1. Military Family Readiness
Judith Ward Dekle, LCSW
Office of Family Policy, Children & Youth, Special Needs

2. Military Family Readiness
Definition
The state of being prepared to effectively navigate the challenges of daily living experienced in the unique context of military service.
Ready individuals and families are:
Knowledgeable about the potential challenges they may face
Equipped with the skills to competently function in the face of such challenges
Aware of the supportive resources available to them
Make use of the skills and supports in managing such challenges
Includes:
Mobility and financial readiness
Mobilization and deployment readiness
Personal and family life readiness
From DoDI , July 3, 2012

3. Family Readiness System
The Family Readiness System is the network of programs, services, people and agencies, and the collaboration among them, that promotes the readiness and quality of life of service members and their families.
The services available through the FRS can help military families develop new skills and tackle life’s challenges — in every stage of military life.
DoDI , Military Family Readiness, 12 July, 2012

4. Family Readiness System Access Points
Multiple Access Points within DoD
Military and Family Support Centers
Reserve Component Family Programs
Joint Family Support Assistance Program
Military OneSource
Military Family Life Counselors
Medical Command
Child and Youth Programs
Fully integrated network
Seamless Access
There is NO wrong door!

5. Programs and Services We cannot do it alone…our communities can help!
Deployment assistance
Domestic abuse prevention and response services
Relocation assistance
Child abuse prevention and response services
Personal financial management
Exceptional family member program support
Spouse education and career services
Non-medical individual and family counseling
Personal family life education
Information and referral
Emergency family assistance
Transition Assistance
We cannot do it alone…our communities can help!

6. Community Capacity Building
Goal of community capacity building is
to increase the ability of people to take care of each other and
take care of their community.
Requires actions that show
that there is a good sense of shared responsibility and
“collective competence” meaning that together good things can happen.

7. Community Capacity grows because of formal and informal relationships
Collective Competence
Shared Responsibility
Desired Results
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Let’s look at how community capacity increases because of relationships. Many people care about your community and feel a sense of responsibility for taking care of it -- and the other people in it. Some of those people already work in formal agencies -- and most people are connected to others in informal ways. Shared responsibility grows as people interact and talk with others about the issues in their community. When people’s feelings lead to action, they demonstrate collective competence. This increases community capacity AND the chances of reaching their desired results.

8. Support Tools Community Capacity Building Learning Modules
Individual Community Readiness Inventory
DoD Asset Mapping Platform
Family Readiness System DoDI Toolkits

9. Community Capacity Building Learning Modules
Catalyst for military/civilian collaboration
Online, interactive and on Military OneSource
These modules open to public
Resource documents to accompany training
Deployment expected early 2015

10. Community Capacity Building Learning Modules
Introduction
Community Action and Change
Becoming a Community Capacity Building Organization
Results-Focused Planning
Community Assessment
Strengthening Formal Systems through Collaboration
Mobilizing Informal Systems
Engaging Military Leaders
Monitoring Results and Activities
Sustaining Desired Results

11. Individual Community Readiness Inventory - ICRI
Participants: Service members and spouses
Assists military leadership, management and staff identify individual, family and community strengths and needs of Service members and spouses
About 15 minutes to complete
Deployment expected summer 2015

13. States or installations can be selected here
States or installations can be selected here. States have sectioned zip codes into regions to ensure no identification can be made. Inventory is completely anonymous.

14. Inclusion of families with special needs

15. Users have the ability to print/ their results and are given choices of resources to seek assistance for areas in which they need support or additional information.

16. The next few slides demonstrate the administrative side of the application. From here administrators can create reports with specific criteria to meet their need.

17. Results will not show if there are 5 or less respondents

18. Additional options include zip code and installation

21. SAMPLE

22. SAMPLE

23. DoD Mapping Platform CAC enabled Layers to reflect
Accurate information regarding location and availability of programs
Resources and services based upon the location of Service member and family member population

26. Family Readiness System DoDI Toolkits
Public Affairs
Leaders
Internal Service Providers
External Service Providers
Located on Military OneSource and include
Policy Fact Sheet
Sample Article
Sample Advertisement
Social Media Tactics

27. Federal and State Collaboration: USA 4 Military Families
Key Issues for 2015
Active Issues:
Facilitate military spouse licensure portability
Facilitate licensure and academic credit for military education, training and experience
Allow earned priority Medicaid waivers
Establish Veteran Treatment Courts (VTCs)
Enforce DoD lending regulation
Comport rules on disposition of remains
Ensure deployment does not determine custody
Identifier for military children in Ed data systems
Increase access to quality, affordable childcare
Under Development:
Allow private sector employers to offer hiring preference to veterans
Employment protections during state activation
Support for caregivers of disabled veterans
Support state-wide MoUs for child welfare
Licensing agreement for distance education
Goal: Provide DoD an opportunity to participate in state-level discussions on issues affecting service members and their families.
Focus is on ‘Key (state-level) Issues’ ….reviewed annually
Purpose: To educate state policymakers/leaders
Providing ‘best practice’ language and arranging testimony
What we don’t do: Lobby – no ‘grass roots’ campaigning for specific pieces of legislation
The “USA 4 Military Families Initiative” is worked through our DoD-State Liaison Office
Every year they take a slate of key issues affecting Service members and their families to primarily state legislatures
They educate policymakers and leaders on the issues and assist them by providing best practice language and testimony, and they are careful not to lobby
In 2013 and 2014 they worked 12 of the 13 issues listed on the right.
As you can see, they work a variety of issues impacting Service members and their families while serving and then as they transition out of the Military Services.
The common aspect to these initiatives is that they are attempting to eliminate barriers and “level the playing field” for military members and families.

28. Questions