Recommendations for Counselors and Community Service Providers Working with Military Families

Abstract

A growing body of research has identified challenges facing military families, and the evidence suggests that the wars have placed stress on family members. This article synthesizes results from a longitudinal study conducted with nondeployed parents of military children ages 7 to 17. The objective of this article is to provide counselors and community service providers who work with military families, particularly those in the civilian sector who are serving these families as service members return home, recommendations on several key topics relevant to military families. The following topics addressed include: 1) The importance of discussing changes in household responsibilities during and after parental deployment; 2) Family communication plans and how to improve quality of communication between youth, parents, and the military couple; 3) Assessing the non-deployed spouse and parent stress around reintegration with youth and the returning parent; and 4) Alerting parents and families about potential changes in the behavior of children and youth, and possible sources of stress during and after deployment.