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T h e F l e e t & F a mi l y Support Center Monthly Newsletter

092012
MONTHYEAR MONTHYEAR MONTHYEAR

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Children and Worrying

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Children worry just like adults. They worry about fitting in, looking good and being good enough. Their worry may be masked by bad behavior, boredom, clinginess or isolation. If you think your child is worried about something, you are probably right. Although we cannot stop them from worrying, we can help them deal with it better.

These tips can help.

1. Let them know that it is alright to be different. Celebrate their differences. 2. Show interest in what they are doing. Support their efforts. 3. Teach them about healthy relationships and model the behavior. 4. Instead of focusing on their wrongdoing and punishing them, find ways to help them learn from the behavior. Talk calmly with them about the event and how it could have been handled differently. 5. Encourage them to talk to adults and friends who are supportive of them. Give them a list of people they can trust and ask them who they trust. The list should include people who will not keep secrets that would harm the children or anyone else. It is important that they express their worry and not be concerned about getting in trouble. 6. Teach and model non-aggressive behavior. Remember the children are looking at your body language and facial expressions as well as listening to your words. Do as you want them to do. For more information about coping with worrying, contact FFSCs Life Skills Educator or counselors at 504-678-7569.

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ACT: Ask, Care, Treat

Raising awareness and hope

Its no fun to feel overwhelmed. Work, kids, traffic, even winning a million dollars can be stressful. No one wants to be stressed out. But stress is a normal and natural part of life. Stress can motivate us, or it can paralyze us. The FFSC Stress Management Class can help you recognize and deal with too much stress in your life. Learn practical tips to handle stress so that you can feel better, become more productive and enjoy lifes pleasures again. The Stress Management class is a monthly workshop held at the FFSC. Contact the FFSC (504-678-7569) to register. Or schedule a session with one of our FFSC Counselors to talk about the stresses in your life.

Suicide Prevention & Awareness

When a co-worker, friend, or loved one appears to be in emotional distress, we may feel that we dont want to pry into their business, or that we cant help anyway. We may tend to ignore, look away, and pretend that nothing is happening. But this can be a tragic missed opportunity to make a positive difference. We know when someone we are close to is acting different, out of character. It could look like sadness, a down mood, a sense that things wont improve. Or it could look like fearfulness, avoidance of others, a tendency to isolate. The person could be sleeping all the time. Each situation shows itself in different ways. The important thing is that, when we notice something is different, we have the courage to ask, and keep asking until we know what is happening. And when we ask we must be able to handle the answer, and know what to do. We all need to beat down the stigma of asking for help and the unspoken message that needing help makes a person weak, incapable, or unreliable. In this case, refusal to accept help might make things much worse. Caring is listening, waiting, and being nonjudgmental and hopefuland helpful to the degree that you can. Caring is also getting the person to the right kind of help when its more than you can handle. But what is the right kind of help?

If treatment is needed, there are many ways to get helpthe command, Medical, Chaplain, and Fleet and Family Support Center are all available. The key to being successful is to be bull-doggedly determined and never give up. The first few steps are often the hardest, but with good social, family, and command support, and getting the person to the right kind of help, suicide can be prevented. The problems can be assessed. Plans can be made to remediate the situation. Often, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness or strong emotional pain are transitory. What may now seem like a hopeless situation may turn out to be a difficult and painful, but short term, passage. If we can get the person to stay alive long enough, the bad feelings will usually pass. If you are worried about a co-worker, friend, or loved one, ACT! ASK them if theyre OK, or if they are thinking about hurting themselves. Let them know that you CARE. Get them to someone who can TREAT their distress ASAP. If you need someone to talk to, if you are worried about someone, or if youd like to know more about the ACT response, please call the FFSC, 678-7569. Were here for you.

Sheltering at the BC Auditorium: Any parish resident needing transportation assistance during an evacuation is eligible to participate in the Critical Needs Program. Registration is suggested. Call 504-274-2470, automated attendant, follow prompts. Emergency Notifications: You can receive vital information on emergency events that may affect your neighborhood. Bell South land line phones will populate automatically (unless you have an unlisted number). For other providers, cell phone, email address, and text messaging devices, you can register at: 1-866-484-3264 or www.firstcall.net or unlisted@firstcall.net. American Red Cross: All military members and their families can call 877-272-7337 (U.S. Toll Free) to send an urgent message to a service member. This number can be used for emergency communication for example, death or serious illness of an immediate family member, the birth of a service member's child or grandchild, or when a family faces other emergencies. Red Cross services such as case management and emergency financial assistance also are available. FFSC Info Fairs: Visit a FFSC Info Fair for disaster preparedness information and assistance.

Emergency Preparedness
Resource Information for You & Your Family

September 16th is Ombudsman Appreciation Day!

You can pick up hurricane planning checklists, information on emergency services, pet evacuation info, disaster evacuation guides, information on special needs evacuation, hurricane newsletters, and NASJRB emergency evacuation cards. You can also have your questions answered and get personalized consultation. Remember to involve all members of your family in creating your emergency plan. Special planning may be needed for infants and young children, the elderly, loved ones with medical conditions or special needs, and pets. For consultation and assistance, please call our FFSC Disaster Specialist, Loretta Shepherd, at 678-7560/7569.

Take a moment and tell an Ombudsman thanks for being a helping hand to military families. WHAT THE OMBUDSMAN DOES: Provide information on program services and upcoming events on base and within the community. Assist during times of crisis. Guide family members through deployments or separations. Reach out to families with friendship, problem-solving, and moral support. If you are interested in finding out more about this program, or to find your Ombudsman contact Jill Mann, FFSC Ombudsman Coordinator, 504-678-7569/7568.

Louis Satchmo Armstrong

New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, which still reigns supreme in the city today. Later, jazz spawned both the blues and rock and roll. It's a distinctive sound-not big band swing, with horns creating harmony. Nor is it modern jazz or "bebop," the post World War II style that relies on speeding tempos and virtuosic soloing. And it's not "pop" music, the form of music from the pre-rock 'n roll days. Almost any song can be "jazzed" up. Jazz is music for dancing, not listening, even though that is what modern jazz became in the 1950s and beyond. Jazz has a swinging, stomping, syncopated beat. One of the most famous Jazz musicians of New Orleans is Louis Satchmo Armstrong (August 4, 1901 July 6, 1971). Pictured. New Orleans Jazz is also heard in brass bands, the kind we hear in our Mardi Gras street parades. They rely on wind instruments and separate bass and snare drums, all of which can be carried.

September 2012 FFSC Events

All workshops and classes are held at the Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve Base, Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC), Bldg. 555 unless otherwise noted. 04, 11, & 18 March 2012 Active Parenting (0830-1030) Healthy families arent born; theyre made one day at a time. 05 September 2012 Effective Communication (0900-1100) Develop skills to foster effective verbal and written communication skills. 06 September 2012 Resume/Job Search Workshop (0830-1230) Career Assessment, Job Search Strategies, Resume Writing, and Interview Techniques. 06 September 2012 Budget for Baby (0800-1200) Get money saving ideas and receive Babys First Seabag filled with baby items. 10 September 2012 Military Spouse Orientation (0900-1100) New Spouse or not, stop by to get great information and resources. 10 13 September 2012 (4 Days) Transition Assistance Program (TAP) (0800-1600) Pre-Separation Information and training to make informed decisions as you transition out of the military. 10 14 September 2012 (5 days) Command Financial Specialist Training (0730-1600) Help others by providing financial education, training, and counseling to peers. 12 September 2012 Stress Management (0900-1100) Stop by to determine what is stressing you out and the skills you need to handle it. 12 & 26 September 2012 Mommy and Me (1000-1130) @ NAS JRB Chapel Playgroup is for moms and kids who want to make good friends and have a good time. 18 September 2012 Smooth Move (0900-1000) Get the answers and resources you need to complete a successful and stress-free move. 19 September 2012 Anger Management (0900-1100) Discover your own coping strengths and develop new anger management skills. 19 September 2012 Resume Writing Workshop (0900-1100) Retiring or separating? Come out and learn how to upgrade your resume. 27 & 28 September 2012 (2 Days) Newcomers Orientation & Tour (0800-1600) Everything you need to know about base services and the New Orleans community. 25 26 September 2012 (2 Days) CONSEP (0800-1600) Provides service members with military and civilian career options.

WHEN DIRECTED, EVACUATE THE AREA!

Current base information will be passed to Department Heads upon muster. Check NAS JRB NOLA website: https://cnic.navy.mil/jrborleans Hurricane Hotline... (817) 782-1218 Hurricane Hotline Toll Free... 1-877-762-1067 Hurricane Hotline DSN... 739-1218