ARMY FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM

COMMANDER'S DESK GUIDE

1996 Edition 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Mission Letter

Commander,

The Department of Army has recognized that higher morale, retention and the unit readiness of military personnel are connected to the kinds of care and support needed to strengthen soldiers and their families. Our mission is to build a partnership among soldiers, unit leaders, families and the community. We can reinforce a community partnership by encouraging every member to become self-reliant, to understand and adapt to the demands of a military lifestyle, to share information, to educate one another, to recognize when others need help and to offer assistance.

The Directorate of Personnel and Community Activities assists commanders by providing accessible and complementary activities and services, as well as a variety of training and support programs. The Army Community Service's Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is also available to assist commanders by building bridges within the community. The FAP is committed to supporting soldiers and families by providing information, prevention education and prevention programs designed to support self-reliance and enhance coping skills. The FAP offers programs and services on parenting education, new parent support, couple communication, stress management and safety education. The cornerstone of FAP is the prevention of family violence through information and education and targeting those couples and their families who need extra support early on.

Commanders and unit leaders are in an excellent position to encourage soldiers and families to seek information and assistance from FAP at the first signs of stress. Early referral and education enables them to prevent a stressful situation from developing into a crisis or resulting in violence. Using appropriate resources helps soldiers and families to objectively evaluate their situations and their options. It is a healthy first step toward learning alternative coping strategies.

Every operation is affected by how well soldiers, families and the community adapt. Your command extends across many aspects of the mission and includes a responsibility to recognize the changing profiles of soldiers and families. By using your leadership to establish a team concept, you may be gratified to witness greater stability among the individuals and families within your command. This guide offers vital information about Family Advocacy programs and how they provide specific assistance to commanders.

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How to Use This Guide

The Commander's Desk Guide is a tool for commanders and first sergeants to use when working with soldiers and families. The Guide provides an overview of the Family Advocacy Program. The Guide is divided into four sections and two appendices. Each section highlights the ways Command can support the program and the regulations that apply to each part of the mission.

Command Responsibilities, Actions and Messages

This information is highlighted in both the Prevention and Intervention/Treatment sections to provide clear, specific suggestions for meeting your responsibilities in the mission of preventing family violence or intervening with those who are involved in child and spouse abuse. The symbol, , denotes Command Responsibilities throughout the Guide.

The Directory of Programs and Services

The Directory is the most practical aspect of the Guide. It is intended to describe the range of available services and programs and enable you to refer soldiers and families to the people who can offer the assistance they need. The Directory provides lists of:

• Emergency Contacts, in pull-out format for quick reference during a crisis situation (on and off post contacts).
• CRC Members, in pull-out form for quick reference, especially when you are involved in resolving a child or spouse abuse incident.
• Programs and Services, in pull-out form for quick reference.
• Programs and Services individually, with full-page descriptions, so that you can determine whether it's appropriate for referral.
• Installation-specific directory information will be completed by the FAP.

The Directory is cross-referenced by two indexes:

• The Index of Programs and Services, in chart form for handy reference, lists each program/service, the page where the description can be found, and the general problem/issue areas it addresses.
• The Index of Personal and Family Issues allows you to look up a specific issue or problem and refers to a full-page description of one or more programs that are appropriate to the topic. It contains ten major headings that attempt to cover a wide range of the personal and family issues that soldiers and families might face.

The Appendices

• Appendix A: Communication offers additional guidelines for discussing personal and family issues as they come to your attention.
• Appendix B: Glossary lists definitions of acronyms and terminology used in discussing the prevention of, and intervention in, family violence throughout the Guide. This appendix also describes the responsibilities of the Installation Commander and Medical Treatment Commander who have roles in the multi-disciplinary effort.

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The Organization of the Family Advocacy Program

The Family Advocacy Program is a service of the Army Community Service. The administrative functions and daily operations of FAP are supervised under the Directorate of Personnel and Community Activities (DPCA). The two components of FAP, the FAC and the CRC, coordinate their efforts in a multi-disciplinary team approach to the prevention of family violence, as well as the evaluation and treatment of abusers and victims of abuse.

The Family Advocacy Committee (FAC)

• Chaired by the Garrison Commander.
• Serves as an advisory group to the FAP.
• Hold functional and supervisory responsibility for FAP prevention and intervention programs.
• Ensures FAP meets QA standards.
• Identifies and resolves systemic issues.

The Case Review Committee (CRC)

• Chaired by the Chief, Social Work Service.
• Receives all reports of abuse.
• Coordinates a multi-disciplinary approach during intervention.
• Manages cases of alleged abuse beginning with initial intervention and ending with case closure.
• Offers clinically based programs and services.
• Makes recommendations to commanders regarding intervention.

See: Figure 1, Army Family Advocacy Program Organization (page xi).

Figure 1. ARMY FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

This chart illustrates command's administrative relationship to the components of the Army Family Advocacy Program.

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The Organization of the Family Advocacy Program

Prevention and Intervention Efforts

The Family Advocacy Program is available to commanders as a resource to support soldiers and families in managing personal and family issues. FAP educational and intervention programs and services create a safe community and strengthen individuals and families, especially in "at-risk" situations. In support of prevention and intervention efforts, each military and civilian community is encouraged to refer to services at the first signs of need, to keep lines of communication open, and to promote a non-violent community.

The Prevention Effort

Educationally-based programs and training that provide opportunities for sharing information, enhancing and/or developing stress management and coping skills, and linking to support services. Everyone can benefit from prevention/education. It is important to note that soldiers and families who evidence signs of stress and/or just need extra support are more vulnerable to life's challenges, and require prompt linkage to programs and services.

The Intervention Effort

Clinically-based in programs that provide treatment to begin the recovery process for victims of abuse and change abusive behaviors.

The Commander's Role

• Commanders can influence and enhance family stability by promoting these educational programs. It is equally important to connect soldiers and families to programs and services at the first signs of stress or when you know that someone needs extra support - early on.
• When allegations of family violence occur, commanders can manage the situation by supporting and complying with clinically-based recommendations.

Figure 2. ARMY FAP: PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION EFFORTS

This chart specifies FAP's educational and clinical programs and services. A combined approach is necessary to prevent and resolve child or spouse abuse.

Prevention and intervention programs have been developed and are modified according to the specific needs of soldiers and families. FAP conducts an annual needs assessment and on-going program evaluation with the following objectives:

• to identify long-range, intermediate and immediate installation program needs
• to obtain relevant installation-specific data on factors which contribute to family violence
• to measure participation in and effectiveness of programs and services

Needs assessment and program/service evaluation provide the FAP manager with valuable information and contributes to prevention and intervention programs/services that are both cost effective and beneficial. The FAP response to the prevention of child and spouse abuse is based on the following notions:

• Prevention is a continuum that includes awareness, education, and intervention in high risk situations.
• Prevention is a community responsibility.
• A multi-disciplinary team (CRC) is a coordinated response to reports of family violence that establishes safety and builds strong individuals and families.

This combined approach is necessary to prevent family violence and affect an appropriate resolution for soldiers and families currently involved in child or spouse abuse.

See:

• Figure 2, Army Family Advocacy Program: Prevention and Intervention Efforts (page xiii).
• Appendix B for Installation Commander responsibilities and Medical Treatment Facility Commander responsibilities (pages 105-107).

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The Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach

The multi-disciplinary team involves a variety of professionals in an integrated approach to prevention and intervention. These committees share with commanders the burden of making difficult decisions.

Figure 3, The Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach, details the functions of the Family Advocacy Committee (FAC) and the Case Review Committee (CRC). It also outlines the roles of the Garrison Commander, the Installation Commander, the Medical Treatment Facility (MTF) Commander and the Unit Commander.

See:

• Appendix B for a detailed description of Installation and Medical Treatment Commander's Responsibilities.
• Directory of Programs and Services for a listing of CRC members and a description of their roles (self-tabbed page).

• Figure 3, The Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach

THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM APPROACH

Figure 3. THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM APPROACH : This structure facilitates an integrated team approach to prevention and intervention. The teams share the burden of making difficult decisions. No one member can change or revise the discussion of the team.

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Command and Troop Briefs

Command Education

The success of a commander's efforts to assist soldiers and families depends on awareness of the program objectives and services available.

Commander's Responsibility

(According to: AR 608-18, para (1-7b(1), 3-2b)

• Attend educational briefing. A program on the overall Family Advocacy Program is to be attended within forty-five days after appointment to unit command position.
• Participate in prevention programs designed for commanders (e.g. pre-deployment briefing, other scheduled unit or family briefings, etc.)

Troop Education

A soldier's retention and unit readiness are related to individual and collective efforts on the part of soldiers and families to meet the demands of their environment and cope with crisis.

Commander's Responsibility

(According to: AR 608-18, paras 1-7b(2) and 3-2c)

• Schedule annual Troop Education program. The FAPM will coordinate and schedule the annual training with the unit training coordinator. This program informs all military personnel on the following:

  *Availability of prevention education and intervention (treatment) services

  *Family dynamics and indicators of spouse and child abuse Army policy regarding family violence

• Schedule specific topics of interest (e.g. stress management, communication, shift work stresses, etc.)

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1996 Edition 2, Family Life Development Center/Cooperative Extension, Cornell University

This material is based upon work supported by the Extension Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, under special project number 92-EXCA-3-0221. It was developed for the U. S. Army Community and Family Support Center, Family Advocacy Program through an interagency support agreement, USDA Extension Services, and Cornell University, Family Life Development Center/Cooperative Extension.

NOTE: THIS MATERIAL may be reproduced for FAP use.