VISTAS Online is an innovative publication produced for ACA by Dr. Garry R. Walz and Dr. Jeanne C. Bleuer of Counseling Outfitters, LLC. Its purpose is to provide a means of capturing the ideas, information and experiences generated by the annual ACA Conference and selected ACA Division Conferences. Papers on a program or practice that has been validated through research or experience may also be submitted. This digital collection of peer-reviewed articles is authored by counselors, for counselors. VISTAS Online contains the full text of over 900 proprietary counseling articles published from 2004 to 2017.
2010
Suddenly Military: Play-Based Interventions For Deployed National Guard and Reserve Families
Lennis Echterling, Anne Stewart, and Danielle Budash
2010
Deployment, a military fact of life, refers to the assignment of military personnel to temporary, unaccompanied tours of duty. Extended separations, increased workloads, shifting demands, erratic schedules, and combat make deployment a difficult, uncertain, and even harrowing experience for both service members and their families. In particular, the “suddenly military” National Guard and Reserve families find deployment to be especially stressful (Hoshmand & Hoshmand, 2007). These families must deal with an array of new and unexpected concerns, including legal, financial, marital, employment, child rearing, and health care issues as they rapidly transition to a military lifestyle. Moreover, they are often isolated and unable to access support services available to traditional military families (National Military Family Association [NFMA], 2006).