A young spouse, new to the military way of life, found herself confused.
Having grown up in a small town, she was not used to the military way of life and its alphabet soup terminology. Her husband was already deployed to the Persian Gulf. Soon he would be coming stateside for duty at a Navy base in California.
The sailor’s wife was left with the task of handling their relocation herself.
The situation made her anxious and nervous. She had never been to California, nor had she ever looked for housing in her life. She knew she would have to line up movers, handle change-of-address forms, order utility services, find a new doctor and veterinary, and all the various activities that are associated with moving long distance. She had no idea where to start or how to obtain information.
Meanwhile, an airman’s wife and mother of four was in dire need of childcare so that she could begin a new job at Wal-Mart. She and her husband, a service member in the Air Force, had recently moved to Texas.
She had no idea what childcare support was available that would could accommodate her odd working hours. She also needed financial assistance to help pay for the cost of that care. From past experience, she knew there was usually a wait list for childcare resources. She needed help fast so she could begin her job and not worry about her children and the expense to take care of them.
Then there’s the recent college graduate who was embarking on his career in the Army and had just received orders to be deployed to Germany. The soon-to-be solider had never been to Germany before and wondered what it would be like.
And another, who upon finishing his deployment as a member of the National Guard, returned home to resume his employment, only to learn that his employer did not honor his job contract. Suddenly without a job, the guardsman needed to find new employment — this time with a company that hired veterans and understood his needs.
In these cases and hundreds more, these individuals turned to Military OneSource where they found a cadre of counselors waiting, willing and ready to figuratively hold their hands and navigate all resources and options to find solutions to their problems and needs.
“We provide these services so nobody falls through the loop,” said Carolyn Graves, a Military OneSource consultant. “We understand that there are a multitude of adjustment issues surrounding those connected to the military. We help them manage and find answers so they can maintain and get on with their daily lives.”
In the case of Juliet, Graves was able to help her find a community resource to help her relocate. For Christine, childcare service providers at the base were contacted. To help Robert, Graves turned to Veterans Affairs, which has a handle on communities around the nation. And Eric found www.militaryOneSource.com through word of mouth. There he logged onto and navigated the program’s Web site for information regarding Germany.
The Definitive Source
Military OneSource operates as the definitive source that provides information and assistance in a host of areas, including parenting and childcare, military life, education, midlife and retirement, older adults, disability, money matters, legal matters, everyday issues, deployment, relocation, addiction and recovery, spouse training, education and career, healthy habits, shopping and services, international information, managing people, emotional well-being, transitioning to civilian life, and much more.
Established two years ago by the Department of Defense (DOD), Military OneSource sets out to assist service members and their families of any branch of the Armed Service worldwide who have problems, questions or concerns of any kind from needing to find a plumber in the middle of the night, to locating a service station for car repair to finding employment for one’s spouse. Not only is the call free, so is the service.
“Prior to this, each branch of the military had its own One Source program,” said Charlene Gooch, service delivery manager for Military OneSource.
While these still exist, the goal of Military OneSource is to compliment and act as an umbrella or clearinghouse organization for those already existing programs in addition to leveraging technology, and enabling the DOD to provide assistance to families and service members via the Internet or a toll-free telephone number.
“We have been greatly and fully supported by the DOD,” Gooch said. “It has gone to ultimate lengths to provide a number of resources.”
This includes hard copy materials, trainers and the ability to telephone various offices within the system.
“They have also created a wonderful series of Web sites through www.militaryOneSource.com. The resources listed are incredible,” she added.
The program concentrates on three core values: assessment, referral and follow up.
“We provide services to our callers on a variety questions and concerns that they bring to us and distribute them to the right resources,” Gooch said.
Typical concerns follow the whole gamut of what affects people and individuals within their family.
“All of those things that have to do with careers, activities with daily living, marriages, parenting, relocation, finances, you name it,” she said.
Military OneSource does not service retired military personnel, however, and does not provide mental health counseling or counseling for an illness that might be a burden on someone.
The program operates from three centers: Roslyn, Va.; Plymouth Meeting, Pa.; and St. Petersburg, Fla. It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week around the country and around the world.
While all branches of the military provide a host of family services on installations, the program is especially welcomed since today about two-thirds of military families live off base. Those living off installation tend to be the most junior rank.
“We operate as a referral and we do a lot of hand holding,“ Graves said.
To help attain the information needed by each caller, Military OneSource relies on its staff of researchers who go out and find information. This may include utilizing Internet search engines or talking to other researchers to tap resources.
“The consultants themselves work in a variety in community agencies and know a lot about community resources,” Gooch said. “Some of them have even been military members or are spouses. “They also talk among themselves to share information. We have a variety of training and meetings. The DOD in particular has put their time, money and efforts into the mission in providing these resources.”
Better Quality of Life
Ultimately, the goal of the program is to improve the quality life of each U.S. service member and his or her family. How the service works is when someone calls Military OneSource for help, his or her call is answered by a highly qualified consultant who has at least a master’s degree in social work or some kind of counseling service.
The counselors listen to what each caller has to say, evaluates the concern or request, then provides either the beginnings of an answer (the rest must be researched) or the full answer to the question. It depends on how complicated the situation is.
“These are seasoned and experienced caregivers,” Graves said. “We have family therapists, psychologists, licensed counselors and social workers. They are experienced before they come to work at this center.”
Graves, herself, holds two master’s degrees from Bryn Mawr College.
“I am amazed at the supervisory role our counselors offer and how they display these skills through a telephone call,” she said. “We have to convey warmth, caring and confidentiality so that all callers trust us, believe we can help them ,and feel comfortable asking us questions.”
It’s not always easy for people to ask for help, especially those in the military.
“Many believe they must be strong and capable of taking care of themselves,” Gooch said.
But all counselors are trained specifically to deal with military issues and are sensitive to every need. Counselors do not make judgments about any situation.
Military OneSource also can be helpful to active duty service members who only need to call to solve a problem such as plumbing or car repair rather than taking time off from work or training. All they have to do is call Military OneSource. Even those who have been in the military for years will call for information.
“Military OneSource helps even more when families are separated,” Graves pointed out. “The overseas service member has probably heard from his or her spouse about the problem while trying to do his or her job. The geographic distance adds to the stress. But by knowing about Military OneSource, they can give their spouses our 800 number to call.”
The service even provides an 800 number overseas or will accept collect calls from outside the United States.
Of course the feeling of gratification goes two ways with Military OneSource. Not only are military members and their families’ problems answered, but the counselors themselves leave the center with a feeling they’ve helped someone.
“The DOD saw the need to provide this service,“ Graves said. “After all, we want to maintain and keep our military healthy with a quality of life.”
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