Child abuse and spouse abuse threatens the fabric of our entire
society. Concern for the welfare of Navy families and the effects of
family dysfunction on military performance prompted the establishment of the
Family Advocacy Program in 1976. Today, the Family Advocacy Program
is designed to address the prevention, identification, reporting, intervention,
treatment and follow-up of child and spouse maltreatment.
The Navy Family
Advocacy Program rests on the following assumptions: (1) That family
violence does occur within all communities, including the Navy
community. (2) That family maltreatment and abuse is disruptive and
interferes with the work performance of the service member and thus with the
mission of the Navy. (3) That family violence and neglect are
incompatible with the high standards of professional and personal discipline
required of Navy members. (4) That many perpetrators of family
violence are not deviant or incorrigible and that many may be
rehabilitated. (5) That victims and involved families are often best
served when the perpetrators of family violence are placed in treatment and are
available to participate in the family's rehabilitation. (6) That
perpetrators of family violence must be held accountable for their behavior and
that swift and certain intervention is a most effective
deterrent. (7) That rehabilitation of a valued service member is most
effective for the Navy.
The Navy's comprehensive response to family
violence is designed to prevent or to stop the violence and to minimize its
impact on the family and on the Navy. Program components
include: prevention, identification and reporting as well as
intervention and treatment. Through prevention, service members and their
families are offered a variety of programs and trainings to reduce stressors and
facilitate healthy functioning. The Family Advocacy Program provides
training to help professionals detect abuse. Incidents of child abuse
or neglect are reported to family advocacy representatives and they in turn
coordinated with local child protective authorities as needed.
A Case
Review Committee recommends an appropriate response to identified cases of
abuse. Interventions may include: group counseling,
individual counseling, mental health assessment or anger
management. All victims and offenders are entitled to physical and/or
mental health treatment, counseling and other support
services. Special programs to help children who have witnessed
domestic violence are also available.
Family Advocacy cases are monitored
to ensure the victim is safe and that the perpetrator is making
progress. Family support programs, the medical treatment
facilities, and local commanders work cooperatively to provide services
recommended by the FAP.
At Patuxent River, the Family Advocacy Program is
located at the Fleet and Family Support Center 301-342-4911.