Enhanced FOCUS World Website Offers More Robust Support To Navy Families

From Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) redesigned the website for Project FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) Sept. 17 to better serve military families by building resiliency and coping mechanisms to deal with stress associated with multiple overseas deployments.

The FOCUS website now includes both a public section with open access, and a new "FOCUS World," which is a secure section, accessible only to military families.

According to Kirsten Woodward, BUMED Family Programs Division director, FOCUS World is an interactive website that teaches families resiliency training skills.

"In FOCUS World, parents will be able to create a family account that allows all members of their family to share memories, create family goals and chat in their own private chat room," said Woodward. "In addition, there are a variety of downloadable handouts that provide helpful education and activities for military families, and brief videos that demonstrate helpful techniques used to talk about common family challenges."

FOCUS World provides parents and children with training in key resiliency skills, including communication, emotional regulation, problem solving, goal setting, and managing deployment reminders. Such skills are taught through a number of interactive features, including the Family Narrative Timeline, Future Family, and the Feeling Thermometer, all of which are designed to provide instruction and practice in the key FOCUS skills.

Family members are able to upload photos in order to share important events, and in order to help families maintain cohesion during deployments. An 'i-chat' feature has been developed to allow service members to remain involved in parenting at a distance and to facilitate effective co-parenting. Modeling videos have also been created to provide guidance for parents around common challenges faced by military families experiencing multiple deployments.

"It is through technology and innovation that allows Navy Medicine to continue to serve the needs of families, both at the installation level, and the most geographically isolated locations," said Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr.