Military and Family Life Consultant supports mortuary mission

  • Published
  • By Christin Michaud
  • AFMAO Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  In an effort to ensure those who care for America's fallen are being taken care of themselves, an initiative to have a permanently assigned Military and Family Life Consultant came to fruition this week at The Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs.

The Military and Family Life Consultant program is designed to help service members and their families cope with normal reactions to military life.

"We are very pleased to have a dedicated MFLC that can be embedded within our critical mission," said Eddie Adelman, Chief Programs and Facilities Branch.

"Having this resource will provide us with a licensed practitioner that understands our unique circumstances and stressors and can focus her talents on helping everyone maintain their emotional and mental health well being," he added.

The MFLC serving the first 90-day rotations to the mortuary is Lynnette Johnson.

Johnson has been with the MFLC program since the pilot program began in 2006 and has been to installations in Europe, Asia and in the states helping military members and their families.

Each of the consultants with the program has a master's or doctorate level academic degree and is a licensed counselor.

The intent of the program is to offer short-term, solution-focused counseling for issues military members and their families go through, including deployments, war and reintegration.

They serve as a professional resource to enhance our current benchmark resiliency program at the mortuary, explained Gail Reed-Harmon, Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations resiliency program coordinator.

The MFLC will provide easy access to a continuum of therapeutic support services ranging from providing outreach and casual contact services, individual and group therapeutic sessions in topics ranging from stress and anger management to grief and loss and marital issues.

The services are offered to both military and civilian personnel assigned to the mortuary as well as their family members.

The MFLC can see anyone with a personal issue and appointments are confidential unless there is a duty-to-warn situation, explained Reed-Harmon.

Johnson is located in the operations section but will meet people in a private setting. She can see individuals anywhere but in their home.

It's a great step forward in keeping the team resilient to accomplish the mission, said Adelman.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call (302) 538-3725.