1

Issues and Answers: Military and Veteran Families

Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth

Military Family Research Institute

Red Cross Summit

October 19, 2017

Military Family Research Institute: Who Knew?

• 1999 – a big year!

• Office of Military Community and Family Policy in the Department of Defense

• Supporting children, youth and families is a BIG priority in the Department of Defense

2

MFRI Strategic Goals

•Support the military infrastructure that supports families.

•Strengthen the motivation and capacity of civilian communities to support military and veteran families.

•Generate important new knowledge about military and veteran families.

• Influence policies, programs and practices supporting military and veteran families.

•Sustain a vibrant learning organization.

MFRI Initiatives

3

MFRI Strategic Goal:  Generate important new knowledge about military families

5

Serving Military Families in the

21st Century

Karen R. Blaisure Tara Saathoff-Wells Angela Pereira Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth

Amy Dombro

FACT

More than 1 in 10 Hoosiers is a member of a military or

veteran family.

4

FACT

Military and veteran families live in every city, town and

rural area in Indiana.

FACT

The Indiana National Guard has been heavily used during the ongoing conflicts in Iraq

and Afghanistan.

5

FACT

Military service has BOTH positive and negative

consequences for service members and their families. They are not all heroes and

they are not all broken.

Risk for Family Problems

• Routine military duties

• Uneventful deployments

• Prolonged direct exposure to traumatic circumstances

• Experience psychological symptoms

• Experience psychological diagnoses

• Experience physical wounds or injuries

• Experience disabling wounds or injuries

• Death

6

0

10

20

30

40

50

Ever usedalcohol

Carried knife orgun to school

Suicidalideation

Percent

Risk Behavior

Civilian

Current or recentmilitary service

Current or recentdeployment

Note: Data reflect averages across 2008, 2011, and 2013. 2008 data come from 8th, 10th, & 12th grade youth in Washington State (suicidal ideation (1), weapons (19)); 2011 data come from 7th, 9th & 11th grade youth in California (suicidal ideation (20), alcohol (15), weapons (18)); 2013 data come from 7th, 9th & 11th grade youth in California (alcohol, weapons (17); suicidal ideation; 9th & 11th grades only (39)).

FACT

In national data, veterans report more hours of community volunteering,

greater participation in local elections, and greater likelihood of attending

public meetings and contacting public officials. They are more likely to give to charity and to work with neighbors

to fix problems in the community. They are civic assets.

7

ISSUES

Despite many creative and energetic efforts, Indiana’s military and veteran families are still facing challenges related to their service.

8

16

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

Poverty

In a few counties, veterans remain more likely than civilians to live in

poverty.

9

17

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

Unemployment

In more counties, veterans are still more likely to be unemployed than

civilians

18

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

Health Care Shortages

Presence of medical care

shortage areas

10

19

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

Behavioral Health Care

Shortages

Presence of behavioral health

care shortage areas

20

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

Potential Caregiving

Needs

Above-average percentage of

veterans 50% or more disabled

11

21

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

Use of VA Services

Below-average percentage of

veterans using VA services

22

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

Suicides

1 or more veteran suicides 2011-2015

12

23

Whitley

Parke

White

Owen

Hancock

Wells

Orange

Hamilton

Wayne

Ohio

Greene

Washington

Noble

Grant

Warrick

Newton

Gibson

Warren

Morgan

Fulton Wabash

Montgomery

FranklinVigo

Monroe

Fountain

Vermillion

Miami

Floyd

Vanderburgh

Martin

FayetteUnion

Marshall

Elkhart

Tipton

Marion

Dubois

Tippecanoe

Madison

Delaware

SwitzerlandLawrence

DeKalb

Sullivan

LaPorte

Decatur

Steuben

Lake

Dearborn

Starke

LaGrange

Daviess

Spencer

Kosciusko

Crawford

Shelby

Knox

Clinton

Scott

Johnson

Clay

St. Joseph

Jennings

Clark

Rush

Jefferson

Cass

Ripley

JayCarroll

Randolph

Jasper

Brown

Putnam

Jackson

Boone

Pulaski

Huntington

Blackford

Posey

Howard

Benton

Porter

Henry

Bartholomew

Pike

Hendricks

Allen

PerryHarrison

Adams

The Big Picture• 34 counties have medical health

care shortages – not just for veterans

• 18 counties have behavioral health care shortages

• In 18 counties, veterans are substantially below average in using VA services

• In 22 counties, unemployment rates are higher among veterans and in 6 counties, veterans are more likely than others to be poor, opposite national trends

• Veterans in 50 counties have committed suicide since 2011

ANSWERS?

13

Where Have We Been?

LOTS OF SUCCESSES!

• Strategic goal-setting and action-planning

– SAMHSA Policy Academy & MCEC convening

• Creative and impactful collaborations

– INNG Family Relief Fund, SBHP, Operation Diploma, CLEC/OJRV, Pike County Y, Battlemind

– Relationships of trust leading to changes

– JCFI, Community mobilization meetings, Stand Downs

With dedicated, creative people who want to ‘get to yes,’ much is possible!

14

Persistent Challenges• Reaching service members, veterans and their families

• Getting the right support to the right person at the right time

• The siren song of simple solutions

• Spending too much time working on what goes on WITHIN programs than on what needs to go on BETWEEN them

• Dealing with an ever-changing community of organizations

• Maintaining a statewide – vs. Indianapolis focus

• The talk : action ratio is sometimes too high

What Can You Do?

• Invite members of military and veteran families to serve as organizational and community leaders. Hire them. Use their expertise and experiences to benefit your organizations and communities.

• Participate in community mobilization through your local network, community veteran engagement board, or Joining Forces committee

• Increase your military and cultural competence. If you are a helping professional, learn about the specialized resources that you can draw on for your military and veteran clients. Use evidence-based treatments approved by DoD and VA.

15

What Can You Do?

• We all can learn more about mental health and suicide – for everyone. Any one of us could save a life.

• Learn about Veterans Treatment Courts – even when veterans run into trouble, there are options for treatment and help.

• Work to bring help to rural areas of our state. Reduce health care shortages. Help military and veteran families to get transportation to treatment.

• Understand that helping military and veteran families may help to make our state better for everyone.

Questions?

30