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The Family Readiness Assessment Tool, or FRAT, is designed to provide unit commanders with data and a summary report on unit strength and actionable concerns, so they may see what issues their Marines and Sailors are dealing with and work to fix it.
"The [FRAT] gives support to the unit commanders in tailoring the unit Family Readiness Program to the specific needs of Marines and families," said Gary L. Bowen, who has a doctorate in social work and is a professor of social work with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and helped design the program.
The tool is completely web-based, which Bowen feels the Marines will be more accustomed to.
"The young Marines and their spouses are familiar with computers and mostly have access to a computer," said Bowen. "I hope to never go back to the days of pencil and paper."
Marines and their spouses fill out assessments to help identify areas where they could use assistance.
Some other key features are individual profiles for each respondent, technical support, a summary profile for the Marines and video tutorials guiding the user through the steps to create a profile on the program, and to finish the assessment tools.
Bowen referenced Gen. James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps, to express the goal of the Family Readiness Program.
"What matters most is that the Marines take care of each other," Conway said during the film "Cover Me.".
The tool, which the Marines began working on in Spring of 2008, was made available when the day's lectures and training of the new tool were complete.
"I think this is great for family team building," said Lt. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik, commanding general, II Marine Expeditionary Force. "I hope this leads the way to more ideas, such as a town hall meeting for spouses only, or drills on resiliency."
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2009 10:24 |
| Story ID: | 33851 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 514 |
| Downloads: | 440 |
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