Family Advocacy Program

The mission of the Family Advocacy Program is to build healthy communities by implementing programs designed for the prevention and treatment of child and spouse abuse.

The Family Advocacy Program seeks to:
• Provide primary prevention services to all Air Force personnel
• Provide secondary prevention services to populations at risk for family violence
• Support family members with special medical or education needs
• Identify and treat incidents of child and spouse maltreatment
• Prevent child and spouse abuse
Family Maltreatment Program
The Family Maltreatment Program supports Air Force Readiness by improving duty performance and effectiveness of Air Force members by identifying, assessing, and treating situations involving family maltreatment.
Treatment includes:
• Individual and marital therapy
• Group intervention for offenders and victims of abuse
• Parenting classes and marriage enrichment classes
• Family Advocacy Safety Education Seminar (FASES)

Family Advocacy Strength-Based Therapy Services
FAST services are voluntary and designed to provide marital and family therapy to those who may be at risk for family maltreatment. Your provider will determine if your needs will be best met by Mental Health or FAST Services.
The New Parent Support Program
The NPSP is designed to provide support services to anyone who is pregnant or any family with children from birth to three years.
NPSP offers:
• Home, Office, or Hospital Visits by a Registered Nurse and/or Social Worker
• Telephone Consults
• Community Referrals
• Educational Materials/Information on areas such as Newborn Care, Breast/Bottle Feeding, Child Development, Discipline, and Child Proofing, as well as the “What to Expect” book series
• Breast Feeding Support
 Family Advocacy Outreach Program
The Outreach Program is designed to prevent child and spouse maltreatment from occurring on Little Rock AFB. A variety of prevention services are offered throughout the year including:
• Weekly Play Groups - Held at the Walters Community Center; 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays
• 1-2-3 Magic/Love and Logic —Positive parenting class for children ages 2-12
• Couple LINKS— Learn effective ways to communicate with your spouse or intimate partner
• DADS The Basics - A workshop for new and expecting dads taught by other dads
• Anger Management - Strategies are taught in becoming proactive when confronted with potentially provocative situations, as well as strategies to manage anger and stress effectively
• Lending Library - Provision of books, DVDs for loan. Provides resources for a range of life management issues
• Presentations and additional classes upon request

Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate

Within the Family Advocacy Program, the Domestic Abuse Victim Advocacy (DAVA) Program provides a broad range of services to military-affiliated victims of partner maltreatment. Advocacy services are provided with the goal of increasing victim safety and autonomy. Services include responding to victims’ emergency and ongoing safety concerns and needs; providing information on programs and services available to victims and their children in both civilian and military communities; and providing victims with ongoing support and referrals. With the exception of mandatory state, federal, and military reporting requirements (i.e., domestic violence, child abuse, and duty to warn situations) the DAVA provides a private and confidential service to encourage victims in seeking assistance.
DAVA Program Overview:
• Provide 24 Hour response & support to victims
• Extend Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Victim Advocacy (if the alleged offender is the partner in the context of an intimate partner or when the victim is a military dependent who is 17 years of age or younger)
• Establish & maintain effective safety plans, immediately reporting any changes in circumstances that may impact the safety plan
• Assess lethality and the imminent risk of harm
• Advise victims of their rights & reporting options
• Present victims information & resources regarding their identified needs and/or eligibility
• Empower the victim to advocate for the safety needs of self and children
• Accompany the victim to appointments or court proceedings when requested by the victim

Eligibility: The following adult (18 and older) populations are eligible for DAVA services:
• Active-duty members of the military services and their legal family members who are eligible for a military-issued identification card and eligible to receive military medical treatment
• Reserve-component members and their legal family members while on active duty
• Former civilian spouses and intimate partners including a person with whom the abuser shares a child in common or a current or former intimate partner with whom the abuser shares or has shared a common domicile are eligible only for limited services including safety-planning and referrals to civilian support services.
 Reporting Options:
Restricted Reporting: A restricted report is a CONFIDENTIAL report of domestic abuse. The report allows a victim to receive medical treatment and advocacy services without notice to the victim’s or alleged offender’s commanders or law enforcement. This disclosure of domestic abuse must be made to a victim advocate, Healthcare provider, or SARC.

Unrestricted Reporting: An unrestricted report triggers an investigation and involves legal services. Unrestricted reports include reports of domestic violence from any other source (i.e. Security Forces, Anonymous Reports, First Sergeants, etc.).

Contacts

Family Advocacy
1090 Arnold Drive
Little Rock AFB, AR 72099
501-987-7377

Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate
Little Rock AFB, AR 72099
501-987-7377

DAVA Emergency Contact Number:
24HRS 501-204-8870

Resources

Safety Plan

Victim Service List

SAPR

Little Rock Improv Troop

Charles DeSaussure
Installation Director
Equal Opportunity
501-987-8629

Domestic Violence?

What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence.

Abuse can take many forms. Battering may include emotional, economic, physical and/or sexual abuse, manipulation, isolation, and a variety of other behavior used to maintain fear, intimidation and power.

Acts of domestic violence may fall into one or more of the following categories:
Emotional Abuse: This form of abuse can include verbal and emotional abuse, harassment, name calling threatening harm or violence, threatening suicide, controlling the victim’s activities and relationships, excessive possessiveness, isolation from friends and family, deprivation of physical and economic resources, and destruction of personal property.

Physical Abuse: The abuser’s aggressive behavior can range from bruising to murder and can include punching, pushing, biting, slapping, pinching, kicking and choking. Initial abusive behavior may seem trivial but can and does escalate into more frequent and serious attacks.

Sexual Abuse: Physical abuse can be accompanied by, or can culminate in, sexual violence, including any forced sexual activity. Examples of sexual abuse include unwanted touching or fondling, accusations of unfaithfulness, sex after violence, physically attacking genitals and unwanted sexual intercourse.

Helping Agency

"Building ROCK-Solid Lives"