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Desert Lightning News May 21, 2015 7
Peer-to-peer service aims to provide counseling support
Terri Moon Cronk associated with someone’s need to available for active duty, National er,” Franklin said, noting the impor-
chat, online or by phone. Guard and reserve service mem- tance of getting service members
DoD News, Defense Media Activity bers, their families and veterans and families peer support before a
“For example, a military spouse who are within 180 days of their problem escalates.
WASHINGTON – Starting this might call in and request to speak military separation, Williams said.
summer, the Defense Department to a military spouse [counselor] be- For transitioning service mem-
will offer an additional counsel- cause [he or she] is at wits’ end over A client can talk to a peer-to-peer bers who will soon re-enter the ci-
ing service to help military service relocating,” she said. During the counselor via Military OneSource vilian sector, peer-to-peer counsel-
members, transitioning troops and conversation, the counselor might and, if issues necessitate, clients can ors will offer their expertise during
family members deal with a host of recognize underlying issues” that receive a warm handoff to obtain up what might be a turbulent and life-
issues before they become crises. can range from finances to relation- to 12 sessions with a clinical coun- changing time, Franklin said.
ship or employment problems, she selor, per issue, per person, Wil-
Peer-to-peer support, which will added. liams added. “Whether someone is getting out
be available through Military One- as a young person or is retiring after
Source, will offer assistance from And because Military OneSource The proof of peer-to-peer sup- 20-plus years, [transitioning] can be
counselors who have at least a mas- is the central one-stop service that port as an evidence-based approach a stressful time,” she said. “So, for six
ter’s degree in the social or psychol- offers military families a host of di- to helping others has been well doc- months veterans can phone Mili-
ogy field as well as military experi- rect services as well as information umented. Intuitively, it also makes tary OneSource and get help.”
ence to help with a host of issues, on a vast array of resources, it made sense, when people seek out a friend
Rosemary Freitas Williams, deputy efficient and effective sense to add to talk to who’s had a similar experi- While peer-to-peer support is
assistant secretary of defense for peer-to-Peer support to its list of ence, because it can alleviate stress- not a crisis counseling service, Mili-
military community and family pol- services, Williams said. ful circumstances, explained Dr. tary OneSource works with other
icy, said yesterday. Keita Franklin, Director of the De- organizations such as the Military
Such counseling services are not fense Suicide Prevention Office. Crisis Line or the Veterans Crisis
With that level of education and a new concept for DoD. Vets4War- Line as necessary, Franklin noted.
experience, Williams said, peer sup- riors currently provides peer-to- “The peer-to-peer approach gets
port counselors can chat confiden- peer support, and its contract runs after the issue at the earliest pos- Through peer-to-peer support,
tially with clients and assist with out in August. sible point of intervention, so folks “Military OneSource wants to help
any underlying issues that might be who get help early get better quick- people avoid a crisis,” Williams said.
Peer-to-peer counseling will be “We want [to] help now to avert it.”
