Serving Military Families

Karen Blaisure is a Professor at Western Michigan University where she teaches a course on Family Life and the Military.Tara Saathoff-Wells is a Research & Evaluation Scientist for the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at The Pennsylvania State University. Angela Pereira is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and a consultant and educator on psychological health and military life issues. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth is Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Director of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University.Amy Dombro is a writer who develops resources for teachers, family support professionals, and community leaders to assist military and veteran families and children.

"Serving Military Families is an engaging, dynamic and useful resource. This must-read book is brimming with relevant research, policies, theories and programs pertaining to the current and former members of the United States Military and their families." –Rachel Dekel, Bar-Ilan University, Israel"The authors offer a synthesis of cutting-edge research, policy, and programs focused on improving the lives of Military families. Chapters include an acute sensitivity to diverse military families while simultaneously attending to the policies and programs that are essential across the lifespan. This text is a must-read for anyone who works with Military families in order to ensure that we best serve those who serve our nation." –Angela L. Lamson, East Carolina University, USA"Four million military and veteran-connected youth are, in reality, individual stories. Parents and youth serving professionals will find this outstanding resource provides insights and ideas that integrate personal perspectives and scholarship into responsive pathways." –Mary M. Keller, Military Child Education Coalition, USA"Anyone working, or wishing to work with the military would benefit from this book. ... I will … continue to use it as a supplemental text. It should be in every social work school’s library. … The ... changes are good and timely, especially expansion on veterans and women service members, and same sex couples."–Josephine Pryce, University of Alabama, USA"The "personal reflections" provide a deeper understanding that allows the reader to begin to experience the magnitude of stressors individuals and families deal with on a daily basis. ... The authors write clearly. ... Audiences ... Masters [and] … bachelor programs in social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy ... I would consider adopting this book." –Nancy Anderson, Warner University, USA"I really like the … personal stories and examples. … This book could be used as a textbook for undergraduate or graduate courses ... [and] for professionals who will begin work with military families and need to get up to speed quickly. … I ... use [it] in my graduate course. … It makes a nice base for a course. …. It would be particularly good to use for an undergraduate course." –Heidi Radunovich, University of Florida, USA"[This book helps] ... to prepare social workers to serve veterans and their families. It offers ... information on specific policies and practices of the military, benefits and services to veterans and integrates empirical research on the types and frequency of problems seen along with identifying those individuals and families most at risk. ...The proposed revisions will strengthen the contributions already made by … this book." –Karen Allen, Arkansas State University, USA"The book provides a fantastic resource for academics and practitioners, with its conceptual and theoretical underpinning, together with case studies that provide invaluable insights into an often forgotten population. ... [It] ... is an essential read for researchers and practitioners engaging with individuals from the military services. The book provides a good introduction to military culture and family life and then embarks on the challenges faced by the population." – Ross Wadey, University of Roehampton, UK

• Foreword 1. An Introduction to Military Culture and Military Families  2. An Overview of Military Personnel and Their Families  3. Defining Features of Military Family Life  4. Children and Youth in Military Families  5. Ways of Thinking About Family Stress and Resilience  6. Individual and Family Development in the Military  7. The Effects of War on Service Members  8. The Effects of War on Families  9. Women in the Military and Women Veterans  10. Veterans and Families  11. Policies and Programs that Support Military Families  12. Civilian Organizations that Support Military Families  13. Involving Families in Systems and Strategies of Care  14. Serving Military Families