CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
The West Virginia National Guard Family Assistance Program is ranked first in the nation according to the National Guard Bureau’s mid-year scorecard.
West Virginia ties with Washington state for the distinction, which was announced in June.
“We are proud of the Family Assistance Program and the support they provide to our One Guard family,” said Brig. Gen. William “Bill” Crane, Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard. “Our specialists work hard to build relationships with thousands of Guard members, families, veterans and retirees to ensure our West Virginia National Guard is focused and mission ready at all times.”
The state is divided into five regions, with one Family Assistance specialist overseeing each area. West Virginia National Guard Chaplin Col. Michael Allen said that model puts specialists into the communities they serve and enables them to build important relationships with those they serve.
“They go out and make contacts and make available resources whenever our soldiers or families might have some issues,” Allen said. “They have references on who to contact in that community and know what resources within that community will benefit service members and their families.”
The NGB grades Family Assistance Programs across five metrics: Outreach, Cases, Community, Events, and Quick Trackers. These metrics measure how often Family Assistance specialists reach out to service members, how many people they connect to community resources, how well the program is marketed, and the quality of day-to-day activity.
Amy Long, lead soldier and family readiness specialist with the Family Assistance Program, said these metrics help guide the program’s mission to provide support to service members, families, veterans and retirees however possible.
“We don’t have an Active-Duty base in West Virginia, and we’re a rural state, so we have to rely on our community to support our service members,” Long said. “We always advertise ourselves as a one-stop shop for service members and families so that when they come to us, we’re able to provide them with the service or connect them to the information they need at that time.”
Family Support specialists connect those in need to a number of vital services, including helping veterans and retirees access their earned benefits. They also have connected service members and families with financial services, home and auto repair and even foster care for pets while a solider or airman is deployed.
“A few years ago, someone had a pet goat and we had to find a home for them while that person was deployed,” Long said with a laugh. “We really do try to make life easier for our service members and their families however we can.”
Long said “there is no price” on having a hardworking team who is dedicated to serving the West Virginia National Guard, and she credits the support from WVNG leadership with helping the program achieve national recognition.
“The score card rating shows that our specialists are working hard to make sure families and service members are being taken care of at the highest level,” she said. “I have such a great team in place that cares and is passionate about the job. We have specialists who are spouses of military members and specialists who are retired from the National Guard, so they are familiar with the programs available across the state and can serve with understanding and compassion.”
Allen said he is pleased to see NGB recognize the passion and drive of Family Assistance specialists that makes the program successful.
“Everybody involved in the Family Assistance Program has a real desire to serve our families and service members,” he said. “When there is a desire to serve like that, you see the results in the numbers and the reports.”
To reach the Family Assistance Program, which is available 24/7, call 1-986-4326 or email your region’s specialist.