Community Care and Strengthening Military Families

Written by: Kalin Goble Mathis, M.S.

Community starts with those closest to us. When we need support, we often first reach out to our friends, family, and those close to us. These “informal” connections are vital to health and well-being. Formal connections, like healthcare or mental health providers, are often the second step. These are all pieces in the puzzle of community.

Service providers constantly engage with immediate and emerging community needs. This happens both professionally and as personal members of your community. Providers are connectors for available opportunities, programs, and services. Access to resources may be extensive in urban areas or near larger installations. Alternatively, access may be sparse (even nonexistent) in rural areas. For military families (who move, on average, every 2-3 years), what community looks like for them often shifts and transforms.

Community capacity “is not an inherent trait but rather a social commodity that could be established, nurtured, and sustained over time” (O’Neal et al., 2020). Thus, your guidance and insights are integral to community wellness and functioning. Whether you already work with military-connected populations, are new to an area with a greater military presence, or are seeing an increase in military-connected clients, you are part of the Military Family Readiness System (MFRS)!

The MFRS is the system of military-connected and civilian professionals/providers/services supporting military families. Current military-connected members include active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve Service members and their families. However, military culture and dynamics also impact veterans and those who grew up in military families. Below are some ideas for establishing an understanding to meet the unique needs of military-connected members and for preparing to nurture, sustain, and respond to their needs:

You Can Start Small

Civilian practitioners can start by understanding the military– and military culture– a bit more. Many military-focused organizations and groups have programming focused on understanding military populations. These illuminate the impact of military life for service members, spouses/partners, and families/children/youth. For example:

OneOp has the Powerful Provider Initiative, a programming suite highlighting a range of topics, issues, and priority areas for a robust MFRS.
Military OneSource provides information, tools, and confidential support on an array of topics. These include relocations/moving, finances, relationship support, and career readiness. Knowing how to navigate and utilize these resources can be helpful to those you support!
- Their MFRS Competency course encourages integrated service delivery and provides insights on referrals and warm hand-offs.
The Clearinghouse from Military Family Readiness has resources for educators, providers, and parents. Their Introduction to Supporting Military-Connected Students course provides programming to better understand the needs and experiences of children/youth in military families.

Call Upon Existing Connections

For military-connected professionals, your expertise may be appreciated by your civilian colleagues. Communicating your experience supporting the military to local organizations, such as behavioral health agencies or childcare settings, can strengthen their understanding of your role as a community resource.

For civilian practitioners who may not frequently navigate military spaces, it could be beneficial to talk to a colleague or connection who does have that experience.

For example, if you are hoping to share mental health resources with a local installation. You may connect with a colleague who is a veteran. Ask them about their thoughts. They may be open to reviewing an email to installation leadership. Having their support could help ensure your communication is in alignment with installation/command practices.

While traditionally understood as a hierarchical structure, the military is also a system of profound collaboration (O’Neal et al., 2020). Those in the system are no strangers to the interconnectedness of community and care.

Ask military Service members, spouses/partners, and youth what groups, clubs, programs, virtual spaces, etc., they have found value in. This may add to your toolkit for other conversations and give you ideas of local connections to seek out.
You could also connect with a Cooperative Extension System (CES) military liaison in your area. For example, if you work with children/youth, it may be beneficial to collaborate with a CES professional teaching classes on healthy child/parent communication.

Military Family Readiness Academy

This year’s Academy programming is dedicated to understanding community capacity. The Building Strong Communities for Military Family Readiness series cultivates knowledge and skills to collaborate across systems, leverage resources, and implement community-based solutions. The series consists of webinars on:

Visit the series page to learn more and join!

Other Resources for Community Capacity:

CDC, Promising Approaches to Promote Social Connection
Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) Podcast, The Mission: Mental Health Awareness

Reference:

O’Neal, C. W., Mancini, J. A., & Bowen, G. L. (2020). Connecting experiences of community shared responsibility and collective competence to the well‐being of adults in military families. Journal of Community Psychology, 48(5), 1637-1650.

Cover Image: By Maria Vitkovska from Adobe Stock