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Waliski A, Matthieu MM, Townsend J, Castro MI, Kirchner JE. Engaging faith based organizations to assist service members and Veterans: An evaluation of Partners in Care. Journal of Military and Government Counseling. 2017 Jan 1; 5(1):20-37.
Proactively addressing the mental health needs of service members, Veterans, and their families is a national priority. The Partners in Care program was developed to educate and motivate faith-based leaders to identify community resources to meet these needs. We used qualitative methods to evaluate program implementation. National Guard Chaplains (n = 5) and individuals representing faith based organizations (n = 205) participated. Chaplains' utilization of existing networks facilitated implementation, but lack of adequate staffing was a barrier to sustainment. Participants valued the program and potential to provide linkages to resources. Barriers hampered program implementation despite enthusiasm for this partnership and provided lessons learned.