知道

Children experience a range of emotions, and those emotions are amplified when their families experience stressors that are often caused by a major change like deployment, death, divorce, separation, relocation, or job loss. You and your staff will likely work with children whose families experience these types of stressful events. Each family handles stress differently, and each child will have unique needs. Nevertheless, you can use specific strategies you can use to help staff members support children. It is your job, with the help of trainers and coaches, to make sure staff members are competent and confident in their ability to support the mental health of children and youth.

首先，您可以向加强家庭保护因素框架引入员工。该框架旨在防止儿童滥用和忽视，但它也是与所有家庭接近您的工作的绝佳方式。通过加强家庭，您的计划支持儿童的心理健康。该框架侧重于优势，促进整体福祉。虽然超出了本课程的范围，但完全解释了保护因素框架，但您可以通过访问来了解更多信息https://cssp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/branching-out-and-reaching-deeper.pdf.。For now, you can teach staff about the five protective factors that your program should work to support in all families:

For the purposes of this lesson, we will focus on resilience. Resilience is the ability to manage stress and bounce back from challenges. It is important for adults and children alike. Dr. Kenneth Ginsberg has written extensively about how to develop and model resiliency to support military youth. Watch this video about his discussion of the "7 C's" that help children positively cope with the challenges of military life:http://www.fosteringresilience.com/videos.php。You can also read more about the "7 C's" for building resiliency in the Learn resource below, from the International Youth Foundation's,The 7 Cs: The Essential Building Blocks of Resilience。

Keep in mind that all families face a variety of stressors and challenges. For military families, the common stress of deployment continues to impact families long after the deployment has ended and the service member has returned home. Ensure staff members understand that deployment is a multi-stage process. Help them understand the different emotions families go through before, during, and after deployment.

将工作人员联系到他们需要完成工作的资源。在您的计划的教练或教练的协助下，支持工作人员，因为他们在部署之前，期间和之后支持家庭的想法。与工作人员沟通，以便他们明白它可以要求帮助。

监督和支持

作为经理，您应该保持与课程中儿童和家庭的心理健康需求。确保您知道哪些家庭正在遇到部署，离婚，搬迁，悲伤，失业或任何其他主要压力源。为这些家庭创造机会，以非正式地或通过安装在您的安装或靠近您的程序上的支持网络相互联系。还要记住，许多工作人员可能会遇到类似的生活事件。倾听他们的担忧，并帮助他们找到主动方法来处理他们的压力。

Model a compassionate, problem-solving approach. Let staff members know that you are there to listen any time they need to talk. And make yourself available to families. Although they will probably build the strongest relationships with the staff members who work directly with their children, you can also be a strong supportive resource for families. Advocate for initiatives that will help your program support children, families, and staff through difficult times. The following video demonstrates how one program helps bridge the distance between deployed service members and their children.

部署期间连接

Caring for children and families experiencing extreme stress can be challenging for even the most seasoned staff member. Watch for signs that a staff member is overwhelmed or experiencing stress themselves. Be prepared to step in and offer support. Read these scenarios on the left and think about how you would respond.

Scenario	You might say…
Lashorage的丈夫是他的第一次部署。她每次想到它都会哭泣。她只是没有准备好与孩子们课堂上的孩子们关于她的情绪和部署经验。她的感情太生了。	"LaShorage, I know you're hurting right now. I'm here to talk any time you need me. Let's take it slow. It might help to remember the kids in your class have these same feelings. You can help each other learn to talk about it."
A new parent in your program, Cedric was raised to believe that “boys don’t cry.” He was also taught that it was a sign of weakness to talk about how he was feeling. He tries to understand the lesson his child is learning in your program about emotions, but he really thinks it’s best not to talk about things that are difficult or emotional. He shares with you that he thinks everyone would feel better if they just kept busy.	“Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, Cedric. I can see that you have done a lot of thinking about this. Because everybody processes things differently, we try to help children understand that all their feelings are OK. Being able to name our emotions is a first step in being able to cope with them. And sometimes it helps to talk things through. When a beloved pet dies, it helps to name emotions like sadness to begin to heal raw feelings. What do you think? I really value your input on this subject.”
Stacey has been a military wife and mother for 20 years. She has been through it all. She can comfort kids, co-workers, moms, and dads. In fact, she has a reputation for being a great person to talk to. People seek her out even after their child leaves your program. She always has a hug for everyone and makes each person feel like they are the only person in the room.	"Stacey, can you share some of your experiences and approaches with the other teachers? I think we can all learn from you and the way you connect."

You should also look for signs that staff members are experiencing stress. Watch this video to learn about the signs of stress in caregivers:

Taking Care of Yourself

If you see any of these signs of stress, recognize that a staff member might need extra support from you. Find time to talk. Plan opportunities to relieve stress. Make sure the staff member takes breaks as needed and has the supports they need outside of work.