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Family Advocacy Program

United Against Domestic Abuse

The Soldier and Family Readiness Program/Family Advocacy Program promotes individual, couple, and family wellness by offering a comprehensive prevention program that includes awareness, education and support.  Our services include workshops to help strengthen relationships of Army Families.  Classes and workshops are offered to commanders, military units/troops, professionals and families.  Prevention and support services include New Parent Support Program (home visitation), Nurturing Parenting Programs, and the Victim Advocacy Program.  

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM FLYER

The Family Advocacy Program team recognizes the importance of practicing emotional first aid in taking care of ourselves and our families. Please view the content below for helpful tips and reminders.

The U.S. Army Family Advocacy Program (FAP) helps Soldiers and Families recognize and meet the unique challenges of military lifestyles. Our services include seminars, workshops, counseling, and intervention to help strengthen Army Families, enhance resiliency and relationship skills, and improve quality of life.

We are also dedicated to helping Soldiers and Families with the complex challenges related to domestic abuse, child abuse, and neglect. We focus on prevention, education, prompt reporting, investigation, intervention, and treatment.

If you need help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at + 1(800)799-7233. You should also contact your installation’s Family Advocacy Program for more information.

Our additional programs within the Family Advocacy Program help with specific needs:

New Parent Support Program (NPSP): Expecting parents and parents with children ages 0-3 have special challenges, and NPSP has tools to meet them. Programs including home visits and parenting classes help caregivers learn to cope with stress, isolation, deployments, reunions, and the everyday demands of parenthood.

 

Transitional Compensation (TC) Program for Abused Dependents: Under a congressionally mandated program, abused dependents of military personnel may be eligible for up to three years of benefits and entitlements, including temporary financial compensation, medical care, and commissary and exchange privileges.

 

Victim Advocacy Program (VAP): Victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse have round-the-clock access to services, including emergency assistance, information, referrals, and ongoing support in accessing medical, behavioral health, legal, and law enforcement services on and off garrisons. Victim Advocates will discuss the option of restricted and unrestricted reports.

 

Seminars and Workshops

Seminars and workshops are available to you, your unit, or your Family support group. Topics may include:

  • Command and Troop Education
  • Community Awareness
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Couples Communication Skills
  • Stress Management
  • Prevention Programs and Services
  • New Parent Support Program
  • Parent Education
  • Domestic Violence Prevention
  • Victim Advocate Program
  • Relationship Support
  • Safety Education
  • Respite Care Program
  • Emergency Placement Care Program
  • Reporting Procedures

 

Contact your installation’s Army Community Service (ACS) Family Advocacy Program for more information.

 

You can also call Military OneSource for more information and referrals.

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SOLE PARENT GROUP

The Sole Parenting group is a "brown bag" lunch -n-learn and resource group for single parents.   Connect with fellow Soldiers and community partners to help you on your journey to survive and thrive as a single parent.  Sessions are once a month from 1200-1300.  Call (719) 526-0461 for more information.  

PARENTING PROGRAMS

Click here for more class information

 

RELATIONSHIP ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

PMCS mwr calendar tile.jpg The Relationship Preventative Maintenance for Couples & Singles (PMCS) Curriculum is a twelve module course. The modules do not need to be attended in sequence and it is not required to attend all modules. These classes are ideal for anyone wanting to   improve their communication skills.

·         Three Keys to Success

  While committed relationships can be filled with tricky and trying situations, there are   three keys that can help you focus on positive and productive things to keep your   relationship happy and healthy.

-  Do Your Part-Decide

-  Don’t Slide

-  Make it safe to Connect

   These keys help people focus on the power and control aspect of conflict and   creating/maintaining a safe environment to communicate in the relationship.

·         Personality

-  Helps participants understand how different personality types see the world and what   they value most, to help more easily avoid relationship pitfalls and rely on one another’s   strengths

·         Danger Signs and Time Out

-   Helps participants understand and recognize Four common patterns of communication   that are toxic to relationships, and how they can break down emotional, commitment and   physical safety in a relationship. By learning how to recognize the Danger Signs,   participants learn skills to avoid or when to seek outside help.

·         Anger & Stress

-  Helps participants understand that Chronic anger and/or stress contributes to physical   illness, make it harder to think clearly and make us less likely to give our loved ones the   patience and attention they deserve.

·         The Speaker Listener Technique

-   Communication skills are learned and can be made better with practice, the Speaker   listener technique helps participants learn to address difficult situations respectfully

·         Events, Issues & Hidden Agendas

-   Participants learn to understand and manage the layers of conflict, by containing the   events that trigger conflict, handling the issues that we most often argue about and safely   sharing the Hidden Issues that can fuel the conflict. Teaches participants to move past the   superficial arguments by talking safely about the source of the conflict and working   towards understanding one another better

·         Fun & Friendship

-   Teaches participants how important fun is, the individual’s, as well as the couples Well-   Being. Helps participants understand how Fun helps experience positive emotions,   sharpens their thinking and makes solving problems easier.

·         Commitment

-   Gives Participants a clearer picture of what commitment is and how it works to cultivate   a deeper sense of commitment in their relationships and find meaningful ways to express   their commitments to their mates.

·         Expectations

-   Helps Participants understand both their and their partner’s expectations, teaches   managing expectations against unrealistic desires and how to communicate them openly   to lessen the power that unmet expectations can have over relationships.

·         Problem Solving

-   Teaches safe ways of talking about and solving couples big and small problems as a   team consistently  and address dealing with the negative energy that is naturally built up   in the day-to-day maintenance of a relationship

·         Love Styles

-   Teaches participants how they and their partners receive and show love and how to   safely communicate what makes them feel loved by identifying six love styles to provide a   framework for understanding the different ways people experience and express love.

·         Road Mapping

-   Participants examine the important milestones in their life and how these milestones   have shaped who they are in their relationships, and how to safely share this information   with their partner to better understand, empathize and relate to each other.

 ScreamFree Curriculum  

-   Teaches individuals how we internalize and process our interactions with others, and   how we can recognize our own warning signs of frustration (Our own “Screaming”) and   communicate our emotions and needs in a safe way. Curriculum is available for Couples,   Parents and Parents of Teenagers

-  ScreamFree Marriage

-  ScreamFree Parenting

- Launching Hope

 Five Love Languages, Curriculum is available for Couples, Singles, and Parents.

     Helps people learn to understand their primary “Love Languages” as well as their   partner's and how to communicate and express their love in a meaningful way. This   Communication class helps participants focus on the positive emotions and behaviors in   their relationships.

 Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts,  Ideally suited for Single individuals   contemplating marriage as well as Couples that have been married up to five+   years.          

   Developed by Couples for Couples, teaches participants how to safely address seven   questions to ask about your relationship that commonly cause stress and conflict in   marriages.

 Ten Great Dates, perfect for couples in a relationship -1 to 75 years

 One to Ten Seminar course designed to help Couples focus on the positive experiences in   their relationship and how to maintain healthy communication about their emotions,   needs and intimacy and how to enhance those areas of their relationship.

 

EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY MEMBER PROGRAM (EFMP)

EFMP is a Department of the Army mandated enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated medical, educational, housing, community support and personnel services to families with special needs.  An exceptional family member is a family member, regardless of age, with any physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, education, training or counseling.  EFMP families must in/out process through ACS EFMP office.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Leadership Response to Domestic Violence: This training covers the material in the standard DV training, but has a focus on the regulatory requirements of leadership, the dynamics of domestic violence that include current state of Fort Carson, early warning signs that the chain of command may observe and how they can implement prevention programs before the actual incident. For more information please call (719) 526-0461.

Annual Troop Training for Domestic Violence: Class includes definition of domestic violence, types of domestic violence, reporting procedures and prevention. Call (719) 526-0461 for more information. CLICK HERE to view upcoming classes.

Mentor in Violence Prevention:  MVP is a series of three 90 minute training sessions that provides education to leaders on how to change their unit culture regarding violence towards women in particular and how to empower men to take the lead.  The training begins by identifying "leadership" for the individual culture, and through a series of interactive exercises that demonstrate how to lead discussions with subordinates and peers.  The exercises challenge beliefs, identifies individual prejudices and brings to the forefront of the discussion and the impact of mentoring.  The training is an evidenced based program that has been conducted throughout the Military.  Call (719) 526-0461 for more information.

How To Help A Friend:  Learn how to help a friend or loved one who is a victim of domestic abuse.  Understand the dynamics of DV and reporting options.  Call (719) 526-0461 for more information. 

Victim Advocacy Program (VAP): Victim Advocates help empower victims to make decisions that will aid in improving their quality of life. They provide victims with information on their rights, help locate shelters, establish safety plans, accompany victims to court proceedings and/or meetings with lawyers, police and command. They also make referrals to local resources. Call (719) 526-0461 or the 24/7 number (719) 243-7907 to reach an advocate.

 

DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FAMILY ADVOCACY

The following are available programs:

- Individual, Marital & Family Counseling

For more information, call DBHFA at (719) 526-5050

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Join our team and make a difference.  Volunteer in one of the following areas:  Nurturing (co-facilitate in sessions with children) or Baby Bundles (make informational packets or sew quilts and receiving blankets for new parents).

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