MilLife Connection rapidfire
Hidden Heroes A
RAND Corp. study titled Hid- den Heroes: America’s Military Caregivers estimates there are 5.5
million caregivers in the U.S. Of these, 19.6 percent (1.1 million) are caring for someone who served in the military after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Caring for a loved one is a demanding and sometimes difficult task. To ease the support and communication between caregivers, several peer-to-peer support
programs are available to assist. 1) DoD Office of Warrior Care Policy
Military Caregiver Support: DoD pro- vides resources and information exclu- sively for military caregivers who assist wounded, ill, and/or injured service- members with daily living activities. DoD’s Military Caregiver Support in- cludes the Military Caregiver PEER
(Personalized Experiences, Engagement, and Resources) Forum Initiative, the Caregiver Resource Directory, monthly military caregiver virtual forums, and military caregiver webinars, events, and specialized resources. For additional information, visit
http://warriorcare.dodlive.mil/caregiv
er-resources. 2) The Military and Veteran Care-
giver Peer Support Network (MVCN):
The MVCN offers peer-based support and services to connect pre- and post- 9/11-era caregivers with others caring for those with wounds, illness, or injury. The MVCN provides military and veteran caregivers with the best practices in peer support, modeled on those provided by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survi- vors. MVCN peer support helps caregivers reduce their isolation and increase their sense of connectedness, engagement, hopefulness, and wellness and access resources and training to increase their knowledge and skills. For ad- ditional information, visit https://
milvetcaregivernetwork.org. 3) VA Caregiver Peer Support
Mentoring Program: The Care- giver Peer Support Mentoring Program connects caregivers to one another. This program
provides support by enabling care-
givers to share their experiences, wisdom, skills, and passion with each other. Caregivers of veterans of all eras are eligible to participate both as mentors and as mentees. For additional information, visit
www.caregiver.va.gov.
— C.C. Gallagher
read more: See “The Next Battle,” page 56, for additional caregiver resources. 20 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2016
IMAGES: ABOVE, DREAMSTIME; LEFT, SHUTTERSTOCK
Family
Matters Discover helpful resources for military spouses and children.
Operation Purple Heal- ing Adventures, hosted by the National Military Family Association, cel- ebrates the rediscovery of family fun and to- getherness following an injury. This free, three- day experience combines family-focused activities with outdoor exploration to encourage each fam- ily’s growth on their new journey post-injury.
This program
welcomes wounded, ill, injured, medically separated, or medically retired military families. Using specially adapted communication activities developed by FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress), Heal- ing Adventures ensures each family returns home strong and re- silient. For additional information, visit www
.militaryfamily.org.
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