Military OneSource serves those who serve our country
The holidays can be a joyous time to gather together and reconnect with friends and family. But for thousands of military personnel and their families, the holidays can be a difficult reminder of the loved ones they miss and can cause more stress in an already tense situation. For these and many other reasons, Military OneSource provided by Ceridian can help.
"After September 11, the DoD recognized the true value of providing support services to military personnel located all over the world. Ceridian's expertise and know-how when it comes to efficiently and effectively providing services contributes significantly to our partnership," says Mary Craig, director of Content and Communication for MOS. "We work directly with the DoD to develop content and programs based on emerging trends and requests from callers."
Over the past seven years, use of the service has steadily increased as more Guard and Reserve personnel are called up and as the DoD steps up promotions to military members about the Military OneSource program. Today MOS supports about 2.7 million military personnel and their families across the world. MOS offers a Web site that covers everything about military life -- from benefits and training to educational resources and financial matters. Users can go online to read information and find links to many other resources. They can also call a Military OneSource consultant for support on their particular situation. Top stressors for military
"Calls are most often about issues related to deployment and returning home to everyday life. The adjustment process in leaving and returning home hits military personnel and their families very hard," says Krystalyn Davis, an MOS consultant. "Military members probably expect to experience some tough adjustments when they leave to go overseas, but it's surprisingly difficult to reintegrate back to life at home when they return. They are so excited to come home and they anticipate a happy reunion, but once reality sets in, family dynamics may have changed, there are new routines and they need to re-establish their role in the family. These issues, coupled with stress from having lived through combat and even the death of colleagues, may prompt many service men, women and their families to seek counseling." Davis says the second most common concern callers have is about finances. Frequent relocations cause cost of living wage adjustments to military pay, which makes budgeting complicated. Also, when reservists are called away from their full-time civilian jobs to serve far from home, families left behind may need to adjust budgets, working hours, day care needs and more. Serving those who serve
Whatever the issue, military life involves many variables and that leads to stress. That's why the Department of Defense promotes the resources available with MOS, including free access to consultants with a master's level education and experience working with the military. Our consultants participate in a comprehensive five-week training course that covers topic areas specific to the military, such as the National Guard and Reserves, Army Family Teambuilding training, Military Spouse Education/Training and Careers, Military Family Advocacy, rank and title issues, military culture and financial issues related to the military pay and housing systems. Military and their family members who call MOS first speak to a triage consultant who will either answer questions directly or transfer callers with more complex situations to a consultant. When consultants such as Davis connect with callers, they conduct brief assessments to determine needs. "We are prepared to help callers with any issue, whether it's referring them to a counselor in their area for in-person counseling or providing guidance on a number of topics over the phone," Davis explains. "Sometimes callers are so overwhelmed they don't know where to begin." And in these situations, Davis says the best thing she can do is listen. "It's challenging at times because we can't fix everything, but we can be there to offer empathy and connect people to the right resources. The families are so appreciative of any help we can provide. I really enjoy knowing that I'm helping families who have made such big sacrifices for our country. It makes us feel good to know that we're doing work that helps people when they need it most," Davis says. During the holiday season and all year long, we take great pride in the work we do to support members of the military and their families. If you know someone in the military who would benefit from these services, be sure to remind them that Military OneSource is a free, confidential resource available 24 hours a day. We're just a call or click away at 800-342-9647 or www.militaryonesource.com.
