Building Healthy Military Communities Pilot

CCB Summit

Military Community and Family Policy – Cooperative Extension as Force Multiplier

Keith G. Tidball, PhD

Shirlington, VA

March 8-9, 2017

Primary Questions

• How do you determine a methodology to assess the health, well-being, and resiliency needs/requirements of your community/population?

• How do you compare those needs/requirements to the community’s capability to meet those needs?

• Once you identify gaps in being able to meet your community needs, how do you develop a plan to address these gaps?

First – Re-Introductions

Re-Introductions Cont.

Re-Introductions Cont.

Re-Introductions Cont.

• Cooperative Extension System is operated through the nation’s Land-Grant University System in partnership with the federal and state and local governments.

• As the federal partner, NIFA develops methods to address national priorities, funds and awards grants, and provides program leadership.

• The agency supports both the universities and local CES offices to bring science directly to the regional and county level.

Re-Introductions Cont.

RELYING ON A PROVEN SYSTEM

• Cooperative Extension System (CES) is a nationwide, non-credit educational network that addresses public needs by providing non-formal higher education and learning activities to farmers, ranchers, communities, youth, and families throughout the nation.

• With an organization that has been operating for over a century, CES is well positioned to efficiently get needed tools and knowledge into the hands of the people who need them..

Re-Introductions Cont.

UNPRECEDENTED REACH

• At a time when social, agricultural, food, and environmental challenges are mounting and needs are growing, CES is more relevant than ever.

• With its wide reach — an office in or near most of the nation's approximately 3,000 counties — extension agents and educators help farmers grow crops, homeowners plan and maintain their homes, and youth learn skills to become tomorrow's leaders.

• Military families and veterans have always been regular users of CES, however, greater emphasis on these populations is underway.

Re-Introductions Cont.

HOW IT WORKS: TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO ACTION

• University faculty members, who are disciplinary experts, translate science-based research results into language — written, verbal, and electronic — appropriate for targeted audiences.

• County-based educators work with local citizens and interest groups to solve problems, evaluate the effectiveness of learning tools, and collect grassroots input to prioritize future research.

• By living and working in communities, county educators are able to rely on existing relationships to respond to local needs, build trust, and engage effectively with citizens.

Re-Introductions Cont.

Bottom line – Federal agency resources, with:

• Massive community reach• Extensive experience in relevant subject

areas• Long history and solid reputation

Total Force Fitness Overview

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Total Force Fitness (TFF) is a DoD framework for well-being that views “health, wellness, and resilience and as holistic concept”, requiring “a connection among mind, body, spirt, and social relationships”. 1

Main Points2:

• *TFF was created by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and became policy in 2011.

• TFF is the DoD’s 21st Century paradigm for improving Population Health, and includes eight domains of fitness.

• TFF is a state in which the individual, family and organization can sustain well-being and performance under all conditions.

• The Services are responsible for implementing TFF Programs.

• TFF requires the collaboration of the partners in public health.

1. Senate Report 114-63 2. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction (CJCSI) 3405.01

*The 8 domains in blue were the original domains recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Additional measures, highlighted in gray, are under consideration.

Service Members& Families

Financial

Employment

Physical

Environmental

Medical & DentalSpiritual

Nutrition

Psychological

Behavioral

Social

Legal

TFF Domain Areas

Service Members & Families

Total Force Fitness and Cooperative Extension

Financial

Employment

Physical

Environmental

Medical & DentalSpiritual

Nutrition

Psychological

Behavioral

Social

Legal

TFF Domain Areas

Service Members & Families

Total Force Fitness and Cooperative Extension:Examples

Total Force Fitness and Cooperative Extension: Examples

Total Force Fitness and Cooperative Extension: Examples

Total Force Fitness and Cooperative Extension: Examples Total Force Fitness Cooperative Extension

Physical Strategic goal: Combat childhood obesity by ensuring availability of affordable,

nutritious food and providing individuals and families science-based nutritional

guidance.

Health Literacy

Environmental Strategic Goal: Optimize the production of goods and services from working lands

while protecting the nation’s natural resource base and environment.

Strategic goal: Advance the development and delivery of science for agricultural,

forest, and range systems adapted to climate variability and to mitigate climate

impacts.

Homeowner education from pesticides to disaster preparedness. Medical/dental

Nutritional Strategic goal: Advance our nation’s ability to achieve global food security and fight

hunger

General nutrition education, healthy food choices Spiritual

Psychological Family Science, Child Development

Parenting, Aging/caregiving

Behavioral Enhance youth and family development, Financial education, CYFAR programs focus

on youth and families at risk.

Social Youth development (4-H)

Strengthen educational capacity to prepare the next generation of scientists,

agricultural producers, and educators.

Relationships, parenting

Determine a methodology?

How do you determine a methodology to assess the health, well-being, and resiliency needs/requirements of your community/population?

Determine a methodology?

Match needs/requirements to the community’s capability to meet those needs?• Ground-truth Community Readiness Inventory results with local

Cooperative Extension staff.

• Identify priority areas where Cooperative Extension has programming that can meet a need and be targeted to military families

• Use Cooperative Extension as a Force Multiplier in the Family Readiness Mission!

Develop a plan to address gaps?

• Start with training -

https://militaryfamilies.extension.org/community-capacity-building/community-capacity-building-training/

Develop a plan to address gaps?

FUNDAMENTALS• Overview• Community Action & Change• Becoming a CCB Organization• Results Focused Planning

https://militaryfamilies.extension.org/community-capacity-building/community-capacity-building-training/

Develop a plan to address gaps?

ADVANCED

• Community Assessment• Strengthening Formal Systems

through Collaboration• Mobilizing Informal Networks• Engaging Military Leaders• Monitoring Results & Activities• Sustaining Desired Resultshttps://militaryfamilies.extension.org/community-capacity-building/community-capacity-building-training/

Develop a plan to address gaps?

• Use training to better leverage relationships with state and local Cooperative Extension programs

• More examples

Thank you!