Lewis-McChord schools mobilize to support troops' kids

For most military kids, worrying, watching and waiting is a way of life.

One counselor in the Clover Park School District knew a 10-year-old girl whose dad was on his fifth deployment. The girl had been dealing with the cycle of saying goodbye to her parent, then having him return – only to say goodbye again – for at least half her life.

Now local military children, and the teachers and counselors who work with them every day, are getting extra help at the six elementary schools located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

This fall, the Lakewood-based school district, the Army and the Madigan Healthcare System launched the School Behavioral Health Program. In the first six weeks of the school year, more than 40 Clover Park military kids were enrolled.

Teachers and counselors say their students often take on added chores while a parent is deployed. Even elementary-age students may adopt the role of surrogate parent, helping younger siblings get ready for school or helping make dinner to relieve the strain on their parent at home.

“They worry about the parent who’s deployed, and they worry about the parent who’s at home,” said Andrea Owen, a counselor at Beachwood Elementary, one of the on-base schools.

And with more than 18,000 soldiers having returned to Lewis-McChord from abroad this year, students are now encountering the flip side of the deployment coin.

Military mental health experts say it’s incorrect to assume that once a mom or dad is home, kids are instantly happy.

They must readjust to life with a parent they haven’t seen in a year or more. Their parents must redefine roles – everything from who enforces the rules to who gets the kids ready for school in the morning to who takes out the garbage.

Families reuniting after separation must find a new norm, and that can create increased stress for kids, said Mona Johnson, director of the new program.

It serves military children and families at the elementary schools located on the joint base – Evergreen, Hillside, Clarkmoor, Beachwood, Carter Lake and Greenwood.

About 30 percent of Clover Park students live on the base, and an estimated 42 percent have some federal connection – as the children of active duty military or civilian base employees or through other ties.

Although the behavioral health program is new this year, the school district also operates, in partnership with the military, a program called Military and Family Life Consultants. The consultants work at the six on-base schools, plus Mann and Woodbrook middle schools and at Lakes High School. Those middle and high schools, although not located on base, have a high percentage of military families as well.

The consultants offer students and families support on issues such as stress reduction and self-esteem, but they do not delve into the same kinds of medical issues that the behavioral health specialists can.

Funded by the federal government with $2 million over the course of two years, the new on-base School Behavioral Health program is based on an Army model that originated at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.

Each school gets a clinical social worker who can work with students, teachers and parents. Students receive services including individual therapy, family therapy and medication management. And staff members from the program are helping set up social groups for kids at several schools.

One advantage of providing mental health services at school, say counselors, is that it removes some of the stigma attached to seeking those services. Kids can get help in a setting where they feel comfortable. Or school social workers can coordinate their care with military or civilian mental health workers.

Researchers have reported that an estimated one-third of school-age children in communities affected by the deployment cycle are at risk for psychological or social problems. About 30 percent feel increased anxiety.

Clover Park educators say they see it play out in their classrooms.

Evergreen Principal Holly Shaffer says principals of the base schools reported that after increased soldier deployments began, new behaviors surfaced among students. Principals went to school district administrators for help after their teachers began asking for assistance.

“Generally,” Shaffer said, “military kids are disciplined.”

So when teachers started reporting a lack of motivation among kids and students failing to complete schoolwork, they knew something was wrong. They also saw more emotional outbursts and an increase in behavior that resulted in suspensions.

Elementary school teachers are by nature loving, nurturing people, Shaffer said. But they realized they were seeing problems beyond their expertise.

Before the start of the current school year, teachers and other staff members at the six base schools attended a day-long training session that included presentations by medical and mental health experts. They learned how to help students become more resilient and how teachers can demonstrate compassion for students affected by parents’ deployments.

Early intervention is key, Johnson said. So is helping teachers learn what they need to watch for in the classroom.

“It’s amazing how a little support can change behaviors,” she said.

“Educating us on how to best work with military families is huge,” said Meghan Eakin, a classroom coach at Beachwood who attended the training session.

Beachwood first-grade teacher Erica Murphy said she’s excited to have more professionals at her school who can offer expertise in social work and psychology.

That way, “we can focus on the academics, and not feel alone as a classroom teacher.”

Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635
debbie.cafazzo@thenewstribune.com