Family Readiness Program Evaluation - Case Study Example

Family Readiness Program Evaluation Grade (Feb. 3rd, Family Readiness Program Evaluation of the program: Family Readiness Program 2) Purpose or intent of the program: The major intent of the Family Readiness Program is to offer support to the military members and their families, through the provisions of services and benefits that enhances their quality of life (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). Most notably, the Family Readiness Program focuses on supporting the families of the military members serving either locally, regionally or deployed overseas. This is achieved through preparing both the military service men and their families on how to go through separation that makes the military men stay away from their families for the duration of the mission (MFN, 2008). Through specialized services and benefits, the Family Readiness Program seeks to make the families of the servicemen ready to accept the deployment of their loved ones, and to support them through the period of their deployment. The servicemen and their families are prepared for the separation through sharing of resources and information that prepares them for the impending duration when they will live apart. This way, both the servicemen and their families are made ready and comfortable to accept the deployment, which in turn enhances the retention rate of the service men in the military service (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). Further, the Family Readiness Program seeks to increase the awareness of the existing benefits and services accessible to the servicemen and their families from the government, through informative and educational forums that are organized for both the servicemen and their families. This way, it becomes much easier for the servicemen and their families to participate in the family related activities sponsored by the government, while at the same time boosting their morale and enhancing their training environment (MFN, 2008). 3) Population that this program best serves (e.g., military personnel, veterans, family members) The Family Readiness Program serves the military service members and their families. The major focus of the Family Readiness Program is to provide the necessary support required by the military service members and their families to get ready for deployments (Joellenbeck et al., 1999). This way, it becomes possible to sustain the mission capabilities of the servicemen, while at the same time making the servicemen and their families ready for the separation. 4) Describe the goals and objectives of the program. Explain whether these align with the overall purpose or intent of the program. Why or why not? Are the goals and objectives measurable? Why or why not? The major goal and objective of the Family Readiness Program are to achieve successful deployment of the military servicemen to their different mission (MilitaryOneSource, 2015). This is achieved through creating a favorable support environment for both the servicemen and their families to get ready for the mission, and sustain their capabilities to exploit the mission after the deployment. Therefore, the goals of the Family Readiness Program aligns appropriately with the intent of the program, owing to the fact that the major intent of the program is to offer support to the military servicemen and their families, which enhances the quality of their lives (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). The support comes both in tangible benefits and information; such that the families of the servicemen can be able to understand the conditions of their loved ones during the time they have been deployed to different missions, and at the same time continue to enjoy various benefits that the government offers to the families of the servicemen. The other objective of the Family Readiness Program is to enlighten both the servicemen and their families on the existing benefits and support services they are eligible to (MilitaryOneSource, 2015). Consequently, the servicemen and their families are able to enroll into various services, programs and benefit schemes appropriately and through following the right procedures, but most importantly at the most appropriate times. Additionally, the Family Readiness Program seeks to achieve the objective of facilitating communication between the deployed servicemen and the families, while at the same time facilitating communication between the relevant state agencies and the families of the servicemen deployed to different active missions. This way, the families of the servicemen are able to understand the actual conditions of their loved ones, while the state agencies responsible are able to furnish the families of the servicemen with the relevant information when the need arises. The other important goal of the Family Readiness Program is to establish the involvement and participation of the families of the servicemen into supporting the military initiatives and duty of securing the nation (Joellenbeck et al., 1999). The involvement and participation of the families of the servicemen is crucial in the achievement of national security, since the families are the major support and encouragement forces behind the servicemen. Therefore, enlisting the participation of the families of the servicemen through different service programs and benefits is crucial towards the creation of a favorable home and background environment for the servicemen to attain the emotional, psychological and moral support to continue serving in the military. Finally, the other objective of the Family Readiness Program is to establish a recognition system, where the families of the military servicemen are recognized as important partners and stakeholders in the accomplishment of the military roles and responsibilities, through being rewarded through different service programs and benefits (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). The fact that the families of the military servicemen are enrolled into different support programs and also granted several benefits that are not entitled to other people is a show of recognition and goodwill from the state, in recognizing that the families of the servicemen are important partners in the accomplishment of the military duties by their loved ones. The goals and objectives of the Family Readiness Program are measurable. This is because; the active participation of the servicemen and their families in the Family Readiness Program produces high morale boost for the servicemen deployed to different missions, while at the same producing a high rate of retention of the servicemen into the military service (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). Therefore, the rate of retention of the servicemen in their deployment units, coupled with their morale levels are adequate measures of the success of the Family Readiness Program. In addition, the rate at which the families of the servicemen enroll into different service programs and benefit schemes also act as a measure of the success of the Family Readiness Program (MFN, 2008). The feedback obtained by the relevant agencies from the families of the servicemen and the rate of information sharing between the relevant state agencies and the families in relation to the servicemen in different missions also acts as a measure of the achievement of the goals and objectives of the Family Readiness Program. In this respect, the goals and objectives of the program are measurable. 5) Summarize the program. Include elements that are considered important in supporting the target population. Explain how this program is delivered. What method is used (e.g., group format, psycho-educational, individual meetings, play sessions)? The Family Readiness Program is a program for supporting the military servicemen and their families into readiness for deployment to different missions, while providing information support and benefits during the mission deployment duration (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). The program entails the support process for the servicemen and their families for the impending separation during the period of deployment, as well as establishing the legitimate channels of communication and the appropriate communication and command procedures to be followed in obtaining the relevant information concerning the servicemen or their families from the relevant authorities. The main intent of the Family Readiness Program is to see the families of the servicemen involved in supporting the servicemen before and during deployment to different missions, in order to sustain the servicemen morale and capabilities, while also promoting the retention of the servicemen in the military service (Joellenbeck et al., 1999). Thus, the objective of the Family Readiness Program is to break the geographic, temporal and informational barriers that might hinder the servicemen and their families from enjoying their close relationships during the deployment separation, while also easing the process of enjoying the services and benefits meant to support the servicemen and their families. The program is delivered through offering the servicemen and their families a benefits guide that outlines all the services and the benefit schemes that they are eligible to. This is followed by the registration of the families of the servicemen and the award of an identification card (Family Military ID), which the family then uses when enrolling for different benefit schemes, services or even when inquiring for information regarding the deployed servicemen (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). Once the family has the identification, they are then eligible to request for different services and benefits that are offered under the Family Readiness Program when necessary. The Family Readiness Program applies the non-medical individual and family counseling methodology to offer the relevant counseling services to the servicemen and the families, which prepares them for separation and creates readiness for the impending mission for both the servicemen and their families (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). During the deployment, the nature of services that the families of the servicemen can request from the program is the deployment and mobility assistance, anytime there is a movement of the servicemen and their families to the area of deployment (MilitaryOneSource, 2015). Emergency family services are also offered to the families to promote the recovery and return to stability after the separation of the servicemen and their families following a deployment. Contact information services is offered to the servicemen and their families to allow communication during the deployment, after which the transition assistance that takes the form of another counseling is offered to the servicemen and their families after the successful completion of the mission, to enable the servicemen and their families re-enter the civilian life once again (MilitaryOneSource, 2015). Finally, the servicemen and their families are enrolled into the morale, welfare and recreational services, where they are offered opportunities for recreation, play sessions, bonding, sporting, travel and fitness (MilitaryOneSource, 2015). 6) Explain the methods and types of data points that are used to determine this programs effectiveness for its target population (e.g., qualitative, quantitative), if current data exists. Describe the types of data you would want to collect about this program. (Include one type of quantitative data and one type of qualitative data you would want to gather). Explain how you might go about gathering that data. Quantitative and qualitative data are used to determine the effectiveness of the Family Readiness Program. The quantitative data applied to measure the effectiveness of the program is the number and rate of servicemen deployment unit retention after every military mission (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). A high number and rate of servicemen retention after a military deployment is an indication of the effectiveness of the program, while a lower number or rate of retention of the servicemen in the deployment unit after the mission is an indication of the ineffectiveness of the program. The qualitative data applied in measuring the effectiveness of the program is the morale levels sustained by the servicemen during the deployment mission (Jointservicessupport.org, 2015). Therefore, the type of quantitative data that I would like to collect is the number of the servicemen deployed to different mission within the past one year, and the rate of retention of the servicemen into their deployment units for the same period. The qualitative data I would seek to collect from the program is the nature of information shared between the relevant authorities and the families of the servicemen, as well as the communications between the servicemen and their families during the past one year of deployment into different missions. The methods that might be applied to gather both the quantitative and the qualitative data is interviewing the Family Readiness Program officials, as well as interviewing the servicemen who were deployed to different missions in the past one year and their families. The interviews would generate both the quantitative and the qualitative data. 7) Describe the evidence-based practices that are used in the program. Explain whether these are considered effective in the delivery of this program based on the information you’ve gathered. Non-medical and psycho-educational counseling to the servicemen and their families is an evidence-based practice that is applied in the Family Readiness Program, to offer readiness to the servicemen and their families for the impending separation due to deployment. This method is considered effective in the delivery of this program, since it enables both the servicemen and their families to get ready to be separated for the deployment duration. 8) Describe the type of budget or financial support this program utilized (e.g., grant funding, government support, private support). The budget for the Family Readiness Program is catered through government support, where the Department of Defense is responsible for budgeting and financing al the requirements of this program. 9) Describe three elements of the program you consider effective based on the knowledge you have gained about this program and about the needs of military personnel, veterans, and their families. i. The Family Readiness Program is effective in preparing the servicemen and their families to get ready, accept and take-up military deployment duties positively. ii. The program is effective in facilitating information sharing and communication between the servicemen and their families during the deployment period to different missions. iii. The Family Readiness Program is effective in supporting the military servicemen to establish and sustain families, since they are recognized and supported by the state. 10) Provide three recommendations you might make to enhance the program or to address the needs of the target population that you consider are not being adequately addressed. Justify your recommendations by using evidence-based practices. i. It is recommended that the laws and regulations governing the benefits and services eligible to the servicemen and their families be stabilized, since such laws and regulations keep changing regularly. This will help the servicemen and their families to fully understand their entitlements. ii. It is recommended that medical counseling be introduced as a method of supporting the re-entry of the servicemen into civilian life after their successful military deployment missions. This would help to address the psychological impacts of the missions such as the war traumas. iii. It is recommended that the communication and information sharing bureaucracy and procedures be minimized. This will allow for speedy and effective sharing of information by the program officials to the servicemen families. References Joellenbeck, L. M., et al. (1999). Strategies to protect the health of deployed U.S. forces: Medical surveillance, record keeping, and risk reduction. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Web. February 3, 2015. Jointservicessupport.org. (JSS). (2015). National Guard Family Program: Family Readiness. Web. February 3, 2015. < https://www.jointservicessupport.org/FP/Readiness.aspx> Jointservicessupport.org. (JSS). (2015). A Benefits Guide for National Guard and Family Members. Web. February 3, 2015. < https://www.jointservicessupport.org/FP/BenefitsGuide.aspx#1> Military Family Network (MFN). (2008).Your military family network: Your connection to military friendly resources, benefits, information, businesses and advice. Sterling, Va: Capital Books. Web. February 3, 2015. MilitaryOneSource. (2015). Family Readiness System. Web. February 3, 2015. < http://www.militaryonesource.mil/phases-new-to-the-military?content_id=266979> Read More