FOCUS: Resilience Training for Military Families
FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) provides resilience training to Active-Duty service members of all branches and their families to build upon the strengths that already exist. The program is designed to add skills into the family toolbox to help handle the challenges of military life. It’s based on over 25 years of research by UCLA and Harvard and the program is specifically designed to help military families.
FOCUS is a confidential, preventative program. Nothing has to be wrong to participate! The training helps you to proactively prepare for transitions (pre-deployment, deployment, post-deployment reintegration, PCS’ing, birth of new child, etc), since we know these events significantly alter routines/roles/responsibilities.
Offering training for couples, married or in a committed relationship, and family training, FOCUS appointments can be scheduled in-person or virtual using Zoom. FOCUS offers flexible hours so participants can come during their lunch break, before or after work, after kids get out of school or to accommodate different time zones. The program is 6 to 8 sessions; 1-1.5 hrs each.
Helping couples work more effectively as a team and to support increasing family closeness, FOCUS skills aid in:
- Emotional Regulation (How to identify, manage, and be able to talk about feelings)
- Problem Solving (How to solve problems effectively)
- Communication (How to communicate better)
- Managing Deployment/Loss/Stress Reminders
- Setting Goals (How to successfully set goals together)
FOCUS is individualized to meet your goal as a couple or a family, (at least 1 adult with kids as young as 3 years old participating) and we provide 3 follow ups after program completion to check in to see how the skills are working for your goals.
Because FOCUS Resilience Trainers are master’s level counselors and/or social workers, we are Mandated Reporters for abuse, neglect, suicidality. However, FOCUS is not counseling/therapy and does not diagnose. We will refer to other services as needed.
It is easy to sign up for FOCUS, usually with no waitlist. Simply call or email and we’ll get something scheduled 228-377-3453 / keesler@focusproject.org.
FOCUS also offers Skills Building Groups on the same skills listed above, for your work or training setting.
Last Updated: May 16, 2022