| Veterans
News Flash 
Army Extends Level of Support to
Fallen Soldiers' Families
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2007 – Families of deceased
active-duty soldiers can receive an extended level
of support from a long-term care program the Army
launched 18 months ago, the program’s chief
said today.
The Army Long Term Family Case Management program
provides long-term support to families of fallen
soldiers by helping them through the often painful
and sometimes arduous steps toward receiving benefits
and various other types of support, Army Lt. Col.
Nora Linderman, program chief of Army Long Term
Family Case Management, told online journalists
and “bloggers” in a conference call
today.
“My team and I are constantly listening to
families, learning what they need (and) enhancing
and expanding our program accordingly so that we
can do whatever is required,” she said.
Casualty assistance officers generally avail themselves
to families at the early stages of the mourning
process, at least through a fallen soldier’s
interment, Linderman said. But in the months and
years following the loss of a loved one, unresolved
issues and questions often surface regarding benefits
and support services, she said.
To address such issues, a support coordinator with
Army Long Term Family Case Management contacts
the family about six months following the loss
of a loved one. The coordinator maintains an “open
dialogue” with family members for as long
as they find it helpful, Linderman said.
The program also follows congressional legislation
that pertains to benefits programs offered to families
of deceased soldiers and posts the information
on its Web site, http://www.altfcm.army.mil
Launched in February 2006, Army Long Term Family
Case Management already has helped more than 5,000
families identify benefits to which they’re
entitled, Linderman noted.
“Being able to be there
with a support structure for the families through
the months and the years after the loss is a wonderful
step in the right direction,” she said. “I
encourage anyone who has suffered a loss to lean
on us.”
Information about Army Long Term Family Case Management
is available on the program’s Web site or
by calling a support coordinator at 1-866-272-5841.
SOURCE:
VNIS
top
of page
|
