10 Ways Community Members Can Help

10 Ways Community Members Can Help Returning Service Members and their Families

1. Be aware of resources and services

  • Family Readiness Groups and Family Assistance Centers
  • VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), Vet Centers, VSOs
  • Military Family Assistance Center 24/7 Hotline: 1-888-365-9287
  • ME 211 (just dial 2-1-1 from anywhere in Maine)
  • and MUCH MORE

2. Understand that everyone is affected when troops are deployed, some more than others. This includes:

  • Service members and their spouses/partners
  • Parents, siblings, and extended family of service members
  • Kids, friends, employers, and coworkers

3. Remember children

  • Military kids and siblings of service members are deeply impacted by deployments

4. Learn about the experiences of war and readjustment to home life during and following deployment:

  • War zone experiences: convoys, culture
  • Home experiences: reintegrating into family life, employment, and financial issues
  • Communication issues: between family members, media, and status/times uncertainty
  • Homecoming expectations vary and readjustment can take a year
  • Common combat stress reactions: what they are and what they are not

5. Learn more:

  • Get to know a service member
  • Read and watch: While They’re at War, After the War Zone, After the Fog, The War Tapes, Lioness, The Way we Get By, Taking Chance
  • Learn about the military mindset and readjusting: www.battlemind.army.mil

6. Expand your understanding of identification/treatments if you are a doctor, clinician, or social worker:

7. Ask. Offer to listen about deployment, but do not push if someone is not ready to discuss things.

8. Realize the stigma that accompanies mental health issues and that getting people to talk or seek help is not always easy. Remind others that readjustment problems occur for even the strongest people and that seeking help is not a sign of weakness. Seeking help early is important for preventing chronic or more severe problems.

9. Know some facts:

  • One tenth of all Mainers are Veterans
  • There are 4500 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in Maine
  • Between 12 and 18% of OEF/OIF service members screen positive for PTSD

10. Spread the word. Join the Maine Military & Community Network!