The AAMFT Blog

Free, Online Resources to Help Veterans with Life’s Transitions and Challenges

The New Year can be a time for changes. But changes in life, even good ones, can bring new challenges and stress. Many people use the New Year to start a new health and exercise program, quit smoking, or are worried about relationships or finances after money spent during the holidays. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things you have to do, you are not alone.

VA developed Moving Forward, a free, online resource to help you manage stress and transition. Moving Forward teaches skills and tools to help you navigate challenging times, find creative solutions to problems and meet your goals.

Moving Forward is not your average training course, it features interactive exercises, videos and real-life stories from fellow Veterans. Some of the tools used throughout the course are:

• A quiz to learn your problem-solving style
• Relaxation exercises and stress management tools
• A toolkit to fight “brain overload”
• A step-by-step plan for solving stressful problems

One of three courses in the VA Online Self-Help Resource Center, Moving Forward is completely confidential and easy to use. No sign-up or registration is required; no personal information is collected. It can be used by anyone, anywhere and there is no cost. You can work through the modules at the time, pace, and place of your choosing.

The other two courses in the Online Self-Help Resource Center are Parenting for Servicemembers and Veterans and Anger & Irritability Management Skills (AIMS). While these tools are not intended to replace professional care, they have resources and exercises to help you work through life’s transitions.

If you are looking for assistance in manage stress and stressful situations, we urge you to visit www.VeteranTraining.Va.Gov and check out Moving Forward, or any of the online resources.

This post provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Receive Funding for your Studies in MFT

The AAMFT Research & Education Foundation is pleased to announce that applications for the 2016-17 Minority Fellowship Program’s Doctoral Fellowship (DF), Dissertation Completion Fellowship (DCF) and Now Is The Time: Minority Fellowship Program—Youth (NITT-MFP-Y) are now open. These programs are funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to focus on supporting the training of practitioners, or practitioner/researchers, in culturally competent mental health and substance abuse services, treatment and prevention.

Doctoral Fellowship (DF) and Dissertation Completion Fellowship (DCF)

• These Fellowship programs are open to MFT doctoral students who are committed to research about and service to racial and/or ethnic minority communities and underserved populations.
• The MFP-D has awarded Fellowships to 123 students from 26 states around the country!
• Doctoral level Fellows spend an average of approximately two (2) years in the Fellowship and have received on average, over $36,000 in direct stipends per Fellow over that period of time.
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Apply here

Master’s Fellowship

• The NITT-MFP-Y is open to Master’s level MFT students that are interested in providing behavioral health services to racial and/or ethnic minority children, adolescence, youth, and individuals in transition to adulthood (16-25).
• The NITT-MFP-Y has awarded Fellowships to 71 students.
• Fellows participating in the MFP-Youth for the 2014-15 program year received approximately $6,600 in direct stipends per Fellow.
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Apply here

Volunteer Information

• Ad- Hoc Review Position
  • Ad-hoc reviewers serve as initial reviewers on eligible applications for the doctoral (MFP-DF/DCF) and master’s (NITT-MFP-Y) fellowships offered by the MFP.
  • Serve a 1 year term.
• Advisory Committee Position
  • Professional Member Positions and Public Member Positions
  • Advisory Committee members will provide programmatic and professional guidance aid in the growth and development of the AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program.
  • Attend all MFP Advisory Committee (AC) meetings. There are 1-2 Advisory Committee meetings annually in the DC Metro area.
• Mentor Position
  • MFP Mentors will provide academic, professional and career development guidance to AAMFT MFP Fellows.  MFP Mentors are marriage and family therapists or other behavioral health professional volunteers.
  • Serve a 1-year term in a mentorship capacity for Fellows in the MFP.
• How to Apply to Volunteer
  • Review the Program Information page to determine which Volunteer Opportunity is right for you.
  • Please visit the MFP Volunteer Application Information Page to select the Volunteer position you wish to apply for!

Important Dates to Remember

Date	Time	Event
1/20/2016	11:59PM, ET	NITT-MFP-Y Application Deadline
1/20/2016	11:59PM, ET	MFP-DF and MFP-DCF Application Deadline

 

Learn more about the Minority Fellowship Program at [email protected] or visit www.aamft.org/mfp.