Implications for engagement and retention of home-based service delivery for military families: The Strong Families Strong Forces program

Background: Military families are significantly affected by the deployment cycle and the veteran's mental health status at reintegration. The current generation of veterans is reluctant to seek services due to concerns about confidentiality, stigma, career implications, and insurance coverage limitations. National Guard and Reserve (NG/R) families may be particularly at risk due to geographic dispersal, isolation and invisibility. Although home-based interventions have been shown to reduce rates of reported child abuse and improve quality of life, parenting, and coping skills in military and civilian populations, few home-based interventions have been developed and tested specifically for military families with very young children. This presentation describes the implementation of Strong Families Strong Forces (SFSF), a home-based reintegration program for NG/R military families with very young children, with a focus on the process of engagement, feasibility, retention, and participant satisfaction. Methods: This three-phase study utilizes a community-based participatory approach [qualitative needs assessment (N=85), and pilot (N=9) and randomized clinical trials (ongoing)]. Results: The pilot trial yielded a 100.00% retention rate. In the RCT, retention rates are 93.75% across both treatment and waitlist (WL) conditions. All dropouts (N=5) to date have occurred in the WL arm (6.25%). Moreover, 67.60% (N=25) of eligible WL families elected to receive SFSF during the open trial following posttest. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. Conclusion: Home-based service delivery for NG/R military families with very young children is feasible, safe, and holds significant promise for both the engagement and retention of military families in service utilization.