. It might be healthier to take those troubles out of the bag and deal with them.”

Thompson lauded the efforts of Romain, who worked closely with the USO and military to ensure the DVD met the needs of military children.

In a blog about the DVD, Romain said he decided to start the project about three years ago after he went on several overseas tours with the USO. “After visiting with these kids, it became very apparent that a resource was needed to help them with deployment,” he wrote.

Children relate to his characters because they share many of the same concerns, he wrote. “We try to never shy away from being real and telling the story from a child’s perspective.

“If this DVD can give these kids just a little support, some hope and inspiration, and validation of what they are feeling, it will make me extremely happy and proud,” he added.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:49 PM 0 comments

Budget Friendly Monday

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:02 AM 1 comments

More on MyCAA

With her husband deployed in Iraq with a Stryker brigade from Washington state's Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 20-year-old Lauren Silva isn't your typical college student. But when it comes to finding money for tuition, books and other expenses, she's not so different.

Silva has scrambled to apply for scholarships and loans to pay for classes at the University of Washington-Tacoma, where she's a junior studying social work. She thought part of her financial problems were solved when she learned of a Defense Department program that pays military spouses $6,000 to help them with their education. Yet just as Silva prepared to apply earlier this year, the military abruptly shut the program down.

The Pentagon was overwhelmed by the number of applicants, which had grown from an average of about 10,000 a month to 70,000 in January alone as the nation's economy continued to sputter. Money for the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, known as MyCAA, was rapidly running out. Rather than ask Congress for more cash, Pentagon officials decided to close the program to new applicants and stop payments to those who were already enrolled.

"This was probably, in my view, a mistake," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee last week, adding that while he expected the program to resume, it eventually could end up costing $1 billion to $2 billion.

Gates said the Pentagon had budgeted $61 million for the program in the current fiscal year and had requested $65 million in the next fiscal year.

"This is one of those cases where we had a program that ramped up slowly and then it exploded in popularity," Gates said. "We are looking for a path forward."

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who raised the issue with Gates at the hearing, said the Pentagon should have come to Congress.

"How they have handled this is infuriating," Murray said in an interview. "This is crazy."

Silva is just trying to take it in stride as she worries about her husband in Iraq and the mounting debt as she continues her education.

"It's nerve wracking," Silva said. "It's not like you have money laying around. I can continue without it, but I am applying for more loans, and that means more debt."

The program, begun in 2009, was designed to help the 1.3 million spouses of active-duty personnel and spouses of reservists called to active duty. The $6,000 was to help pay for college tuition or to cover the cost of attending a professional or trade school. The money was intended to help spouses land in high-demand, high-growth fields in which there would be jobs regardless of where they were stationed. It also was to help spouses land better-paying jobs.

In a survey conducted by the Pentagon, 77 percent of spouses said they wanted to work.

In February, however, without warning or notification, the program was shut down. More than 136,000 people had been accepted into the program and about 98,000 had actually received their benefit checks.

Julia Aten was among those who were already enrolled in college, only to find she was going to be short of tuition money. Aten's husband is serving in Afghanistan with units from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. She lives in Puyallup, Wash., and has a son attending Pacific Lutheran University.

Aten, 42, who is also studying social work at the University of Washington-Tacoma, said she was stunned the military had halted the program without any notification. She said she learned about it on Facebook.

"You don't promise 130,000-some people something and then don't follow through," she said. "The MyCAA money is critical. I would have gone to the UW-Tacoma anyway, but it would have been hard. We aren't getting a free ride."

Though she isn't particularly political, Aten and thousands of other spouses who had been counting on the MyCAA money banded together to convince the Pentagon to change its mind. More than 1,200 military spouses joined a Facebook group to protest, and plans were developed for a rally in the nation's capital.

Aten and others also lobbied their members of Congress. Sixty-seven lawmakers sent a letter to Gates.

"Halting this program without notice is not the way to support those who sacrifice so much to make our military what it is," the letter said.

Less than a month after the program was "paused," the money started flowing again. However, the program isn't accepting new applicants. The Pentagon said it's reviewing long-term plans for the program.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:35 AM 2 comments

No 'Floating' Checks

The check "float" at the BX/PX is going the way of rotary phones and dot matrix printers as the Army & Air Force Exchange Service converts to a paper check conversion (PCC) system this year.

"PCC scans and instantly converts paper checks into electronic debits to the check writer’s account," said Chief Financial Officer Harold Lavender. "This technology has been operational in contingency locations for roughly ten years now and commercial industry for about five; it’s an extremely efficient system."

Rollout of the PCC program will begin in AAFES CONUS locations on March 7, 2010, and will be totally implemented in all facilities by June 6, 2010. Concurrent rollouts of Pacific and European exchanges will begin early April with complete implementation by June 6, 2010.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:26 AM 1 comments

Does the Health Care Bill Mean Changes for TRICARE?

National health care reform, which could be signed into law this week, has a key new benefit for families that will not apply to military families enrolled in the Tricare health insurance program.

A key expansion of benefits in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HR 3590, is a requirement for health insurers to cover unmarried children up to the age of 26 who are carried on the policy of a parent.

This change, like the rest of the bill, does not apply to Tricare, according to Defense Department and congressional sources.

But congressional aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said several lawmakers have begun investigating how to alter Tricare so that it also covers older children who do not have their own coverage. A change is being considered for inclusion in the 2011 defense authorization bill, which the House and Senate armed services committees will begin writing later this year.

Currently, Tricare covers unmarried children up to age 23 if they are attending college or up to 21 if they are not.

Tricare spokesman Austin Comacho said he could not give a definitive statement about whether Tricare’s age limit for children would be changed.

“The only thing we can be sure of is that there will be no adverse impact to our beneficiaries,” he said.

Even before the health care vote yesterday military and veterans groups were scrambling to head off panic about the possible impact of the new rules on servicemembers' care and veterans programs. The bottom line: None of these changes should have an impact on Tricare or VA health benefits.

Late last night Kevin posted this comment from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, promising that any national health care changes "will not negatively impact" the Tricare system. Earlier in the day, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki released a similar statement noting that the new bill "will provide the protections afforded our nation’s veterans and the health care they have earned through their service."

Also on Sunday, the chairmen of five House committees (including Veterans Affairs chairman Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., and Armed Services chairman Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo.) released a letter affirming that Tricare or VA coverage satisfies new rules requiring all citizens obtain health care coverage (or face a fine).

"The intent of the bills was never to undermine or change the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs operation of their health care programs or interfere with the care that our service members receive under Tricare," the letter stated. "We commit to these dedicated service members and their families as well as our veterans that we will protect the quality health care they receive."

In a statement AMVETS officials said the House actions and memos removed any lingering concerns about the health care overhaul hurting veterans care.

But that doesn't mean everyone is assured: VFW officials disputed those promises, saying they still believe that certain Tricare programs and VA beneficiaries could be forced to purchase additional health insurance. The folks over at VetVoice have accused the VFW of playing politics and ignoring the facts on health care reform.

UPDATE: Another view, this time from American Legion National Commander Clarence Hill: “As late as 9 p.m. last evening, I was on the telephone with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and we spoke candidly about The American Legion’s concerns. Based on that conversation, the transcripts of hearings, assurances from the President and Secretary themselves, I am 100-percent confident that Congress will act responsibly as regards the nation’s veterans and their families."

Coburn holds up TRICARE/Medicare payment fix

The House has passed legislation (H.R. 4851) to delay until May 1 the 21% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors now scheduled for next Thursday, April 1. The intent is to allow more time for Congress (which is supposed to start a two-week recess today) to work out a longer-term fix.

But a Senate effort to approve the bill quickly by a “unanimous consent” procedure hit a snag when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) refused to consent. Under Senate rules, any senator can object to bringing a bill to the floor for action.

Coburn objected on the grounds that the cost of the bill is not offset by other spending reductions.

Unless Senate leaders can work out an agreement today, they may have to stay in session into next week to ensure the fix is passed before April 1. If they break for recess without a fix, the 21% cut will have taken effect by the time they return.

Ironically, the Senate already passed a six month fix two weeks ago (H.R. 4213), but the House didn’t agree with the funding for the bill and in turn passed only a one-month fix.

Congress has to find a way to end these monthly crises under which tens of millions of Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries are held hostage to the prospect of devastating payment cuts that will cause their doctors to stop seeing them.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:04 AM 0 comments

I'm back and.......

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:03 AM 2 comments

Budget Friendly Monday (on Sunday)

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 9:30 AM 2 comments

On the road again......

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 9:37 AM 1 comments

MyCAA Update

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program could start up again soon, a senior defense official said.

The program, which offers spouses up to $6,000 to cover education-related expenses, was unexpectedly put on hold last month due to an “unforeseen, unprecedented spike in enrollments,” according to a Defense Department message.

Since then, defense officials have been working on both short- and long-term solutions to help military spouses within fiscal constraints, said Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

“Our proposals are in the final stage of approval and we hope to restart the program very soon,” Stanley told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Stanley would not give a time line for when the program might resume.

“As soon as the [Defense] Secretary looks at the options, he’ll decide,” Stanley said after Wednesday’s hearing.

“It may [already] be decided,” he added. “It’s that close in terms of resuming.”

A Defense Department spokesman said there was no update on the program as of early Wednesday afternoon.

Stanley acknowledged on Wednesday that the Defense Department did a poor job of letting people know why the program was temporarily halted.

Many participants didn’t know about the move until they tried to access their accounts.

“We know we must make a concerted effort to restore our credibility and confidence with our military spouses, servicemembers and the American public,” Stanley said.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 9:42 AM 2 comments

Deployment and Older Children

Two recent studies have highlighted the importance of strong support systems, particularly for adolescent children. I wrote about these studies today in the American Forces Press Service article, “Support Helps Children Cope With Deployments.”

Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist at Rand Corp., and Leonard Wong, a research professor from the Army War College, explained the findings of these studies during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday.

The two studies focused on military children ages 11 to 17 and both showed that children with a strong non-deployed parent or caregiver and a solid support system have a better ability to cope with deployments, Chandra and Wong told legislators.

“We had a very strong relationship between the caregiver’s mental health and their ability to cope as well as the ability for their children to handle some of the deployment stressors,” said Chandra, describing the findings of the study “Children on the Homefront: The Experiences of Children From Military Families.”

Wong reported that he also found a strong connection between family strength and children’s ability to cope with deployment in the Army study, “The Effects of Multiple Deployments on Army Adolescents.”

Wong found that the No. 1 factor in mitigating deployment stress was a child’s participation in activities, such as sports, followed by a strong family foundation.

For more on these studies, read my article, “Support Helps Children Cope With Deployments.”

Also check out “Study Explores Deployment Impact on Older Children,” and “Study Reveals Patriotic, Active Kids Suffer Less Deployment Stress.”

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 8:13 AM 0 comments

Army Spouse Survey

The U.S. Army recently sent out the 2010 Survey of Army Families VI to a random selection of civilian Active Army spouses in order to assess the support provided to families and Soldiers during these past nine years of persistent conflict.

"This survey is your chance to tell the Army leadership what it's like during this difficult period with so many of our Soldiers deployed," Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, IMCOM commander told 75,000 civilian spouses of Active Soldiers in a letter introducing the 2010 Survey of Army Families VI.

Because this number represents just a small portion of the total number of spouses, it's extremely important to complete the survey, according to survey officials. Every four years, this valuable information gives the Army a grassroots view of how family's opinions and attitudes have changed, and provides an opportunity to evaluate the effects of programs on families.

The survey also tracks trends regarding the characteristics of Army families, identifies new and emerging family issues, and supplements other studies on Army families.

"Your voice is extremely important. As a spouse randomly selected to participate in this survey, you will be not only be speaking for yourself, you'll be representing many other Army spouses," Joseph Rayzor, FMWRC director of Marketing, said.

Army leadership will use the survey results to plan, formulate, and improve policies and programs which benefit Army families. For example, results from previous surveys of Army families have helped the Army design Family Readiness Groups and improve Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.

This year's focus is the impact deployments have on Army families.

"Multiple deployments during this time of persistent conflict may have changed the needs of our Soldiers and their family members. We must hear from our customers in order to make the best informed decisions for the Army, our Soldiers and their families," Rayzor said.

The Survey of Army families was institutionalized to meet DoD's requirement for military departments to perform family research and program evaluation, and an Army requirement (through a 1983 CSA White Paper) to conduct research on the role of Army families and the effect of Army life on families.

After receiving the letter about participation in the 2010 Survey of Army Families VI, spouses may complete the survey on the Internet or using a hard-copy version provided by mail.

To keep the survey as scientifically accurate as possible, only those selected during the random sampling will be able to participate in the survey.

Spouses not selected for the survey that wish to provide comments, suggestions or critiques of support programming are encouraged to use their spouse's chain of command, participate in the AFAP process, or speak to their local Family Support Group or Army Community Service directors to learn how to direct their comments to the appropriate agency.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 8:55 AM 0 comments

Course aims to educate the banking community on the unique circumstances of the military homebuyer

USA Cares has launched a new education course designed to provide loan officers with a clear understanding of how to work with military clients. Through the USA Cares Military Family Housing Lender Education Program—accessed online at USA Cares, the Participating Lender Course provides the tools and knowledge needed to effectively work with military borrowers, especially in a fast-paced and competitive market.

“This course aims to put greater numbers of military families into affordable homes through knowledgeable lenders who understand the unique circumstances brought about by military service.”—USA Cares Executive Director Bill Nelson.

The course makes sense of the military language, rank and pay system. It even outlines what happens when a service member is injured, and explains how their pay will continue during hospitalization and treatment. Earning the Certificate of Completion for the Participating Lender Course indicates a significant knowledge base that active duty service members and veterans can rely on for prompt and accurate service of their housing needs. Certified Participating Lenders will adhere to specific Standards of Practice, representing a commitment to provide quality service to military borrowers.

USA Cares is no stranger to supporting the homeownership goals of military families. “We’ve paid out over one million dollars to save military family homes from foreclosure in the past three years,” said Jennifer Robinson, USA Cares Director of Assistance. “This new effort will help reduce the need for such assistance by supporting military borrowers and their lenders as they work together to make affordable and sustainable housing decisions.”

About USA Cares USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that helps post 9/11 military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: To help with basic needs during financial crisis, to assist combat injured Veterans and their families and to prevent private military home foreclosures and evictions. In six years, USA Cares has received over 20,000 requests and responded with more than $6.5 million in grants. Military families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/ or by calling 1-800-773-0387.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 9:24 AM 0 comments

AUSA Updates

The 2010 census will make its way to your mailbox in early March. With many Servicemembers deployed, military families may have questions regarding how to answer certain questions. For example, if your Servicemember spouse is overseas, then the person receiving the questionnaire should not count the spouse that is overseas. The spouse overseas will be counted based on home of record provided by the Defense Manpower Data Center to the Census Bureau. Likewise, military families and Servicemembers living overseas will not receive a questionnaire and will be counted based on home of record provided by the Defense Manpower Data Center. If your spouse is on a military vessel with a United States homeport, then they should not be counted as part of your household. For additional clarification, please go here.

The Army’s antiterrorism (AT) program protects Army communities against terrorist acts. Family members represent a special group included within the program’s protection efforts. During the 3rd quarter, fiscal year 2010 the Army’s AT awareness theme will focus on enhancing family awareness about the indicators of possible terrorists activity and how to report suspicious behavior. Recognizing the commitment and sacrifices that our families make the Army is committed to building a partnership with Army families. When informed about the threat of terrorism and empowered to help protect our communities against terrorism, Army families become an extension of our overall protection. To read more about Army Antiterrorism Family Awareness, please go here.

The U.S. Army is testing telemedicine as a way to give patients at remote posts in Europe better access to American specialists. In recent years, as the military footprint in Europe has shrunk and U.S. hospitals in places such as Wurzburg have closed, Servicemembers and family members increasingly have been sent to foreign medical facilities for treatment. Telemedicine, which enables doctors to do remote consultations over the internet, is a way to bring those patients back into the U.S. medical system. For further information, please click on the following link here.

Anger management group therapy can be just as effective over video hookup as in person. An estimated 40 percent of today’s combat veterans come from remote or rural areas of the US. Many of them, up to one in six, return home with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Leslie Morland, of the Veterans Administration (VA) National Center for PTSD, Pacific Islands Division, wanted to know if a treatment that had already been shown to be effective for PTSD-related issues when administered in-person could be as effectively managed and as beneficial for participants if delivered via videoconferencing. The study showed that anger management problems could be safely managed remotely. For more on this study, or to read this article in full, please go here.

For children of military families, making friends at new schools doesn’t seem to get easier. Parents face their own challenges as well, such as; new rules, regulations, laws and attitudes which shape their sons’ and daughters’ education. The El Paso Independent School District assigned liaisons to help ease the transition for military parents and students. This program, which began in 2005 after Congress signed off on a plan to move the 1st Armor Division to Fort Bliss, helps ensure high school credits are transferred. Liaisons explain why a student was successful in the previous school must learn a new way to do math or adopt a new reading routine. To read more on this successful program, go here.

At BuildASign.com, they are very proud of the continued service and sacrifice that our military personnel selflessly provide every day. To express their support of our brave men and women in uniform, they want to invite you to take part in their free “Welcome Home” banner promotion. Beginning in July 2008, they began offering free “Welcome Home” banners to the friends and family of members of the Armed Services coming home from overseas. To date, they have given away over 60,000 banners. All banners can be customized in full color, including pictures; they just ask that the customer pay the shipping and handling fee. For more information, please go here.

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 9:10 AM 2 comments

Budget Friendly Monday

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:23 AM 0 comments

Welcome Beautiful!

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 12:30 PM 0 comments

DoD and use of SSNs

The Defense Department is preparing to launch a militarywide effort to reduce the use of Social Security numbers to lower the chances of identity theft for military and civilian workers and contractors.

But the announcement, included in the March 3 Federal Register, makes clear that stopping the use of Social Security numbers altogether is not feasible.

The SSN is a prize to identity thieves, but it also has become ingrained in various military uses that can’t be fully eliminated, defense officials said. They are proposing new regulations calling for a complete review of military records and reports to determine when the number isn’t necessary.

In phases, starting in 1969 and ending in 1974, Social Security numbers replaced service numbers as the primary identifier and authenticator of military personnel.

Expanded use of SSNs has increased efficiency and allowed Defense Department information systems and processes to work together and transfer data “with a greatly reduced chance of errors,” officials said in the notice of proposed regulations.

But the threat of identity theft, they said, “has rendered this widespread use unacceptable,” resulting in the requirement that all federal agencies evaluate how SSNs are used and eliminate their unnecessary use.

The proposed regulation, open for comment until May 3, says there are several purposes for which SSNs remain acceptable, such as for employment and tax purposes, security clearance investigations, computer matching with other government agencies, and as the primary form of identification for Geneva Conventions purposes.

In all other cases, the proposed regulation directs a review of every instance when SSNs are used in military records to determine if a replacement is possible.

Alternatives could be a unique electronic identifier, one not known to the individual but used only in machine-to-machine transactions; temporary identifying numbers for some specific uses; and biometrics.

“Every report, display, printout and transaction shall be reviewed to determine the requirements for the use of the SSN,” defense officials said.

If a particular usage can be dropped, it will be. If an identifier is needed but it doesn’t have to be the SSN, an alternative will be used. If there is no substitute for the SSN, a flag or general officer or a Senior Executive Service civilian must authorize the use and “come up with security rules to reduce exposure of the number outside official use.”

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 8:17 AM 0 comments

Understanding DoD Policy on Social Media

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 7:01 AM 0 comments

"A Bridge of Support"

The Defense Department has launched a new program that offers servicemembers undergoing mental health treatment a bridge of support as they transition between health care systems or providers.

InTransition provides this continuity of care through a network of transitional support coaches who offer servicemembers one-on-one guidance through a transition, whether it’s a move or a separation from service, a health care official explained.

“The Defense Department is very familiar with transitions and how difficult they can be,” said Public Health Service Lt. Cmdr. Nicole Frazer, senior policy analyst for the Defense Department’s force health protection and readiness programs. “We want to minimize the hassles or stress or barriers to receiving care across health care systems or providers -- and ensure no one falls through the cracks.”

Both active and reserve-component servicemembers are eligible to participate in this voluntary program when they’re receiving mental health treatment and undergoing a transition such as relocating to another assignment, transitioning from active duty to veteran status, or veteran to active duty, or returning to civilian life, Frazer said.

Servicemembers can connect with this free, confidential service 24/7 by calling 1-800-424-7877 toll-free from within the continental United States. If overseas, they can call toll-free at 1-800-424-4685 or collect at 1-314-387-4700. Referring mental health providers also can make the enrollment call.

Once connected, coaches can provide information on behavioral health services, patient support and education and specialized coaching, Frazer said. They’re licensed, master’s-level or doctoral-level mental health clinicians with extensive military and Veterans Affairs knowledge, she added.

While trained to provide information on a variety of health-related topics, their primary goal is to connect servicemembers with care at the transition’s end.

“The coaches work with them to motivate them to stay connected and engaged with that goal to be seen,” Frazer said. “We don’t want the transition to be a barrier in terms of continuing or remaining with mental health care.”

The program was developed in response to a Mental Health Task Force report released in 2007 that identified a need for better continuity of care across transitions. But the ultimate goal is to take care of servicemembers, Frazer emphasized.

“We’re excited to see this program roll out and make a difference,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful response so far. We’ve been interacting with servicemembers and leadership across the services and VA, and folks are excited that this program is there.”

Related Sites:
InTransition

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 6:44 AM 0 comments

Budget Friendly Monday

How to Save $250 in 30 Days

How to Tell if You Are Saving Enough for Retirement

6 Secrets to Saving Money With Online Coupons

posted by LoveMyTanker @ 8:31 AM 1 comments