FRG: Communicating With Families | 1 Communicating with Families Third Edition, 2006

FRG: Communicating With Families | 2 Objectives of Communicating with Families  To review FRG mission and activities  To provide guidance on FRG mission essential activities:  FRG meetings  FRG newsletters  FRG phone tree  FRG  vFRG web site  To highlight issues the FRG faces in supporting families

FRG: Communicating With Families | 3 FRG Mission FRGs increase family readiness by:  Providing official, accurate command information  Offering mutual support  Advocating use of available community resources  Helping families solve problems.

FRG: Communicating With Families | 4 FRG’s Communication Activities  FRG leader and unit commander determine what activities FRG will provide and level of effort.  Type and breadth of activities will depend on:  Commander’s budget  Unit Soldier and family needs  Command interest and emphasis  Number of FRG volunteers  Geographical dispersion of family members  Unit’s deployment schedule

FRG: Communicating With Families | 5 Purpose of FRG Meetings  Share important information  Provide education on important topics or issues  Identify family needs  Foster connections and build camaraderie

FRG: Communicating With Families | 6 Guidance on FRG Meetings  Conduct as needed  Have purpose for meeting  Address issues of concern  Schedule guest speakers to provide educational briefings; have commander speak  Include social activity

FRG: Communicating With Families | 7 Purpose of FRG Newsletters  Relay information from command  Publicize FRG events  Address issues of concern  Highlight available military and community resources  Build camaraderie

FRG: Communicating With Families | 8 Guidance on FRG Newsletters  Unit commander (or RDC) determines frequency of and approves all FRG newsletters with official information.  FRG newsletters conducted under unit’s FRG newsletter SOP.

FRG: Communicating With Families | 9 Guidance on FRG Newsletters (continued)  Types of information in FRG newsletters  Official  Unofficial  Authorized resources  Computer equipment  Government paper and printing  Postage/official mail (except when inclusion of unofficial information exceeds government costs)  Army or installation post office AND, with command approval, FRG or posted to unit’s vFRG web site

FRG: Communicating With Families | 10 Guidance on FRG Newsletters (continued) Steps to producing a FRG newsletter:  Get organized  Choose a design  Prepare articles, collect information from command, and layout text  Proofread/edit draft newsletter  Get command approval  Publish and distribute approved newsletter

FRG: Communicating With Families | 11 Purpose of FRG Phone Tree  Provide timely official information from command  Disseminate information about FRG and unit events  Be a resource to families when need help solving a problem/issue  Keep pulse on family issues and concerns  Plan social functions

FRG: Communicating With Families | 12 Guidance on FRG Phone Tree  Having an accurate, current unit family roster is essential to setting up and maintaining FRG phone tree  Command is responsible for providing updated family roster to FRG  FRG leader is responsible for setting up phone tree  Having a cadre of trained FRG volunteers serving as key callers is needed to perform this activity  FRG leader is responsible for recruiting, training and supervising key callers  FRG leader is responsible for establishing procedures and providing needed tools and guidance to key callers  Timeliness and accuracy are critically important  Monitoring issues key callers face ensures key callers are supported and families dealt with appropriately

FRG: Communicating With Families | 13 Purpose of FRG  Relay information from command  Publicize FRG events  Disseminate FRG newsletter  Serves as an alternative method of instant communication with Soldiers’ “family” members

FRG: Communicating With Families | 14 Guidance on FRG  Requires having addresses  FRG leader responsible for establishing procedures and recruiting FRG volunteer to perform this task (if not performed by FRG leader)  Timeliness and accuracy important  Unit commander or RDC approves FRG s containing company or deployment-related information  FRG leader approves s about FRG meetings and social events

FRG: Communicating With Families | 15 Purpose of Virtual FRG Web Site  Allow units to perform some FRG functions online  Send s and update telephone and lists through secure communications with families  Post FRG newsletter and information of interest to families  Provide information from command, especially forward deployed commander  Provide secure communication between unit, families and Soldiers

FRG: Communicating With Families | 16 Guidance on vFRG Web Site  Unit commander responsible for signing up and establishing unit’s own web page on battalion’s virtual FRG web site  Unit commander authorizes users and approves all content; Commander responsible for having content posted on unit’s web page  If battalion does not have a vFRG web site, FRG may use AKO to run a web site  Private FRG web sites are not allowed

FRG: Communicating With Families | 17 Key Issues  Supporting a diverse membership  Controlling rumors  Handling families in crisis  Managing workload for the long term

FRG: Communicating With Families | 18 Supporting a Diverse Membership  The FRG will be challenged to support a wide array of groups that include:  Broader Soldier family (immediate and extended family members)  Families dispersed across a wide geographical area or different states  Deployed and nondeployed  Augmentees to unit  Guardians  Families of wounded Soldiers  Families of fallen Soldiers  New arrivals to unit  To support families, will require:  Using a variety of communication methods  Providing different information and referral assistance to different groups  Offering support in different ways.  When providing support to families, the FRG’s intent is to support families where they live.

FRG: Communicating With Families | 19 Controlling Rumors  Rumors frequently arise during a deployment. If not handled, rumors can run rampant and create panic.  Controlling rumors is important. While this is the responsibility of unit leadership and FRG leader, FRG volunteers (especially key callers) can assist.  Providing accurate information in timely manner to families is critical to minimizing rumors.  Everyone needs to know that official information comes from military leadership.  The FRG can keep the RDC informed on families’ questions and issues. The RDC in turn will provide the FRG with the information to disseminate to families and/or will speak to families directly.

FRG: Communicating With Families | 20 Handling Families in Crisis  A family is in crisis when they feel unable to cope with an event.  The step-by-step process for assisting a family in crisis is:  Listen carefully and let the person talk.  Speak calmly and try to identify major issue of concern. If more than one concern, start with the “easiest” problem first.  Refer the family to appropriate agency for assistance.  Record family contact.  Follow-up to make sure family got assistance needed.

FRG: Communicating With Families | 21 Managing the Workload for Long Term: Dealing with Stress  Maintain health and well-being.  Manage demands on you.  Take action “when stressed out”.  Find effective ways to relax.

FRG: Communicating With Families | 22 Things to Remember About FRG’s Role  FRG serves as an extension of the unit.  In this role, the FRG is responsible for providing families with timely and accurate information from command.  Help maintain operational security.  FRG responsible for providing referrals and educational information that help families solve their problems.  FRG is NOT responsible for solving families’ problems.  FRG needs to maintain communication with families throughout deployment cycle.  By doing so, FRG can assist families with each phase and in transitioning from one phase to another.