Mississippi: Promising/Best Practice MSNG Outreach Services – Mobile APP Program Overview The Mississippi National Guard (MSNG) Outreach Services Program is dedicated to providing essential statewide services and dedicated resources to improve the quality of life for Service members and their families during all phases of military service. The designated resources of Outreach Services enhances the readiness, resiliency, retention, and recruitment of Service members and their families by providing necessary assistance in times of need to strengthen the partnership among commands, Service members, families, and communities. Outreach Services is made up of approximately 80 people. Point of Contact: CPT Robert Bain, MSNG Outreach Services Manager, O: (601) 313-6422, C: (601) 937-5022, Email: Robert.l.bain3.mil@mail.mil Outreach Services implements the following programs to ensure readiness throughout the MSNG: Family Readiness Family Assistance Child and Youth Services Strong Bonds Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Program Resiliency/Risk Reduction/Suicide Prevention Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Employment Outreach Education Services Casualty Assistance Military Funeral Honors Transition Assistance Survivor Outreach Services Program Reach The MSNG Outreach Services Mobile Phone APP is designed to benefit members of the Mississippi National Guard and their families, veterans, and members of the community. Service providers throughout the state use the APP to reference MSNG events/activities and to complete registration for Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program events. The APP allows immediate access to users, while giving program managers the opportunity to quickly disseminate information such as job announcements, MSNG enlisted promotion lists, Strong Bonds marriage enrichment events, Family Program activities, and local events providing discounts to Service members. Text message alerts allow program managers to tailor notifications to specific groups of users. The MSNG Outreach Services Mobile APP also displays the National Suicide Prevention Hotline number prominently on the main page to provide immediate reference for suicide and sexual assault resources. The APP can also connect people in crisis to someone within the MSNG. Service members’ lives have been impacted through immediate contact with MSNG Chaplains or Behavioral Health support personnel. The Mobile Phone APP is promoted throughout the state via the MSNG Announcements page, MSNG conferences, and training sessions (including Military Personnel Office and the Senior Enlisted Training Conference). Yellow Ribbon events post the event schedules and registration requirements on the APP to streamline efficiency and make valuable tools accessible to Service members and their families.

Mississippi: Promising/Best Practice MSNG Outreach Services – Mobile APP Program Impact The MSNG Outreach Services Mobile Phone APP gives geographically dispersed Service members and military families access to resources, programs, and systems in support of their military service. Offerings that influence Service member health and wellbeing include: Job Postings/Job Fairs – provides Guard members immediate access to employment listings and opportunities Job Advancement – promotion lists are posted by Enlisted Personnel Management on the 15th of each month Social Events – promotes Family Program events, Guard health fairs, and local and community events Service Providers – a list of statewide providers and their contact information is included on the APP and updated by Outreach Services personnel Family Assistance –Family Assistance Centers (FACs) and Family Readiness Support Assistance (FRSA) provide crisis intervention, including connection to the Mississippi Military Emergency Relief Fund Suicide Prevention and Sexual Assault – the Mobile Phone APP gives immediate, free access to support resources (including suicide hotline and access to MSNG personnel, regardless of where the SM lives) The MSNG Mobile Phone APP supports the ability to reach a large number of Guard members, and people can be contacted in real time via instant Push Notifications. APP users can send questions and comments, and an automatic email is then sent to Outreach Services personnel to respond. Analytics shows which aspects of the APP are used most often, giving insight into the mindset of APP users. This APP opens up access to otherwise hard to reach populations and is a strategic tool that has the capacity to increase Service member readiness by allowing the MSNG to interact with its members, and by providing critical information on suicide prevention. The APP is cost-efficient, with an initial set up license fee of $3,499 (annual license renewal is $3,200), and utilization of the APP to send out event announcements has saved more than $7,000 per fiscal year in printing costs.