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Engaging The Military in the Strategic Prevention Framework. A few Housekeeping items before we get started. Using GoToMeeting features. Expand & collapse your Panel View and select your audio Submit a question or comment via Chat Manage your own muting Share and manage your webcam.
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Engaging The Military in the Strategic Prevention Framework
Using GoToMeeting features • Expand & collapse your Panel • View and select your audio • Submit a question or comment via Chat • Manage your own muting • Share and manage your webcam
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welcome • Welcome and Introductions • Webinar Facilitators • Erin Bowers, Community Prevention Specialist, Employee and Family Resources • Clare Jones, Community Prevention Specialist , Helping Services for Northeast Iowa and Capacity Coach for SPF SIG • SFC Heather Brown, IA Counterdrug Task Force, Civil Operations NCO
Rationale • SAMSHA has made it a requirement of all of their new grants to engage the military as a stakeholder in this project. • Recognition, at the federal level, that the unique stressors for the military, especially those related to combat exposure, put this population at increased risk for substance abuse, especially excessive alcohol use, and other behavioral health disorders.
“The President has made the care and support of military families a top national security policy priority. We recognize that military families come from the active duty Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the Reserves. They support and sustain troops fighting to defend the Nation, they care for our wounded warriors, and they survive our fallen heroes. The well-being of military families is an important indicator of the well-being of the overall force. At a time when America is at war and placing considerable, sustained demands on its troops and their families, it is especially important to address the family, home, and community challenges facing our all-volunteer force.” -Strengthening our Military Families, from the office of the President of the United States, 2011
Scope of the problem “While the 2008 Department of Defense Health Behavior Survey reveals general reductions over time in tobacco use and illicit drug use, it reported increases in other areas, such as prescription drug use and heavy alcohol use. In fact, prescription drug abuse doubled among U.S. military personnel from 2002 to 2005 and almost tripled between 2005 and 2008. Alcohol abuse is the most prevalent problem and one which poses a significant health risk.” -National Institute On Drug Abuse, Topics in Brief: Substance Abuse among the Military, Veterans and their Families (revised 2011)
Scope of the problem • 7% of veterans meet the criteria for substance use disorders • 1 in 6 veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has a substance abuse problem and about 25% have symptoms of a mental disorder or cognitive impairment
Prevalence of Tobacco Use • 50% higher among active duty military personnel and veterans than civilian population • Smoking rates are an additional 50% higher among personnel who have served in war zones
Prevalence of Alcohol Use • 43% reported binge drinking in the past month • 21% age 20 and under reported heavy alcohol use in the past 30 days • 20% of junior enlisted personnel reported serious alcohol-related consequences • 27% reported lost productivity • 22.6% reported symptoms of dependence
Mental and Physical Health Issues • 1 in 4 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan reported symptoms of mental or cognitive disorder • These disorders are strongly associated with substance abuse and dependence • The number of soldiers that died from suicide doubled between 2009-2010. • More soldiers have died from suicide this year than in battle.
Impact on military families • Research suggest that deployment of a parent puts a child at increased risk • University of Iowa, based on data from the 2010 IYS, found children with deployed or recently returned military parents: • Increase in 30 day alcohol use, binge drinking, marijuana and other illegal drug use, and misuse of prescription drugs • Increase was even higher among children whose living arrangements were disrupted due to deployment.
Iowa has representation from all branches of the military. • The largest portion of military personnel in Iowa serve with the Reserve or National Guard. • Air National Guard <3000 • Army National Guard >7000
Army values “Many people know what the words Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage mean. But how often do you see someone actually live up to them? Soldiers learn these values in detail during Basic Combat Training (BCT), from then on they live them every day in everything they do — whether they’re on the job or off. In short, the Seven Core Army Values listed below are what being a Soldier is all about.” http://www.army.mil/values
I am an American Soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier.
Snapshot • Nationally: • Average age is 28 • 85% male, 15% female • More than 50% are married • Almost 50% have children
A few acronyms/Terms • OIF/OEF • MFO • AT • MUTA/IDT • MOS • VA • Yellow Ribbon • ARNG • POV • ETS • HOR • FOB • PTSD • Others?
Before you move forward: It is important to assess your own feelings about military culture. Here are some questions you can ask yourself, as suggested by the Veterans and Family Initiative: • What are my feelings about the military? • What are my feelings about ongoing military or war efforts? • Will my feelings effect how I deal with military members or families? • Do I use language or make references to the military in any way that is negative?
Check in • Questions, thoughts and Aha! Moments so far
Finding the right person • Looking in your own circle of influence • Community activities for military families • Call your local armory • American Legion or VFW • County Veterans Coordinator • Local community center • VA events or activities • Iowa Vet Centers • Other suggestions?
Making the ask Why do you want them to be engaged with your project? What’s in it for them? • Come from a place of shared concerns and desire for input, don’t put on defensive • They are an important stakeholder in our communities • Opportunity to make an impact on an issue that is having a devastating impact on soldiers and their families ? ? ? ? ?
Making the ask: What will their role Be? • Can offer unique input through all steps of the SPF • Assessment • Planning • Capacity • Implementation • Evaluation • Sustainability • Cultural Competence • Clarify that you would like their input, you are not asking them to represent the military
Getting and Keeping them engaged • Making them feel welcome, understanding military culture. Recognize traits that may be common with this population such as: • “If you’re on time, you’re late” • Being “squared away” • Desire to be mission focused, task oriented, to the point • Maintaining your military bearing • Military identity
Additional considerations • Before the Meeting • Availability impacted by: • Special schoolsand annual training • Deployment • Change of duty station
Shared challenges and successes • What has worked well in your community? • How have you overcome barriers in your community? • What are you taking away from today’s conversation? • What do you see as next steps?
Additional questions and ideas? • Any more questions? • Final thoughts? • Aha moments to share?
“We can do this. In every community, every day, we can find concrete ways to show our military families the respect and gratitude that each of us holds for them in our hearts. They deserve our support long after the welcome home ceremonies are over. You don’t have to come from a military family, have a base in your community, or be in military issues to make a difference. Every American can do something.” —Michelle Obama and Jill Biden USA Today, September 3, 2010
references • Strengthening our Military Families http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2011/0111_initiative/strengthening_our_military_january_2011.pdf • Parental Deployment Ups Risk of Substance Abuse http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/03/29/parent-deployment-ups-risk-of-child-substance-abuse/53163.html • Suicide toll for Army higher than combat losses http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20131002/NEWS/310020036/ • Military Service Brancheshttp://www.todaysmilitary.com/service-branches • Topics in Brief: Substance Abuse among the Military, Veterans, and their Families http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/substance-abuse-among-military-veterans-their-families • Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs https://va.iowa.gov/
references • Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Data Spotlight, Half of Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions among Veterans Aged 21 to 39 Involve Alcohol as the Primary Substance of Abuse http://www.samhsa.gov/data/spotlight/Spot106VeteransAlcoholAbuse2012.pdf • NCTSN. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network http://www.nctsn.org/ • An Overview of the Military Family Experience and Culture • DoD, VA, State and Community Partnerships to Assist Returning Service Members/Veterans and their Families: A Public Health Response as a Nation at War
Additional sites and resources • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration www.samhsa.gov • Department of Defense www.defense.gov • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism www.niaaa.nih.gov • Iowa Substance Abuse Information Center www.drugfreeinfo.org • US Department of Veterans Affairs www.va.gov/
Resources for soldiers, veterans, and their families • Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 option 1 • Chat Service http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ • Military One Source www.militaryonesource.mil 1-800-342-9647