Photo By Jacqueline Thomas | Jackie Clayborn, an Exceptional Family Member Program specialist, reaches out to...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Face coverings. Pandemic. Social distancing. A few months ago these were all foreign ideas and terms to most people. Today, they are all too familiar in our everyday lives. As we adjusted the way we lived our lives, we also had to adjust how we communicate and interact with each other. Fort Bragg’s Army Community Service was no exception. They needed to find a way to continue to communicate and help their customers.
The decision was made for ACS staff to call on-post residents to reach out to our soldiers and Families, connect them with resources, and to let them know assistance is always available, if and when needed.
Staff members making the calls were asked to come into the office to do so. Since the ACS offices were closed to the public, this allowed employees to maintain safety and social distancing. An added benefit of having staff members come into the office for the calls, was the ability to check in and check on each other, giving managers some face time to ensure staff members were doing well and staying healthy.
“Due to a lot of our employees not having government phones, we asked for staff to voluntarily come in and assist with the calls,” said Barbara Trower-Simpkins, ACS Director. “Employees thought this was a great opportunity to expose more families to ACS services, especially those who might possibly be in crisis mode, due to the circumstances.”
Simpkins added approximately 50 of their 88 staff members came in to help every Thursday and Friday. Those who had government phones assisted off-site. Additionally, program managers with government phones came in to work right along with their employees.
“Our number one priority was to ensure that all staff were safe upon entering the building,” Simpkins said. “We required a face mask and ensured that each person had their own space to make calls. Not only did our government employees assist, but our contracting teams in Family Advocacy, Exceptional Family Member program and Relocation came in to help with the calls. Everyone saw this as a great opportunity to assist our Families with resources and services that they may need during this unprecedented time.”
Phone calls were made over a five-week period. Each household received one call per week, reaching 4,273 on-post residents at least once. An average of 900 messages were left each week for residents. The messages let residents know where and how to reach out for help.
ACS employees were provided with a script to help ensure the same message was being presented during each phone call. Many of those being called had questions beyond the scope of ACS services; such as, where the COVID-19 screening locations were, where to find updates on installation facilities, and the Womack Army Medical Center Nurse Advice Line. In addition, Families that were not aware of the services ACS provided now had a one-on-one opportunity to ask questions and receive an answer from an expert.
The phone calls came as a surprise to some residents that ACS and installation leaders would take the time to call and check on their wellbeing. Residents were connected with necessary resources, and ACS contact information was provided, in case they needed something or had more questions. During this unsure time, Families were left with a sense of security knowing they had someone to reach out to no matter their need.
“Residents largely welcomed the calls, appreciating that someone cared to check on them and offer assistance during this uncertain and stressful time,” said Audra Satterlee, ACS Specialist. “There was an impressively warm reception to the weekly calls. Because we ended up calling weekly, ACS staff members were even able to follow up on some of the questions asked and information provided from previous calls.”
Overall, most residents appreciated the welfare calls. However, some were not as receptive to the phone calls. Since the calls were unannounced, some Families were not sure if they were receiving a scam phone call or not. Additionally, others felt the questions about recent travel and recent health issues were an invasion of privacy and chose to not answer the questions. Hang-ups and blocking ACS phone numbers happened as well.
Although tedious during chaotic times, the phone calls produced positive interactions and exposure for Fort Bragg’s Army Community Service.
“Some Families do not have a support network in the area,” Satterlee said. “Some had just arrived to the area. Some just had new babies and were basically on their own during the stay-at-home order. So to be able to engage with those Families and help ensure they were managing the new norm in a positive way was imperative to us. They might not have otherwise reached out to anyone for support.”
As we continue to navigate through our new normal in a COVID-19 world, it is important to remember that something as simple as a phone call can make an impact on the lives around us.
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2020 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 371744 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Call of Support: ACS reaches out to Bragg residents, by Adam Luther, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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