The U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine funded FOCUS Program was created to help military families deal with ongoing and sometimes multiple deployments. On a basic level, the program strives to initiate family-level problem solving, clarify misunderstandings, enhance communication, and increase parents' ability to handle the emotional and behavioral reactions that children can display during a deployment.

FOCUS, which stands for Families Over Coming Under Stress, arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in September 2009. Despite being new and relatively unknown, the program has served close to 30 families already. Typically, the program sees one spouse at a time due to deployments, but an uptick in both families and servicemember involvement is anticipated this summer as the Stryker brigades return home.

"What we do with them is more personalized than many of the classes offered through Army Community Services," said Kris Marsh, licensed clinical social worker and the FOCUS site director for JBLM. "Plus there is no calendar of set dates. If they ask for help, they can start receiving it immediately."

With each family there is a multi-session approach, starting with parents only, children only and then entire family sessions. To be eligible for the training, a family must have at least one child over the age of 5. The entire training lasts about eight weeks and is strictly confidential unless there is suspicion of abuse. The program is free and intended to be accessible; appointments can be made on nights or weekends for those who need it.

"This is a strength-based program," Marsh said. "We validate the strengths that they already have. Those who seek our help are already a step ahead since they are willing to utilize all the resources available to them."

Tanya Novak, who is married to Lt. Col. Travis Novak, chief of LSE for the 404th Army Field Support Brigade, works with FOCUS as a family resiliency trainer.

"We talk them through the ups and downs of deployments and give them reinforcement," said Novak. "I know personally how great it is to get confirmation that what you are feeling is normal."

Any military family, including those in the National Guard and Reserves who have been deployed recently or are activated, are eligible to partake in these classes. Though the FOCUS program is open only to families with children, work is underway to develop a FOCUS program for couples and one for wounded veterans.

For more information, call the FOCUS office at (253) 966-6390, or visit either of the offices on JBLM Main in the Clarkdale Community Center or the Warrior Transition Battalion, Building 2019.