Programs: See schedule o attachedour community and military (cam) counseling program directly contributes to the overall camaraderie foundation mission by providing counseling intervention, education, resources and community outreach. This program facilitates an engaged and responsive community effort in support of military families and their critical need to heal the invisible wounds of war from the military actions following september 11, 2001. Through fiscal year 2017 (fy17), the cam counseling program has awarded 999 counseling scholarships to post 9/11 service members, veterans, their families and caregivers. Additionally, camaraderie foundation and its community partners have worked together on numerous outreach events to raise awareness about post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and other invisible wounds and/or mental health issues that present barriers to the successful reintegration of post-9/11 and other veterans. More than 580 military families were served through community and program activities offered to raise awareness about the issues facing military veterans and their families. Through these efforts, we both engaged and educated more than 3,100 individuals and had more than 950 hours of volunteer time donated to support the efforts. In fy17, we streamlined operations and strengthened partnerships to increase our presence throughout central florida, tampa bay and the i/4 corridor. Combined, the cam counseling program and peer support groups produced both long- and short-term results for our communities. For the families participating in these programs, the results are long-term. 271 unduplicated counseling scholarships were awarded in 2017, an increase of 54 more than the 217 provided during 2016. This counseling affords the participants to learn better coping mechanisms, enhance their communication, and build a stronger family bond. Of the 362 total counseling scholarships managed throughout fy17 (i. E. 271 new, 129 active), 52% of scholarships were for military service members or veterans; 17% for spouses, 18% for couples, 4% for family, and 9% for children of service members or veterans. Our peer support groups are continually refined based on participant feedback and program staff and medical advisory council leadership. Through counselor-led group support programs, participants learn from each other and receive sound, clinical guidance as to how best support their loved ones. Meetings offer practical tools for immediate use, as well as resources and education to help service members and family members understand and modify "triggers" for a healthier transition. Session evaluations and feedback are tracked to continuously improve program outcomes in the areas of adjusting to pre- and post-deployment life, while offering coping skills, education and support for caregivers and families affected by the challenges and stresses of combat, deployments and re-integration.
see schedule o attachedmilitary family fun days - this program provides free fun-filled family engagement days designed to produce a community within a community for peer support and positive interactions. These activities are designed for the whole family to participate in and allow positive interactions to occur between family members and with their peers. In fy17, we had more than 580 service members, veterans, and family members participate in seven family fun days. Some of the family fun days were held at theme parks, sports games, museum, theatre, back-to-school, and other activities.
see schedule o attachedmentor leadership program - through camaraderie's mentor leadership program (mlp), transitioning post-9/11 veterans are paired with mentors who have prior military experience and have gone on to become strong leaders in central florida. The program offers protege veterans opportunities to build peer support, friendships, and guidance in order to become successful in their communities. This past year, 15 proteges and 30 mentors were selected for mlp class iv. During the program, both proteges and mentors attended two program orientations, six educational sessions throughout the year that were focused on key topics for professional success (i. E. , strategic networking, motivation/inspiration, social media network, entrepreneurship, and community involvement), and participated in four community service projects.
medical advisory council - during 2017, the executive director, program staff and medical advisory council (composed of leaders in the mental health, wellness and spiritual communities) met four times to discuss, offer advice and recommend on policy and program development, and to evaluate implementation of current and future programming efforts. Working closely with the program staff, this council is focused on providing our military service members and their families with continued help in maintaining healthy, meaningful relationships free of mental-health issues. Further, in addition to the $41,657 program costs reported herein, camaraderie foundation received donated goods and professional services for grant writing, public relations, marketing and design services support with an estimated fair value of $4,990. This support enabled camaraderie foundation to increase the awareness of the challenges our military families face during deployments and upon reintegration while educating the target audience to the services that are available to assist them.
