RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
October is "Domestic Violence Awareness Month," and with deployment-related stress running high throughout the military, Team Randolph's Family Advocacy Program wants Airmen and their families to know of the education and prevention programs aimed to stop violence in the home before it starts.
"Our focus during this month is on healthy families," said Mitzi Wood, 12th Medical Operations Squadron and Randolph Family Advocacy Program family advocacy intervention specialist. "It's to ensure our Airmen are mission-ready by taking care of families."
Part of that family care is the "Better Than Best Friends Forever" retreat for Nov. 20-22 at the T-Bar-M Ranch in New Braunfels. The event is sponsored by the Randolph Air Force Base Chapel and the Airman & Family Readiness Center. Air Force families will learn techniques to alleviate anger and deployment-related issues, plus conflict resolution methods to minimize anger responses - among several topics the retreat's facilitators will cover. Registration ends today; to reserve spaces, call 652-5321.
Another facet of Team Randolph family care is the Pre-deployment Marriage Seminar, tentatively scheduled for some time in November at the Rambler Fitness Center and the Health and Wellness Center. It starts at 8 a.m. and facilitators will teach classes on financial management, time management, and family stress and communications skills.
Ms. Wood also teaches stress management classes on the first Wednesday of each month and time management classes on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the HAWC.
The FAP also offers a "New Parent Support Group." This involves in-home education, advice and other parenting support, given by a nurse, to families with children under 3 years old, and those who are expecting.
Besides help for families with young children, there is FAST - Family Advocacy Strength-Based Training, given by FAP.
"It's a free, confidential, prevention and counseling program for individuals and couples needing treatment," Ms. Wood added. "It's usually meant for short-term relief help."
Another benefit to Airmen is "2-1-1," a state of Texas initiative that allows Texas-based military families to actually dial that number to get referrals for financial assistance, marital issues, anger management, depression and anxiety, child care, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, employment and other needs. The program operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides much information on health and human care services for military families.
"We want Airmen and their family members both on-base and living in civilian communities to know we have a wealth of programs like these to keep them healthy," Ms. Wood said. "That way, we reduce domestic violence."
Capt. John Waggoner, 12th Medical Operations Squadron family advocacy officer, said programs offered through the FAP inform Airmen early on, in an era of longer and more frequent deployments, about what resources the Air Force has to combat domestic violence.
"That way, they have something and someone to turn to when stress hits them and their families," the captain added. "Like they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."