Give Back to our Military Families

Lutzkanin Family   \”Everytime my husband is deployed, I am naturally more concerned about how the stress can affect the health and well being of our kids and our family as a whole. I feel these tools will be invaluable for military families, giving them a place to turn to for help and to let them know people care.\”

Military duty affects not only service men and women but their entire family — particularly children. Adolescence is hard enough but coping with the added stresses of having one or both parents deployed, or even worse, dealing with the difficulty of a parent who has been injured or killed in combat can be enormously difficult. While military personnel and their families show tremendous resilience in the face of major change and adversity, research shows that major transitions and stress can increase the risk of adolescent drug abuse.

We have already launched a suite of new tools in partnership with the National Military Family Association and the National Association of School Nurses at TimeToTalk.org/Military including Transitions & Teens: A Guide for Military Parents, The Military Talk Kit, 10 Things School Nurses Want You To Know and 10 Things Military Teens Want You To Know. This research-based guide provides critical information to reduce stress and help keep teens drug and alcohol-free during difficult transition periods. Included within this information is a helpful checklist providing parents with a ‘roadmap’ for starting and maintaining open conversations, answering tough questions and advice for monitoring the warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse.

Sincerely,

Stephen J. Pasierb
President & CEO