Serving Together: Launching a community collaboration to enhance mental health and support services for military families

Although recent wars have increased awareness of military family needs, communities are just beginning to identify ways in which civilian health/mental health services can complement services provided by military and veterans programs. In 2011, a county Mental Health Association in a mid-Atlantic state launched Serving Together, a collaborative partnership to coordinate and strengthen community-based health/mental health, education, and employment services for troops, veterans, and military families in the county. The county has 50,000 veterans and 500 wounded warriors at a National Military Medical Center. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, local foundations, and county government, the 4-year project aims to: build community provider knowledge of military family needs; coordinate military and civilian services; train mental health providers in appropriate interventions; educate military families about mental health issues; create user-friendly tools to access local resources; and evaluate project impact on community/systems change. Key to project success is the establishment of an effective collaboration, with an Advisory Council representing military, health/mental health, education, business, faith, government, and nonprofit communities. This presentation summarizes the Year 1, process-focused evaluation. Advisory Council members completed the Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory at mid-year and year-end. Inventory results, which assessed purpose, environment, membership, structure and process, communication, and resources, helped to guide planning and project management. Year-end interviews with Council members and staff produced additional lessons learned regarding project organization and setting long-term goals. The presenter will describe how first-year findings provide a foundation for facilitating community/systems change in programs, practices, and policies that benefit military families.