NGB Recognizes Outreach Success

Photo By Michael Williams | The staff of the Mississippi Army National Guard Family Programs Department was recently recognized by the National Guard Bureau Council of Accreditation for their work in supporting the families of Soldiers.  

JACKSON, MS, UNITED STATES

01.29.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Michael Williams 

Joint Force Headquarters - Mississippi National Guard

JACKSON, Mississippi. -- Beyond salary, education and housing benefits, there are valuable Army family support services for service members and their families. Some can be found in the Mississippi Army National Guard Family Programs Office.
The MSARNG Family Programs center recently achieved its Military Family Readiness Program Accreditation, a prestigious recognition by the Council of Accreditation.
“This achievement has proven that our staff is committed to thinking ‘outside of the box’ in order to provide quality information to every Soldier and Airmen within the state,” said Marion Newbury, MSARNG Family Readiness Support assistant.
The COA is an independent, nonprofit, accrediting entity that collaborates with human service accrediting organizations worldwide. It works to improve service delivery outcomes by developing, applying and promoting accreditation standards.
“The Mississippi Army National Guard Family Programs is among 21 National Guard programs that have completed the process thus far,” she said. “During the on-site accreditation visit, the Council of Accreditation representatives verbally ranked our program in the top five among all of those accredited so far.”
The MFR Program Accreditation includes the accreditation of family readiness services provided to active duty, Reserve and National Guard service members and their dependents. These services include community capacity building initiatives, emergency family assistance, exceptional family member program family support, family advocacy, financial readiness, military lifestyle support and education, financial education and counseling, non-medical individual, and family counseling and volunteer coordination.
“The success of the accreditation process has proven to the National Guard Bureau that Mississippi has a state run family program that has worked in collaboration with the entire outreach services department to provide the state with quality services available to all of our service members and their families,” Newbury added.
As technology continues to evolve, the Mississippi Army National Guard Family Programs is taking advantage of many opportunities that will help distribute information to family members and service members.
Currently, the Mississippi Army National Guard Family Programs are managing 24 virtual family readiness groups throughout the state that have pertinent information for family members. These sites are listed under several Mississippi Army National Guard battalion headquarters’ name.
Information about children’s events, strong bonds and even noncommissioned officers conference information can also be found at www.armyfrg.org.
“These sites also contain important information about MyPay, GI Bill, job announcements, MWR offices and much more,” said Newbury.
Other events that are hosted by Family Programs are ACT workshops, college days, wildlife camps, space and sports camp, and youth symposiums.
Family Programs offices can be found at Camp Shelby, and Guard facilities in Vicksburg, Raymond Road, Joint Force Headquarters (JFH), Senatobia, Laurel, Newton, Monticello, and Tupelo.
To highlight what the family programs offices have to offer, Newbury said the Camp Shelby Family Programs office has a food pantry and clothes closet. She also mentioned that the Camp Shelby location includes a computer lab along with employment services, suicide prevention, and many other services.
“Family programs has done the work so that Soldiers and their families can have easy access to tons of Mississippi specific information all in one place,” said Newbury.
The program will maintain its accreditation until 2019.
For more information on what the Mississippi Army National Guard Family Programs Office has to offer, visit www.armyfrg.org or www.jointservicessupport.org, or call 601-313-6379.

• Date Taken: 01.29.2016
• Date Posted: 04.27.2016 12:06
• Story ID: 196645
• Location: JACKSON, MS, US