https://learn.extension.org/events/2410

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family Readiness Policy, U.S. Department of Defense under Award Numbers 2014-48770-22587 and 2015-48770-24368.

Building Community Partnerships to Meet Transitioning Service Member & Family Needs

Connecting military family service providers to research and to each other

through innovative online programming

www.extension.org/militaryfamilies

MFLN Intro

2Sign up for webinar email notifications at www.extension.org/62831

Connecting military family service providers to research and to each other

through innovative online programming

MFLN Intro

3

Join the Conversation Online!

Join the Conversation Online!

MFLN Family Transitions

MFLN Family Transitions @MFLNFT

Military Families Learning Network

MFLN Family Transitions

FT SMS Icons

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MFLN Group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8409844

Join the Conversation Online!

MFLN Community Capacity Building

MFLN Community Capacity Building @MFLNCCB

Military Families Learning Network

CCB SMS Icons

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MFLN Group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8409844

Keith G. Tidball, PhDkgtidball@cornell.edu

Today’s Presenter

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Researcher and Senior Extension Associate –Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources

Director of the New York State Extension Disaster Education Network

Veteran –US Army National Guard and US Army Reserves, Infantry

MFLN Community Capacity Building Concentration Area team leader

https://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/military-families/community-capacity-building/

Learner Objectives

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• Understand why community capacity building efforts are needed to help meet the needs of transitioning Service members & their families

• Identify examples of community capacity building efforts

• Identify tools/strategies to locate and develop community partnerships/networks/resources to meet the needs of transitioning military Service members and their families

Why are Community Capacity Efforts Needed?

8Alberta Community Development Initiative http://culture.alberta.ca/community/programs-and-services/community-development/building-community-capacity/

Working with other individuals, organizations and communities is key to successfully handling transitions.

Service members and their families can address the challenge of transitions in a meaningful way by seeking a variety of expertise, experiences, resources and relationships.

TransitionsTransitions are: • events, military, individual and/or

family • impacts the quality of life and

readiness of SM and FM • occur through military and family

lifecycle as birth, marriage, PCS, relocation

Focus on:• normalizing transitions • building upon skills learned/utilized

from one event to the next Mark Brown, Transformation 2, Oil on Canvas, 53” x 48″ | © Mark Brown / ARC The Magazine

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CareerChild(s)Marriage LossDivorce

Accession PCS Promotion Deploy Separate

Family Readiness System

VSO & MSO ProgramsResources

Federal Programs and Resources

Civilian Programs andResources

Military Programs andResources

VADOL

MFLNMOS PFM

NMFAUSOCCB

Military and Family Lifecycle

Military Family Lifecycle Transitions Support

RelocationDeployment

Geographically Dispersed

Operation Desert Storm:– Reserve soldiers = 25% of deployed servicemen

(Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1992, 1991)

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan & 2007 troop surge: – Reserve and National Guard soldiers = 40-50% of

deployed servicemen (Defense Manpower Data Center, 2009)

Families of these soldiers are located in geographically dispersed civilian communities, not traditional military installations where important services to support the

stresses of deployment are readily available.11

Geographically Dispersed

• National Guard and Reserves service members:– Primary occupation is not military– Families may not consider themselves military families– Geographically dispersed from other service members &

families – Not necessarily located near a military installation– Family identity changes from civilian to military with one

letter or phone call

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Scarcity of Resources to Meet Transition Needs??

• Dwindling service provider resources– Staffing– Funding

• Can’t meet all needs of Service members’ and families’ alone

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What transition related issues do you see Service members & families encountering

that can be met “outside of the gate”?

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Time to Chat

Community CapacityCommunity Capacity involves people who feel a

sense of shared responsibility and apply their collective strengths to achieve desired results.

Having high capacity means that people are working together to better their community.

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Community Capacity Applied -Options

Option 1: When most people need help, they typically turn first to their family, friends, and neighbors

Option 2: If that does not meet their needs, then they turn to formal agencies and organizations

But service members in transition may have option 1 temporarily limited or disrupted… and

option 2 is suffering from dwindling resources…now what? 16

Drilling down – Community Capacity

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Community Capacity

Collective Competence

Shared Responsibility

Bowen, Martin, Mancini, & Nelson, 2000

Shared Responsibility?

Shared responsibility is a group-level sentiment of concern

18Bowen, Martin, Mancini, & Nelson, 2000

Collective Competence

Collective competence is about taking action

19Bowen, Martin, Mancini, & Nelson, 2000

Community Capacity

“…community capacity is community readiness and performance in the context of opportunity, adversity, and

positive challenges.”

20Bowen, Martin, Mancini, & Nelson, 2000

Community Capacity Building

• Goal: informal networks and formal systems work together to achieve positive results for community members

• Change is initiated by people in the community

• When informal networks collaborate with formal systems the ability to create change grows

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Formal Systems

• Unit leadership• Family Readiness• Ombudsman groups• Family & Community Support Centers

22http://www.seechangemagazine.com/?p=97

Informal NetworksLess organized networks of

personal relationships that are voluntarily formed and maintained

• Group associations• Work associates• Neighbors

23http://www.seechangemagazine.com/?p=97

People who are connected with others and interact regularly in

supportive relationships:

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• Cope better• Have better health• Live longer

“Things go better with belonging”

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When we organize opportunities for people to come together:

• in physical places where they live• because of shared interests, characteristics or

concerns

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Formal Systems vs. Informal Networks

Suggestions for Membersof Formal & Informal Networks

• Formal Networks– Be intentional – supporting, growing, and

strengthening informal social networks– Find shared interests or shared concerns– Create opportunities for people to come

together to:• Discuss how to address issues• Strengthen existing relationships• Develop new connections

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Who are the people in your communities who care about assisting

military Service members & their families?

Time to Chat

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Highlighted Program

http://4hmilitarypartnerships.org/4h_military_partnerships/index.html

Highlighted Program

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http://www.btyr.org/

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Highlighted Program

https://www.jointservicessupport.org/communityforces/

Highlighted Program

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http://www.army.mil/community/

Highlighted Program

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Cooperative Extension

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106 Land Grant UniversitiesMilitary Installations

Cooperative Extension

353,143 counties

Cooperative Extension

New York State Military Installations

New York State Cooperative Extension Locations

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Cooperative Extension

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Share examples of when you tapped into Cooperative Extension resources in your

communities to meet transition needs.

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Time to Chat

Intro to CCB Training

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Community Capacity Building Training - Fundamentals

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• Overview• Community Action & Change• Becoming a CCB

Organization• Results Focused Planning

Community Capacity Building Training - Advanced

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• Community Assessment• Strengthening Formal Systems

through Collaboration• Mobilizing Informal Networks• Engaging Military Leaders• Monitoring Results & Activities• Sustaining Desired Results

Intro to CCB Training

42http://1.usa.gov/1U6MrZX

Available to any individual or organizationEasy to use, self-

directedAvailable 24-7

Intro to CCB Training

CEUs not yet available…

43

http://1.usa.gov/1U6MrZX

Acknowledgements

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Contact Information

Keith G. Tidball, PhDkgtidball@cornell.edu

45

https://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/military-families/community-capacity-building/

What is one significant thing you learned today?

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Time to Chat

Evaluation and Certificate of Completion

MFLN Family Transitions is offering a certificate of completion for today’s webinar.

To receive a certificate of completion, please complete the evaluation at:

https://vte.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cHJ8ESONSQLMJUN

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Family Transitions Upcoming Events

Discovering the Components of Strong Family Functioning

• Date: Tuesday, April 19th• Time: 11:00am Eastern• Location: https://learn.extension.org/events/2483

The Experience of Reintegration for Military Families & Implications for DoD

• Date: Wednesday, May 18th• Time: 11:00am Eastern• Location: https://learn.extension.org/events/2484

For more information on MFLN Family Transitions go to: http://blog/.extension.org/militaryfamilies/life-cycle-transition-support 48

www.extension.org/62581

49This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family Readiness Policy, U.S. Department of Defense under Award Numbers 2014-48770-22587 and 2015-48770-24368.