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Esquimalt MFRC Staff get their Sea Legs
By Jon Chabun, Esquimalt MFRC
The Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) became the first Canadian MFRC to provide training aboard a returning ship this past August. Staff members Steve Lawrence and Linda Scott visited the HMCS Winnipeg from 3-11 August 2009 as the ship travelled from Tonga to Hawaii. The pair delivered workshops to deployed personnel to help them adjust to coming home after being away for seven months.
“We were welcomed on board with genuine hospitality and warmth,” said Steve Lawrence, operations manager for the Esquimalt MFRC. “The feedback (from the training) was very positive and many members expressed appreciation for the presentations.” Steve hopes that this kind of training becomes a permanent fixture for all ships returning from extended deployments.
“The crew helped make it easy for me,” said Linda Scott, program manager at the Esquimalt MFRC and first time sailor. “I was impressed how well everyone worked together. They work hard at their jobs, they are professional – and they were open to us and what we were doing.”
The workshops included a compulsory Return and Reunion session, and three optional sessions: Single Sailor Homeward Bound, Returning to Children and Re-establishing Relationships. Meanwhile, family members of the HMCS Winnipeg attended their own Return and Reunion workshop on 9 August 2009 back in Esquimalt, as well as monthly “Sunday sessions” that provided an update from the ship.
One crew member commented after a workshop: “I realized from your brief that the emotions and feelings I was having were quite normal. I immediately wrote to my fiancée to express those feelings. She now plans to attend the next Sunday session.”
The workshops earned the support of ship’s command team in advance of deployment, and the command’s active support of the training set the tone for the crew. The Executive Officer introduced the Return and Reunion session and the Commanding Officer closed the session by sharing some personal reunion experiences.
Delivering the large presentations proved a challenge: the Return and Reunion training took place in the hangar. To make things more comfortable, the crew brought lawn chairs to sit on and placed gym mats on the hangar deck.
The Return and Reunion workshop took a look at reintegration from both the member’s perspective and the family’s perspective. The presentation hoped to help CF members forecast potential challenges, and get information and resources to alleviate those potential challenges when returning home. Steve and Linda were also able to pilot the Esquimalt MFRC’s new reunion video, “They’re Back”, to get some feedback.
The Returning to Children workshop provided deployed parents with information about the impact of deployment on child development. It also covered a child’s reaction to separation, the adjustment to being at home with children after a long time away, and tips for re-establishing routines together.
The Single Sailor Homeward Bound workshop focused on re-establishing ties with family and friends, re-adjusting to work and social schedules, and gave information on upcoming events and recreational opportunities.
The Re-establishing Relationships workshop offered a more in-depth look at the process of re-establishing a close relationship for those that are married or in a committed relationship. The workshop hoped to help identify concerns that can come up in relationships and ways to re-build connections during the reintegration process.
The idea for these kinds of workshops originally came from the United States Fleet and Family Support Centers who have provided return and reunion training at sea for many years. The Esquimalt MFRC worked closely with their US counterparts and received training from the San Diego Fleet and Family Support Center last year.
