Coping With Deployments

Coping with Deployments:

Psychological First Aid for

Military Families was developed by

to support military families who

experience the normal stresses

and strains that occur when their

service member deploys. The Red

Cross worked closely with subject-

matter experts from all service

branches—along with National

Guard and Reserve components—

to complement what is in their

courses for service members.

© 2012 The American National Red Cross A2092-2/12

Psychological First Aid for Military Families

For more information or to

take the course, visit

redcross.org/cwd

Building 10179th Division Drive,

JBLM, WA253-966-3889

Western Washington HHQ

How will this course help me? In Coping with Deployments, you will learn the meaning of resilience and what strategies you can practice to build your own and others’ resilience; how to use psychological first aid actions to support others; how to help children cope with stress; where to find additional resources; and how to make a referral when you are worried about someone who seems to need more than you can offer. These coping mechanisms and resilience skills are applicable to many life situations, not just to deployments.

How does the Red Cross define deployment?Deployment is when a service member is separated from his/her immediate or extended family for any duty- related reason. Deployments include basic training, schools, field exercises, sea duty, hardship tours, special assignments, military operations, disaster and humanitarian relief operations – in short, any training or operational assignment that separates a service member from his/her family.

Why this course? The Red Cross designed Coping with Deployments specifically for the family members, including parents, siblings and significant others, of service members in all branches of the military. The course is offered in a variety of formats to reach as wide an audience as possible. Families have choices based on their learning styles and other personal preferences and factors.

Who can take the course?The course is for immediate and extended adult family members, significant others and friends of military service members who are about to be deployed, are deployed, or who have recently returned from deployment. It is available to those connected to the Reserves, National Guard and active-duty in all branches of the military.

How is the course available?• Classroom: The instructor-led course is offered

through your local Red Cross office. Family Readiness Groups, family support groups, extended families and individuals may call their local Red Cross to see what classes are scheduled or to schedule a class. Instructor-led courses enable family members to meet others similarly situated, share experiences and solutions and begin to build personal relationships with others. The complete course is approximately 4.5 hours in length. It can be divided into an adult module (1.5 – 2.5 hours) or a children’s module (1.5 - 2 hours). The children’s module teaches adults how to support children experiencing changes in family structure and dynamics due to the deployment of a family member.

• E-Learning: The e-learning course is web-based and is accessible through the Red Cross Learning Management System (LMS) on redcross.org. The complete e-course is divided into six interactive lessons and takes approximately two hours to complete. After you register and designate your own user name and password, you can take as many or as few lessons of the course as you wish at any given time, depending on your schedule.

You can take the e-learning course on your own personal computer or other device that permits Internet connectivity.

The Red Cross developed these options to reach more military families who can benefit from the psychological first aid and resiliency content that the course offers. We understand that it is not always possible to attend a course due to time limitations, child care availability and/or distance from an available instructor-led course.

Who teaches the classroom course?Instructors are actively licensed and specially trained Red Cross mental health volunteers.

To take advantage of this

no-cost program, go to

redcross.org/cwd

Is the course available where I live? Yes. Coping with Deployments is available in all 50 states.For more information and to schedule or enroll in a class, contact your local Red Cross office. To find your local Red Cross, go to redcross.org and type in your ZIP code in the space provided.

How much does the course cost? The course is free. Instructor-led classes are taught in a confidential environment.

Will I get resources to use after I complete the course? Yes. All classroom participants receive a handbook. E-learning students access the Coping with Deployments participant handbook during the course and can download it.

If I take the e-course, can I still take the instructor-led class?Yes. The e-course provides the same information as the instructor-led class, but you will not have the same chance to talk with others who are in similar situations, nor hear of additional solutions to situations. We encourage you to take the instructor-led class if possible, but also to take the e-course to be sure to get the information when you need it.