United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County is bringing “Strong Families, Strong Forces,” a home-based intervention program that supports military families with children during the deployment lifecycle, to San Antonio for the first time.
“Strong Families, Strong Forces” helps strengthen military families by reducing the impact of deployment separation on parents and children. The arrival of this innovative program in our city is made possible by funding from the Services to Military and Veterans Families (SMVF) grant that United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County received in 2021. United Way has partnered with Family Service Association which will bring the program to military families and veterans in our community.
The service will support military families with children by offering one-on-one or group counseling. Services will address the varying experiences and challenges that each family member faces.
For example, children of deployed parents were found to have higher rates of mental health issues compared to civilian children in a 2019 study. The largest difference between military and civilian children was anxiety and depression, which stems from fears about the deployed parent’s safety.
One in eight Bexar County residents are tied to the military, with more than 80,000 active-duty personnel and around 250,000 veterans. With a sizable military population like this, there is a need for services like this for local military families.
“Strong Families, Strong Forces will be responsive to the realities that military families face during and after deployment,” said Andrew Sasseville, Senior Vice President of Accountability and Community Services for United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. “By focusing on the different perspectives within the family, whether it be from the children, spouse or the service member, the program can strengthen the relationships in these families and bring them closer together.”
Originally created by the Boston University School of Social Work and implemented at Fort Hood, the “Strong Families, Strong Forces” curriculum has already made an impact on military families throughout the country.
If you would like to learn more about “Strong Families, Strong Forces” and how to participate in the program, please contact Sarai Morales with Family Service Association at 210.792.9576.
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Categories: Mission United • Categories: Services Members Veterans and their Families |
