The real role of Family Advocacy

by Airman 1st Class Sean D. Smith
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

1/28/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Some Minot Air Force Base helping agencies go overlooked and underutilized, but the Family Advocacy Program is running into a different obstacle: people know about them, but not everyone has a perfect grasp of what FAP is really here to do.

"Some people see the Family Advocacy Program as an organization whose sole purpose is to take away their kids," said Laurel Grams, Family Advocacy Outreach Manager. "The mission of the FAP is to build healthy communities through programs designed for the prevention and treatment of child and partner abuse."

The last thing FAP wants to do is take someone's kids - in fact, they can't. The FAP can report a problem and work closely with local Child Protective Services. If it's determined the children should be removed from the home, CPS have to be the ones to act on it.

"A lot of people don't realize that," Grams said. "They think if there's an issue we can just walk in and have the children removed. We can't."

The FAP offers a wide variety of courses and services aimed at preventing domestic incidents and strengthening relationships, like classes for anger management and "Parenting with Love & Logic." The idea is to teach people to cope with stressors and manage the challenges of military relationships effectively.

"The problem is perception. Some people think that if you're at the FAP for any reason, even for a class, something must have happened," Grams said. "And that stigmatization may be keeping some individuals from getting the preventative help they need to avoid something from actually happening."

Some members fear being associated with the FAP could be detrimental to their career, when the opposite is true.

"They think a visit to Family Advocacy looks bad for them, but a member who has the presence of mind to sense a problem, and the courage to get the help they need before things go wrong isn't going to damage their career," Grams said. "If anything, taking that action, seeking out assistance and guidance, showcases those positive qualities to their leadership."

Something bad doesn't have to have happened for the FAP to be able to help. People are welcome to come in, any time, to seek out information or assistance on classes or resources.

"You may be referred to an anger class, a sleep class, or a parenting class. Sometimes for the individual, it might be determined what they need is a counselor just for them. Maybe they've got stress or anxiety," Grams said. "We want to help people get what they need before things get serious and incidents happen."

The FAP is not simply the place people get sent after something bad happens at home. Family Advocacy consistently offers educational opportunities and new initiatives on a regular basis that cover everything from helping Airmen recognize and address burnout to planning their finances after a breakup.

"We're not here to end careers," Grams said. "We want to provide services, support and programs to prevent domestic violence and help re-build families so members can carry on with their careers."