Community Engagement

Military spouses face frequent relocations, systemic barriers, and emotional strain, making career growth challenging. This post explores how cognitive information processing (CIP) theory offers an evidence-based framework for addressing both the practical and psychological dimensions of career decision-making. By integrating structure, self-knowledge, and emotional awareness, CIP provides career practitioners with tools to better support military spouses in building agency and clarity amid ongoing change.

Financial secrecy, whether it’s hidden debt, undisclosed spending, or secret savings, can be a source of conflict in relationships, creating rifts that spill into financial and therapeutic counseling sessions. When couples avoid discussing money or start keeping financial secrets, the consequences can have ripple effects in other areas of their relationship. What drives these behaviors, and how can service providers help couples navigate financial secrecy?

Teamwork is about more than working with others; it’s about building cooperation, trust, and shared responsibility. When you can reliably contribute to a team, you build confidence. That confidence helps you bounce back from challenges. In other words, strong teamwork supports resilience. In many workplaces, jobs aren’t done alone. Employers look for people who can collaborate, share tasks, communicate differences, and support each other. In this blog, learn how you can boost collaboration and teamwork in the workplace.

Moving on average every 2-3 years, military kids face change quite often (DOD, 2023). These changes are often familiar, yet uniquely challenging. One of these often familiar changes is military family relocation to a new military installation, a new community, and a new school. Changes like these lead to the disruption of established friendships and can also affect academic progress.

Good communication is more than just talking. It’s about listening, expressing yourself clearly, and showing respect. In the workplace, strong communication builds trust with coworkers and supervisors. It also helps reduce misunderstandings that can cause stress.

As the landscape of youth dating culture continues to shift, sexting has become an increasingly prevalent practice amongst adolescents (Madigan et al., 2018). As sexting becomes more common practice among younger groups, it is important to note that associations between sexting, sexual behavior, and other mental health vulnerability factors were stronger in younger ages compared to older adolescents (Mori et al., 2019). Thus, early education around healthy technology use is an important preventative measure to cultivate safety across the span of child to youth development. Factors for providers to consider include technology use trends, risks of technology use, and how to promote healthy youth use of and experiences with technology.

Every October, National 4-H Week brings attention to the positive impact 4-H has on youth, families, and communities across the nation. Rooted in leadership, service, and hands-on learning, 4-H equips young people with the skills they need to thrive. For military families, this mission carries an even deeper meaning.

Caregiving in the U.S. is evolving rapidly, and providers play a critical role in ensuring caregivers are equipped, supported, and connected to the right resources. Building on the insights from Caregiving in the U.S., 2025, this blog focuses on how providers can take action, from leveraging technology and expanding respite care to connecting families with financial assistance and advocating for policy reform.

Caregiver coaching is promoted in the field of early intervention to enhance caregivers’ ability to promote their children’s development and learning. In our last blog, we provided an overview of the coaching model in early intervention and provided resources for more information. In this blog we focus on getting started with coaching and the importance of embedding coaching strategies within family routines and activities.

Early Intervention (EI) programs serve families of young children (birth through 36 months) who have delays and disabilities. These services are mandated by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (2004) and are required to include families in service planning and delivery. Recent movements in early intervention have emphasized caregiver coaching as an avenue for promoting family involvement and child outcomes.