Navy, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors partner to serve Navy families
5/26/2011
by Katie Suich, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs
MILLINGTON, Tenn (NNS) -- The Chief of Naval Personnel Casualty Assistance branch and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement May 26 creating a partnership to expand services to grieving Navy families.

TAPS has been working with Navy Casualty since the early 1990s, but with a formal agreement comes the ability to provide more formal and defined services to families. In February 2010, the organization signed a similar memorandum with the Marine Corps.

"We have had the opportunity to pilot and prove what works best, how families respond to the support offered, and how it works most efficiently for the CACO (Casualty Assistance Calls Officer) to connect with the family. I think the Navy will benefit now by benchmarking that proven protocol," said Bonnie Carroll, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors director, who traveled to Millington to sign the agreement.

There are four categories of services TAPS provides for families: peer-based emotional support for those grieving a traumatic death, community-based care to connect families with support systems, case work assistance and a live call center.

"Surviving family members connected to TAPS find hope and healing, and become part of a military family 'remembering the love, celebrating the life, and sharing the journey' with others who truly understand their loss and are able to offer compassionate care," said Carroll.

The TAPS Peer Mentor program trains those who are 18 months to two years past their own loss to provide support to the newly bereaved. In addition to assistance from a Peer Mentor and the TAPS Survivor Support Staff, TAPS also connects surviving family members with online support groups, regional military survivor seminars and "Good Grief Camps," grief and trauma counseling opportunities, along with a national network of support services.

Casework assistance spans a broad spectrum from financial and legal concerns to correcting a headstone.

"We have wonderful networks to support surviving families with pro bono legal assistance to connect them to emergency financial assistance, and provide information about state, local, federal government benefits," Carroll said.

The TAPS toll free resource and information line, 1-800-959-TAPS, has been answered by a caring team of support staff continuously since October 1994, handling over 500 calls a week.

The Navy Casualty system for long-term care allows them to follow up with families after a death. Family members may choose to release their contact information to TAPS so they can receive free immediate and long-term support services. Once they consent, their information is provided to TAPS and the organization will immediately send a handwritten note and a resource kit with grief support materials. Within two weeks, TAPS will personally contact the family and continue providing comfort and care for as long as they desire. The Navy also follows up with the family a few months after the event and then again a year after the event.

"We send the family members a letter at the 60-day point just letting them know we are still thinking about them, and to see if they are having any troubles getting their benefits and to let them know that we are here for them. A similar letter is sent a year later," said Chief Logistics Specialist (SW/AW) Gary Henson, Survivor Outreach & Long Term Assistance program manager.

"TAPS is the closing link that we've been missing to have our complete chain of casualty care," said Cmdr. Kevin Sutton, Navy Casualty and Mortuary Affairs acting director. "My office provides immediate assistance to families, financial benefits, travel to funerals, that sort of thing, but unfortunately once the benefits process is done we're not equipped or manned to do long-term care for the families. That is what we're getting now, courtesy of TAPS.

"They are the absolute best in the world, true professionals and with the peer-care we can give families that long-term emotional care and support they need," said Sutton. "It's absolutely wonderful that we have this agreement and I think we're going to see a significant improvement in the quality of the service we provide for families."