Home-Based Efforts:A Plan to Support At-Risk Youths

Becca Crusselle

Edu 644

Dr. Allyson Johnson

17 August 2015

My Role

• The role I will be filling is the Family Child Care Coordinator.

• My audience is the Airmen & Family Readiness Center (A&FRC), the Force Support Squadron (FSS) Flight Chief, and Schools within the local community (Mascoutah and Shiloh districts)

The Purpose

The purpose of this presentation is to bring awareness to the FSS Flight Chief, the A&FRC as well as the surrounding school districts that military families are susceptible to having at-risk children. They deserve as much help as any child not having military parents.

Youth At-Risk

• “At-risk youth are often identified after running away, skipping school, drinking under age, engaging in sexual behavior, displaying disruptive behavior, bullying/harassment, fighting, and committing acts of vandalism” (NCSE, 2015).

Youth At-Risk: Indicators

• Deployments are part of being in the military. No matter which branch a member serves, there is always the possibility of being deployed anywhere from 1 to 18 months.

• Mentally ill - “Over 2 million U.S. children are at risk for mental health problems related to a loved one being deployed for active duty warfare in the past decade” (Mukherjee, 2013).

Live in stressful family environments

• Having both parents in the military can stressful. In the event that both parents must go, the Family Care Plan is activated and the child(ren) are sent to live with the designated guardian.

Depression

• “Depression isn’t something that your child will outgrow, nor is it something that they will be able to “soldier-on” through. Depression is a serious condition that needs treatment as soon as one suspects that their child may be experiencing difficulty” (Davis, 2015).

Youth At-Risk: Indicators

Youth At-Risk: Indicators

Lacking Social Skills

• Due to frequent moves, many military children experience disrupted relationships with friends, and must adapt to new schools and cultivate new community resources” (NCTSN, 2014).

Youth At-Risk: Indicators

Involved with drugs or alcohol

• Some children turn to drugs and alcohol to deal with the pressures of being a child in the military.

• I am a military brat myself. I was offered my first marijuana joint when I was 14. We were in base housing and it was after school. The girl that offered it to me was also cutting herself with a razorblade.

Abused emotionally/physically

• Children are often the easy out when it comes to abuse. They cannot defend themselves from the rage of their parents. Military life is stressful.

• I have personally seen cases where children have been abused or witnessed abuse by a military member due to the stress of being in the military.

Solutions

• As a FCC Coordinator, I can partner with the A&FRC and we can engage parents with various programs to help with the stressors associated with the military.

• Military One Source assists with deployments, family and relationships, legal and financial issues, as well as education and employment.

Solutions

• As a FCC Coordinator, I can work with the Mascoutah and Shiloh school districts as a liaison between home providers, parents, and the school. I can work with school administrators and parent to incorporate a plan that will best help the child and the family

• As a FCC Coordinator, I can also engage in the community to compile a resource list of available providers of various services that accept the military insurance Tricare. I can make the lists available to every home provider and the families they service.

Participant Activity

• Getting to know you and your military background. Please tell us about yourself

• Have you experienced any at-risk behaviors while you were affiliated with the military?

• What have you done to assist at-risk children?

• How would you like to see the military children be serviced better?

• Do you have any other questions, comments, or concerns?

References

• Davis, J. (2015) Is your military teen at risk for suicide? Military.com. Retrieved from: http://www.military.com/spouse/military-life/is-your-military-teen-at-risk-for-suicide.html

• Military Kids Connect. Retrieved from: http://militarykidsconnect.dcoe.mil/

• Military One Source. Retrieve from: http://www.militaryonesource.mil/

• Mukherjee, S. (2013). Two million military children are at risk for mental health issues, but coverage is scarce. Think Progress. Retrieved from: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/29/2072051/two-million-military-children-are-at-risk-for-mental-health-issues-but-coverage-is-scarce/

• National Center for School Engagement (2015). Retrieved from: http://schoolengagement.org/

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Retrieved from: http://nctsn.org/resources/topics/military-children-and-families