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WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 2, 2009) - With the
country embroiled in two wars, frequent deployments, and the
home-front issues deployments cause, the nation's servicemembers
and their families are enduring heightened stress levels.
The Military and Family Life Consultant Program, created in 2004
as a pilot program, supplements other existing military support
options to help servicemembers and their families deal with what
comes with military life during times of war. The program belongs
to the Military Community and Family Policy office.
"The big picture of the program is that the ... MFLC Program was
developed to provide short-term, nonmedical support to the active
and Guard and reserve components and their family members
worldwide," said Mike Hoskins, special assistant to the office of
the undersecretary of defense for military community and family
policy. "What [the counselors] do is they augment existing support
assets on the installation."
Several hundred thousand people a year take advantage of MFLC
counselors' services, Hoskins said. Part of those numbers come from
command-requested, pre- or redeployment briefings. Others use the
service because it offers something traditional methods don't. The
fact that they sought support from an MFLC counselor doesn't end up
in their permanent file.
"People are sometimes worried about information ending up in
their service record and then that having an adverse effect on them
or their family or their status in the military or on the
installation," he said. "With the exception of mandatory federal
state and military reporting requirements, it's private and
confidential."
The exceptions include knowledge of an intent to hurt oneself or
others, domestic violence or child abuse, and drug use, Hoskins
added.
The top two areas of concern for those seeking the support of an
MFLC counselor are relationship issues with a spouse or children,
or deployment-related issues. At this time of year, tax season
financial assistance is also a big concern.
"[They address] the day-to-day issues we all deal with," Hoskins
said. "The military-specific issues relate to the deployment cycle,
whether it's mobilization, deployment, reintegration or frequent
moves. It addresses those issues also."
The program's counselors actively working on or near
installations hold at least a master's degree or greater in a
mental health-related field, including social work, psychology, and
marriage and family therapy. They also must be licensed by a state
or territory to practice at an independent practitioner level.
Hoskins said he sees the program continuing to grow because the
needs are so great right now for this type of support.
"It fills the gap between what isn't able to be served through
military treatment facilities or through Tricare or through the
normal family center set ups," he said.
As summer approaches, Hoskins is getting ready to temporarily
swell the ranks of his counselors in response to requests for
support from children's summer camps.
"We provide MFLC support for [National Military Family
Association] Purple Camps ... and for Guard and Reserve summer
camps," he said. "The opportunity to provide support to kids in a
more preventive kind of way is, I think, ideal."
The MFLC Program is part of the larger counseling program to
include Military OneSource, which offers counseling face-to-face,
by telephone and online. The two programs, MFLC and Military
OneSource, are complimentary of one another in that they refer back
and forth depending on the needs of the individuals. Services also
can be tailored to meet specific needs of each individual, Hoskins
said.
Troops or family members can find more information about the
program at their local family center.
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