IMPACT OF DEPLOYMENT AND MILITARY SERVICE ON STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

Haley Downing – KSU School Counseling Graduate Student

DeShawn Fogle – KSU School Counseling Graduate Student Major U.S. Air Force Retired

Jeffrey Hernandez – KSU School Counseling Graduate Student SGT U.S. Army Retired

Relevance: Kansas Statistics

24,699 Total Active Duty Military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard)

7,553 Civilians Working at Military Installations (Teachers, Customer Service Reps, etc)

361 Department of Defense Civilians – Employes of Dept of Defense

Approx. 7,500 National Guard Men and Women

233,000 Veterans in the State of Kansas

Needs of Military-Connected Students

Thumbs up or down: Do we have a good understanding of the needs of our military-connected students and families?

What are some of these needs?

Video What did you hear that stood out to

you as being important or surprised you from the video clip?

Experiences Personal experience E.V.: 12 years service, noncustodial

parent to two children, was a military child himself Strengths: Socially intelligent, compassionate

and empathic Struggles: Sometimes chose inappropriate

ways to try and fit in

Don’t Forget About This Special Sub-Population…

“When National Guard, Army Reserve and other military parents living in civilian communities are mobilized, their children have unique needs for special support and services. Now they are "military kids" but they still look the same to teachers, friends and the rest of the community. Their lives are turned upside down! Many of their usual support systems may no longer be adequate.” – Operation Military Kids

Concerns for National Guard & Reserve Children

Identity confusion- Am I now a military child? What does that really mean/what does that change?

Not being located near or not knowing other military kids

Reserve families are generally not located close to a military installation- don’t have access to the same services that other military families have i.e. healthcare, childcare

Strengths of Military-Connected Students

Fosters maturity Growth inducing Encourages independence Encourages flexibility Builds skills for adjusting to separations

and losses faced later in life Strengthens family bonds

Serious Stress Reactions A student may show signs of serious

stress during and immediately after deployment to war. The following signs indicate that the student is in acute distress and will need to be referred for immediate evaluation: Unfocused agitation or hysteria Disconnection from peers and adults Serious depression or withdrawal Auditory or visual hallucinations Any prolonged major change from normal

functioning that continues six weeks after deployment

After Deployment: When to Refer Military-Connected Students

After six to eight weeks: Have not been able to resume normal classroom

assignments and activities

Continue to have high levels of emotional response such as continued crying and intense sadness

Continue to appear depressed, withdrawn and non-communicative

Continue to have difficulty concentrating in school Express violent or depressed feelings in “dark” drawings

or writings Intentionally hurt or cut themselves or are at risk for

hurting others Gain or lose a significant amount of weight in a period of

weeks Discontinue taking care of their personal appearance Exhibit a possible drug or alcohol abuse problem

Meeting the Needs How has your school or district sensitively

met the needs of military connected students?

What are some ideas you have or things you would like to try?

Strategies for Military-Connected Students

Elementary Aged Students Engage in play activities Paint or draw pictures reflecting feelings and thoughts

about how to make things better Write in a journal Read and discuss stories about children in conflict and

children as problem solvers

Write cards or letters to the deployed family member Make a memory book or calendar reflecting positive

thoughts and actions Take part in individual and group counseling when

problems arise

Strategies for Military-Connected Students

Middle School and High School Aged Students Keep a journal Engage in art activities Write poetry Write stories Write cards or letters to the deployed family member Relax by doing deep breathing and muscles relaxation

exercises Learn problem-solving strategies Participate in small group discussions Participate in support groups Exercise Listen to music Take part in individual and group counseling when

problems arise

Strategies for Teachers Working With Military-Connected Students

Focus on student and the classroom learning environment

Provide structure Maintain objectivity Reinforce safety and security Be patient and reduce student work load as

needed Listen Be sensitive to language and cultural needs Acknowledge and validate feelings Reinforce anger management

Research Shows Positive Student-Teacher Relationships Are Important Teachers show their pleasure and enjoyment of

students.  Teachers interact in a responsive and respectful

manner.  Teachers offer students help (e.g., answering

questions in timely manner, offering support that matches the children's needs) in achieving academic and social objectives.

Teachers help students reflect on their thinking and learning skills. 

Teachers know and demonstrate knowledge about individual students' backgrounds, interests, emotional strengths and academic levels. 

Teachers seldom show irritability or aggravation toward students.

Accommodations/Amendments to School Policy

Purpose: To sensitively respond to unique needs of military-connected children and families

Phone privileges during school hours Skype access during school day Offering computer/internet access to

community members Brainstorm: other potential

accommodations or amendments to school policy?

Things to be Aware of… Has the family supplied the school with

Family Care Plan info? Deployments can affect children’s sense

of trust “Normal” kids will have difficulty dealing

with a deployment- what additional issues can we anticipate for military children with special needs?

Helpful Resources Dads at a Distance Moms Over Miles Free tutoring http://military.tutor.com/ 4-H Military Partnerships Interactive iBook by Sandy Risberg

Military-Connected Students in the Classroom Military Child Initiative- John Hopkins

University Library of Best Practices

References (2013). Military active-duty personnel, civilians by state. Retrieved from

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/military-civilian-active-duty-employee-workforce-numbers-by-state.html American psychological association. (2015). Improving students’ relationships with teachers to provide

essential supports for learning: Positive relationships can also help a student develop socially. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx

Battistich, V., Schaps, E., & Wilson, N. (2004). Effects of an elementary school intervention on students’ “connectedness” to school and social adjustment during middle school. Journal of Primary Prevention, 24(3).

Birch, S.H., & Ladd, G.W. (1997). The teacher-child relationship and children’s early school adjustment. Journal of School Psychology, 35(1).

Custer, K. (2014). A study of perceptions of mothers, caregivers, and school-age children regarding educational experiences during maternal army reserve component deployments. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

Department of veterans affairs. (2009). Kansas and the U.S. department of veterans affairs. Retrieved from http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/ss_kanas.pdf

Educational opportunities directorate of the department of defense. (2011). Educator’s guide to the military child during deployment. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/homefront/homefront.pdf

Hamre, B.K., & Pianta, R.C. (2001). Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children’s school outcomes through eighth grade. Child Development, 72(2).

Kansas adjutant general’s department. (2015). Kansas national guard. Retrieved from http://www.kansastag.gov/ng_default.asp

National military family association. (2015). Info + resources. Retrieved from http://support.militaryfamily.org Operation: military kids. (2015). Operation: military kids (OMK). Retrieved from

http://www.operationmilitarykids.org/public/statePOCHome.aspx?state=Kansas

Thank you!