Fatherhood Channel

After becoming trained as Marriage Education Instructors by the nonprofit PAIRS Foundation in 2011, Deborah and Todd Lovell today lead marriage retreats for visually-impaired Veterans and their spouses at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.

PAIRS VA Marriage Retreats are today helping thousands of Veteran couples restore love, intimacy and trust through programs offered by many of the 300 VA Chaplains and Behavioral Health professionals trained by the nonprofit PAIRS Foundation.

Lauren DelGandio will serve as Program Director for Operation Sacred Trust, OST, a $1 million grant project funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families Initiative, to help end homelessness among Veteran families in South Florida.

Strong marriages and families may be the most effective tool for helping Veterans overcome visible and invisible wounds of war. The Veterans Administration is investing millions in new approaches that help loved ones help each other.

Four of South Florida’s leading nonprofits with a long track record of service to Veterans were awarded $1 million by the Veterans Administration last week to implement “Operation Sacred Trust.” The initiative aims to provide a model of community collaboration, innovative services, and access to affordable housing to end homelessness among Veteran families.

Hampton VA Chief of Chaplains Sue Cross encourages her staff to have dreams and works to give them resources to be successful. She says PAIRS training helped her communicate when she needs support and encouragement.

The BBC reports on helping aid workers better understand and care for themselves as the foundation to helping others.

The Veterans Administration is helping chaplains and behavioral health specialists learn new approaches to improve the well-being and resiliency of servicemen and women returning from deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Military families are learning skills to strengthen family resilience before, during and after deployment. Marriage education and relationship skills exercises help children confide by teaching parents to be better listeners.

Chaplain Ed Waldrop is changing lives for military and veteran families through his service at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. He delivers retreats as part of the partnership that was recognized as “Best Practice in Marriage Enrichment” by the Veterans Administration.

For military families, reuniting after deployment may include a laundry list of challenges. A guide from the American Psychological Association suggests ten tips, warning signs, and an assessment to consider the impact of trauma.

Pam Weber, MSW, helps St. Louis couples respond to relationship challenges from a place of compassion and love instead of fear and defensiveness.

As Chief of Chaplains at the San Diego VA Healthcare System, Chaplain Dick Millspaugh provides supportive services for veteran families to help couples learn skills to overcome unique stressors of military service.

A groundbreaking effort to convene many of the best minds on the subject of the intimate relationships of National Guard service members and their families focused on the importance of relationship and marriage education in identifying and effectively dealing with the stress of multiple deployments for the “citizen Soldier.”

Coast Guard chaplains from around the country are meeting in Tampa this week to consider the “Soul of Leadership.” PAIRS CEO Seth Eisenberg spoke to the group about the impact of evidence-based marriage education and relationship skills training.

The Veterans Administration’s $50 million Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) grant aims at funding innovative approaches and replicable best practices to alleviate and prevent homelessness among very low-income veterans. While nearly 131,000 veterans are today homeless on any given night, new strategies offer hope for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about marriage education and relationship skills training from PAIRS Foundation’s Inbox.

President Obama told America’s servicemen and women today, “we’re going to keep your family strong and secure.” A two year study of 160 couples participating in marriage enrichment retreats following combat deployment shows a significant, positive impact on family resiliency and offers a promising national model.

“I Am ME” profiles individuals and couples who are touching the lives of families and children in communities throughout the nation through Marriage Education. This week, Fatherhood Channel features Michelle Lynn, a PAIRS Instructor for marriage enrichment retreats for veterans sponsored by the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.

A five-year roadmap for the field of relationship and marriage education on behalf of a world in which all children are safe, loved, and able to pursue life’s promise and potential.