ALCOAST 109/09
COMDTNOTE 1754
SUBJ: FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM (FAP) POLICY REVISIONS
A. COAST GUARD FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM, COMDTINST 1750.7 (SERIES)
B. MANAGEMENT OF FAMILY ADVOCACY AND SPECIAL NEEDS CASES,
COMDTINST 1754.12 (SERIES)
1. THIS ALCOAST UPDATES OUTDATED POLICY CONTAINED IN REFS A AND B.
UPDATED GUIDANCE ON PORTIONS OF THE POLICY HAS RECENTLY BEEN
PROVIDED TO FAMILY ADVOCACY SPECIALISTS (FAS) AND WORK-LIFE
SUPERVISORS AND IS SUMMARIZED HERE.
2. VICTIMS OF FAMILY ABUSE AND/OR NEGLECT WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO
UNDERGO ASSESSMENT OR TREATMENT. THE FAS WILL OFFER SERVICES TO
VICTIMS, WITH PARTICIPATION ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS. COMMANDING
OFFICERS AND OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE WILL BE ADVISED THAT SERVICES HAVE
BEEN OFFERED, BUT THAT THESE SERVICES SHOULD NOT BE MANDATED BY
THE COMMAND. WHEN VICTIMS CHOOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN FAP
SERVICES, THE FAS WILL STILL ADDRESS SAFETY NEEDS AND OFFER
ONGOING INFORMATION REGARDING IDENTIFIED SAFETY ISSUES,
AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES AT A LATER DATE, AND INFORMATION
REGARDING LOCAL VICTIM SERVICES.
3. RESEARCH-BASED FAMILY MALTREATMENT DEFINITIONS, DEVELOPED BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
AT STONYBROOK, WILL NOW BE USED TO MAKE DECISIONS AS TO WHETHER
ABUSE AND/OR NEGLECT HAS OCCURRED. KEY COMPONENTS OF THESE
DEFINITIONS ARE THE COMMISSION OF AN ACT AND ITS IMPACT ON THE
VICTIM. THESE ARE OPERATIONALIZED DEFINITIONS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES
CHILD OR SPOUSE PHYSICAL, SEXUAL, OR EMOTIONAL ABUSE OR CHILD
NEGLECT. USED CONSISTENTLY, THESE DEFINITIONS AND DECISION-MAKING
PROCESSES PROMOTE RELIABLE DECISION-MAKING ABOUT FAMILY
MALTREATMENT. THEY ARE ALSO CURRENTLY USED WITHIN THE OTHER ARMED
FORCES. FIELD FAS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED AND ARE CURRENTLY USING THESE
DEFINITIONS. COPIES OF FAMILY MALTREATMENT DEFINITIONS MAY BE
OBTAINED FROM THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM MANAGER COMDT (CG-1112).
4. AN INCIDENT DETERMINATION COMMITTEE (IDC) WILL REVIEW ALL
REPORTED FAP INCIDENTS AND MAKE DECISIONS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE
CRITERIA FOR FAMILY MALTREATMENT HAVE BEEN MET. THE IDC WILL BE
CONVENED BY THE FAS AND WILL BE COMPOSED OF AT LEAST THREE MEMBERS
INCLUDING THE FAS. IDC MEMBERS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE FAS ON A
VOLUNTEER COLLATERAL-DUTY BASIS AND MAY INCLUDE COAST GUARD
EMPLOYEES SUCH AS WORK-LIFE PERSONNEL, LEGAL STAFF, OR MEDICAL
PERSONNEL. IN ADDITION TO THESE IDC MEMBERS, A MEMBER OF THE
SERVICE MEMBERS COMMAND, ASSIGNED BY THE COMMANDING OFFICER OR
OFFICER-IN-CHARGE, WILL BE INVITED TO BE A COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR
THAT CASE. THE IDC WILL DISCUSS ONLY THAT INFORMATION RELATED AND
PERTINENT TO THE CURRENT SPECIFIC ALLEGATION(S) AND THE
MALTREATMENT CRITERIA RELATED TO EACH TYPE OF ALLEGED ABUSE. THE
FAS WILL MAINTAIN NOTES OF EACH IDC CASE DECISION, CLEARLY
INDICATING WHICH MALTREATMENT CRITERIA WERE MET/NOT MET, TO BE
KEPT IN THE FAP CASE FILE. IDC MEETING LOGISTICS (E.G., WHEN,
WHERE, IN-PERSON VS. TELEPHONE, HOW DELIBERATIONS ARE CONDUCTED)
WILL BE MANAGED BY THE FAS. IDC DELIBERATIONS ARE CONSIDERED
CONFIDENTIAL.
5. FAP FUNDS ARE PART OF ALLOTMENT FUND CODE (AFC) AFC-57. THESE
FUNDS ARE SET ASIDE FOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR ACTIVE DUTY
PERSONNEL AND THEIR DEPENDENTS. THE FAP MAY NOT PROVIDE FUNDING
SOLELY FOR THE TREATMENT OF A CIVILIAN WHO IS NOT A DEPENDENT OF A
SERVICE MEMBER (E.G., FOR FAP CASES INVOLVING NON-DEPENDENT
CIVILIANS). AS APPROPRIATE, NON-DEPENDENT CIVILIANS SEEKING
INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT WILL BE REFERRED TO LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICES.
6. MANY INCIDENTS DO NOT MEET THE CRITERIA FOR FAMILY
MALTREATMENT, BUT A FAMILY WOULD BENEFIT FROM COUNSELING OR OTHER
TREATMENT. WHEN APPROPRIATE, REFERRALS TO TRICARE AND OTHER
SERVICES SHOULD BE MADE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHEN
APPROPRIATE CARE IS NOT AVAILABLE, EXCEPT THROUGH FAP. A NEW CASE
STATUS OPTION, UNSUBSTANTIATED: PREVENTION RECOMMENDED, IS NOW
AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES WHO VOLUNTARILY OPT FOR FAP-FUNDED
PREVENTION SERVICES. FAP IS AUTHORIZED TO FUND ASSESSMENT AND/OR
TREATMENT TO THESE FAMILIES WHEN AN ALLEGED INCIDENT IS
UNSUBSTANTIATED. THESE CASES ARE CONSIDERED OPEN WHEN FAP FUNDS
ARE USED. COMMANDING OFFICERS AND OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE WILL BE
NOTIFIED THAT AN ALLEGED INCIDENT IS UNSUBSTANTIATED, AFTER WHICH
THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE REPORTS REGARDING THE FAMILYS PREVENTION
SERVICES. CASES ARE NOT ENTERED INTO DIRECT ACCESS. HOWEVER, CASE
RECORDS WILL BE MAINTAINED. RECORDS WILL BE DESTROYED WHEN THE
CASE IS CLOSED OR 1 YEAR AFTER THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH FAP,
WHICHEVER IS LATER.
7. THESE POLICY CHANGES WILL BE REFLECTED IN AN UPCOMING REVISION
TO REF A.
8. POC: DR. LAUREL SHUSTER, COMDT (CG-1112), 202-475-5157 OR
EMAIL: LAUREL.A.SHUSTER(AT)USCG.MIL.
9. RELEASED BY RADM MARK TEDESCO, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, SAFETY, AND
WORK-LIFE.
10. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.