"As a clinical social worker and a United States Army Reservist, I am proud to support the SOFAR initiative. This program has many of our country's leading mental health clinicians providing pro bono mental health support for military families. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank them. As a member of a unit that will be deployed to Iraq at some point in the future, I am comforted to know that the SOFAR initiative is there to support my family if they need it."
CPT Jeffrey M. Cox 883rd MED CO (CSC)
See the video "So Far, So Good" for another message from Captain Cox.
SOFAR is a project of the Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Institute of New England (PCFINE) in partnership with Division 39 of the American Psychological Association and other participating organizations
The Effects of War: The Need for Services
According to a New York Times analysis published in December 2004, "tens of thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq" could return home with "serious mental health problems brought on by the stress and carnage of war."
A study conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July 2004 indicated that to date, one in approximately six soldiers in Iraq who experienced combat exhibited symptoms of major depression, serious anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. Many mental health professionals believe this proportion could increase to as high as one in three soldiers.
On the home front, military families are experiencing serious stress, uncertain about if or when a loved one will return home. In addition, a parent who remains at home must struggle with the emotional and financial strain of raising a family without the day-to-day support of his or her loved one abroad. Strategic outreach to families helps to reduce their stress and prepares them for the possibility that their Reservist or Guard member may exhibit symptoms associated with trauma from serving in a combat zone during war time. The more prepared these families are to address their own needs, the better they will be able to face the challenges of a loved one's return.
The long-term detrimental effects of untreated trauma are enormous. It is a chilling fact that one-third of homeless men in America today are veterans, and the number of Vietnam veterans who are homeless now exceeds the number of U.S troops killed during that war.
As friends, neighbors and fellow citizens, we must ensure that today's veterans and their families receive the care and support they need. They have volunteered to serve our country so that we might be safe and secure.
Now, it is our turn to serve them.
SOFAR: Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists
The Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Institute of New England (PCFINE), with the support of other psychoanalytic groups throughout the country, has launched a new pro bono program called SOFAR: Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists. Through this program, SOFAR coordinates the delivery of psychotherapy and psycho-educational services to the families of Reservists and National Guard members who are stationed in or returning from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait.
The goal of SOFAR is to provide a flexible and diverse range of psychological services that fosters stabilization, aid in formulating prevention plans to avoid crises, and help families to manage acute problems effectively when they occur. Our highest priority is to help families to develop and maintain coping skills during the phases of Alert, Mobilization/Activation, Deployment and Reunion/Reintegration. Clinicians will be available to provide individual and family therapy and lead support groups targeted for families, mothers and parents on such topics as stress management, anger management and general coping skills.
SOFAR aims to reduce stress on Reservists and Guard Members by letting them know that SOFAR is there to support their families when the need arises. The program is beginning with more than 70 credentialed volunteers who are meeting with members of Family Readiness Groups of the Army Reserves, based in the Boston, MA and surrounding communities. Families of Army Reservists have received information about the program and are encouraged to contact the program by calling us at 617-266-2611 to request an assignment to one of the participating clinicians in the Greater Boston area. All families will be guaranteed strictly confidentiality within the limits of the law.
Once a family member requests services from SOFAR, the clinician will conduct an assessment and develop a treatment plan for the individual and/or family. The family member and the clinician will negotiate the duration and frequency of services to best meet the needs of the family with the resources SOFAR can provide. Should the family require additional community resources, the clinician will assist in making referrals to appropriate services.
Once the program has been assessed and appropriate changes made to accommodate the needs of the population, SOFAR will work to replicate the program nationally through the 27 local chapters of Division of Psychoanalysis (39) of the American Psychological Association and the 31 institutes of the American Psychoanalytic Association.
Ongoing news about the project and plans for expanding its scope will be reported on PCFINE's website as well (www.pcfine.org).
Video: "So Far, So Good"
Soldiers of the 94th Regional Readiness Command express their thanks to SOFAR volunteers.
Click on the image to play the video in a new window (requires Windows Media Player 9 or higher.)