Issues and Answers: Military and Veteran Families Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth Military Family Research Institute Red Cross Summit October 19, 2017 Military Family Research Institute: Who Knew? 1999 a big year! Office of Military Community and Family Policy in the Department of Defense Supporting children, youth and families is a BIG priority in the Department of Defense 1
MFRI Strategic Goals Support the military infrastructure that supports families. Strengthen the motivation and capacity of civilian communities to support military and veteran families. Generate important new knowledge about military and veteran families. Influence policies, programs and practices supporting military and veteran families. Sustain a vibrant learning organization. MFRI Initiatives 2
Serving Military Families in the 21 st Century MFRI Strategic Goal: Generate important new knowledge about military families Karen R. Blaisure Tara Saathoff- Angela Pereira Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth Amy Dombro 5 FACT More than 1 in 10 Hoosiers is a member of a military or veteran family. 3
FACT Military and veteran families live in every city, town and rural area in Indiana. FACT The Indiana National Guard has been heavily used during the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. 4
FACT Military service has BOTH positive and negative consequences for service members and their families. They are not all heroes and they are not all broken. Risk for Family Problems Routine military duties Uneventful deployments Prolonged direct exposure to traumatic circumstances Experience psychological symptoms Experience psychological diagnoses Experience physical wounds or injuries Experience disabling wounds or injuries Death 5
Percent 50 40 Civilian 30 20 10 Current or recent military service Current or recent deployment 0 Ever used alcohol Carried knife or gun to school Suicidal ideation Risk Behavior Note: Data reflect averages across 2008, 2011, and 2013. 2008 data come from 8 th, 10 th, & 12 th grade youth in State (suicidal ideation (1), weapons (19)); 2011 data come from 7 th, 9 th & 11 th grade youth in California (suicidal ideation (20), alcohol (15), weapons (18)); 2013 data come from 7 th, 9 th & 11 th grade youth in California (alcohol, weapons (17); suicidal ideation; 9 th & 11 th grades only (39)). FACT In national data, veterans report more hours of community volunteering, greater participation in local elections, and greater likelihood of attending public meetings and contacting public officials. They are more likely to give to charity and to work with neighbors to fix problems in the community. They are civic assets. 6
ISSUES Despite many creative and energetic efforts, Indiana s military and veteran families are still facing challenges related to their service. 7
8 16 Poverty In a few counties, veterans remain more likely than civilians to live in poverty.
9 17 Unemployment In more counties, veterans are still more likely to be unemployed than civilians 18 Health Care Shortages Presence of medical care shortage areas
10 19 Behavioral Health Care Shortages Presence of behavioral health care shortage areas 20 Potential Caregiving Needs Above-average percentage of veterans 50% or more disabled
11 21 Use of VA Services Below-average percentage of veterans using VA services 22 Suicides 1 or more veteran suicides 2011-2015
The Big Picture 34 counties have medical health care shortages not just for veterans 18 counties have behavioral health care shortages In 18 counties, veterans are substantially below average in using VA services In 22 counties, unemployment rates are higher among veterans and in 6 counties, veterans are more likely than others to be poor, opposite national trends Veterans in 50 counties have committed suicide since 2011 23 ANSWERS? 12
Where Have We Been? LOTS OF SUCCESSES! Strategic goal-setting and action-planning SAMHSA Policy Academy & MCEC convening Creative and impactful collaborations INNG Family Relief Fund, SBHP, Operation Diploma, CLEC/OJRV, County Y, Battlemind Relationships of trust leading to changes JCFI, Community mobilization meetings, Stand Downs With dedicated, creative people who want to get to yes, much is possible! 13
Persistent Challenges Reaching service members, veterans and their families Getting the right support to the right person at the right time The siren song of simple solutions Spending too much time working on what goes on WITHIN programs than on what needs to go on BETWEEN them Dealing with an ever-changing community of organizations Maintaining a statewide vs. Indianapolis focus The talk : action ratio is sometimes too high What Can You Do? Invite members of military and veteran families to serve as organizational and community leaders. Hire them. Use their expertise and experiences to benefit your organizations and communities. Participate in community mobilization through your local network, community veteran engagement board, or Joining Forces committee Increase your military and cultural competence. If you are a helping professional, learn about the specialized resources that you can draw on for your military and veteran clients. Use evidence-based treatments approved by DoD and VA. 14
What Can You Do? We all can learn more about mental health and suicide for everyone. Any one of us could save a life. Learn about Veterans Treatment Courts even when veterans run into trouble, there are options for treatment and help. Work to bring help to rural areas of our state. Reduce health care shortages. Help military and veteran families to get transportation to treatment. Understand that helping military and veteran families may help to make our state better for everyone. Questions? 30 15