START

The Institute of Pastoral Care (IPC) will consult with Command, Army Community Service, Behavioral Health Service, Chaplaincy and other helping agencies to provide START, and/or create, implement, and evaluate additional paradigms for redeployment services.

Goals:

	Eliminate critical events in the Command.
	Increase combat readiness for future deployments.
	Provide quality redeployment/reintegration services.

Objectives:

	Train Soldiers and family members in coping skills during reunion and reintegration.
	Train Soldiers and family members to constructively manage Post Traumatic Stress.
	Provide prophylaxis for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
	Train Soldiers to appropriately relate experiences and traumas of OIF/OEF through “story-telling.”
	Provide continuation training and story-telling opportunities at no less than 30, 60, 90, and 180 day intervals.
	Identify and refer personnel needing additional resources.
	Affirm normalcy of Post Traumatic Stress.

Outcomes:

	Significantly increase combat readiness.
	Eliminate critical events.
	Decrease family stress and violence by 50% (norm TBD).
	Reduce number of Soldiers experiencing acute symptoms of PTSD to 10% (norm is 17%).
	85% of spouses attend no less than one reunion seminar.
	95% of Soldiers learn to tell their story appropriately.
	85% of service providers complete paradigm training.

Contractor Functions:

Teach Service Providers to utilize the START model (24 hrs. of training).

Provide a cadre of chaplains and/or Behavioral Health providers to do group training in “story-telling” (teaching Soldiers to tell their stories of OIF/OEF).

Provide stress decompression for Army Community Service/Chaplaincy/Behavioral Health providers.

Train Service Providers in the following areas:

	Trauma Resolution
	Grief Resolution
	Treatment of PTSD
	Conflict Resolution
	Conflict Intervention
	Transition Management
	Crisis Counseling
	Conflict Resolution Workshops
	Family Wellness Seminars
	Couple Wellness Seminars
	Stress Management

· Provide consultation to Command and interdisciplinary team to improve and increase efficiency of Army redeployment models.

· Chair/facilitate an interdisciplinary team in developing an appropriate model.

PTS/PTSD, which results in increased family violence, Soldier disciplinary problems, and family stress, is not relieved with the gaining of new knowledge. It is the PROCESS of talking with trained professionals and peers OVER A PERIOD OF TIME that is the key to relieving the normal behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and physical responses to the trauma of war and separation.

This program will significantly impact the welfare of Soldiers and families over the next four decades.