As families of veterans suffering from mental disorders know, the possibility of seeking health services can be a sensitive topic. Spouses and family members who have not served in war struggle to connect with veterans’ plights and to say the right words to make the veteran take a step forward.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking action to help these family members better communicate. It has launched Coaching Into Care, a call center for veteran family members. The call service is free and the number of calls unlimited. The coaching is provided by licensed clinical social workers and psychologists. They provide coaching services that help the caller figure out how to motivate their veteran loved one to seek mental health services in their community.
Coaching Into Care can help veteran family members or spouses as follows:
- Understand how the veteran can enroll for VA care – Coaching Into Care’s telephone responders understand the procedures, what documents a veteran needs needs and what to do with them, as well as other VA resources that might be beneficial.
- Approach the veteran about getting help – The team at Coaching Into Care can assist veteran family members or spouses learn how to approach the topic of help, as well as formulate ideas about what to do and say to help the veteran take the next step.
- Encourage a veteran who is enrolled in care to attend appointments – The team at Coaching Into Care will work with veteran family members and spouses to help the veteran accept the benefit of keeping scheduled appointments.
- Battlemind – A website that officers informational tools and guidance to the different stages that service members and their families face (https://www.resilience.army.mil/).
- Operation Comfort – A national network of mental health professionals and agencies that provide their services free of charge to the family members of those who served in the Middle East (http://www.operationcomfort.com).
- Military Spouse Career Center – A website that provides job search support for military spouses and addresses the unique challenges they face (http://www.military.com/spouse).
- Army One Source – An integrated family support network for Army families and soldiers that provides a vast array of advice and information (http://www.myarmyonesource.com/default.aspx).
- Military and Family Life Consultants – Provides consultations to individuals, couples, families and groups for support and assistance (http://www.hoodmwr.com/ACS/sfrb_mflc.html).
