Family Advocacy services are available as a resource to support soldiers and families in managing personal and family issues. We provide educational classes and briefings to units, family members and the community. Our programs help create a safe community and strengthen individuals and families, especially those in at-risk situations. Some classes offered are Anger/Stress Management, Parenting Skills, New Parent Services, Child Health and Safety Issues, Family Violence Awareness, Child Abuse Detection and Reporting and Life Building Skills. Family Advocacy also provides assistance to and acts as liaison for victims of family violence and sexual assault (608-18). In 1994, Congress required the Department of Defense to conduct a study of family members abuse and its consequences and to identify efforts to reduce victim disincentives to reporting abuse. Congress followed up on its concerns and established the Transitional Compensation program for abused family members of military personnel. The legislation authorized temporary payments, for families in which the absent soldier has been discharged administratively or by court martial for dependent abuse. Benefit entitlement starts the date the court martial sentence is approved or the date the administrative separation is initiated. Payments are for a minimum of 12 months or until the soldier's ETS date, whichever period is longer, but may not exceed a maximum of 36 months. TC is centrally funded and managed at Department of the Army level. The Fort Bliss Army Community Service in conjunction with the Staff Judge Advocate Office coordinates individual cases at Fort Bliss and forwards applications. For details on this program, please call 568-4878.
Victim Advocacy The Victim Advocate program was established in order to provide support for victims of domestic violence. The purpose of the program is to enhance personal safety, and to preserve the victim's dignity and autonomy while providing support through the investigation and case review process. The program is supported by Family Advocacy and utilizes volunteers and staff to provide services while under the supervision of the program manager and ACS.
Victim Advocate services include, but are not limited to:
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SARP) Program expands the Family Advocacy Program and its Victim Advocacy capabilities under AR 600-20, Chapter 8. The SARP program reinforces the Army's commitment to eliminate incidents of sexual assault through a comprehensive policy that focuses on education, prevention, integrated victim support services, reporting, investigation, and appropriate action and follow-up. To learn more about the Army's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program click here.
*Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program training is not an extension of sexual harassment training. Please contact the appropriate agency for you Sexual Harassment training.
Response to victims of sexual assault both on the installation and in a deployed environment requires the utilization of unit victim advocates (UVA) and installation victim advocates (IVA 's). The training for UVA 's occurs regularly and provides those soldiers assigned to this co-lateral duty with comprehensive hands-on education in sexual assault victim advocacy. The criteria Commanders should use to select UVA 's can be found within AR 600-20 Chapter 8 or by contacting the Installation Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) at 568-5658 Monday through Friday from 0730 to 1630.
Victims of sexual assault have two reporting options afforded to them. Under restricted and unrestricted reporting victims may receive services and advocacy on their behalf as well as obtain information on services on and off the installation. For more information on types of reporting and services available contact the installation victim advocate at
To obtain victim services and information during duty hours call 568-4878. Car seat safety inspectionsNine out of 10 car seats are installed incorrectly. Is yours one of them? Find out at a free car seat safety inspection brought to you by Army Community Service’s Family Advocacy Program. Inspections will be held at the Auto Crafts shop in Bldg. 820 on Marshall Road from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. November 17 and December 15. To learn more, call 569-4227. ACS Community OverviewLearn about Army Community Service resources and what the program offers to the community during the ACS Community Overview. Sessions will be held from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Family Resilience Center, Bldg. 250 Club Road, on the following dates:
For more information, call the Family Resilience Center at (915) 569-5500. New CYSS fees effective October 1As mandated by the Department of Defense Child Care Fee Policy, a new fee structure will be implemented by Fort Bliss Child, Youth and School Services effective Monday, October 1. For a complete list of new fees, visit www.blissmwr.com/cds/servicefees_FY2013.aspx. For more information, call (915) 568-4374.
Mandatory Domestic Violence Awareness Trainings AR 608-18 - If Domestic Violence is to end, each one of us in this community must form a partnership that focuses on creating a safe violence-free environment. This partnership reinforces that everyone has a right to feel safe and takes a stand against Domestic Violence. Please contact Yadira Velasco at (915) 569-5058 to schedule your unit's annual mandatory Domestic Violence Awareness training. Yadira.velasco@us.army.mil Mandatory Sexual Assault Awareness Trainings - Active and Reserve Components are also required to receive annual Sexual Assault Training. Please contact Johnny Pippen at (915) 569-5374.
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Transitional Compensation 
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