Helping the Children and Adolescents of Military Personnel

Family Service of Rhode Island senior vice president Susan Erstling, LICSW, Ph.D. will provide her expertise on military family trauma in an upcoming presentation focusing on the children and adolescents of service personnel. 

Dr. Erstling heads an evidence-based Family Service of Rhode Island trauma program caring for Rhode Island military families with past, current or upcoming deployments.  The program, funded by a $1.6 million federal grant, also trains staff from government and non-profits on trauma-informed care. 

Dr. Erstling will be part of a faculty discussing adapting Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for military children and adolescents on March 13 at Butler Hospital's Ray Conference Center. The conference begins at 8:30 a.m and ends at noon.

The presentation, sponsored by Family Service of Rhode Island and Butler Hospital, will also include Jeanne Sherman, LMHC, an Army veteran who is providing therapy for military families under the Family Service of Rhode Island program. "Jeanne  brings not only her clinical expertise but her experience as a veteran, as a spouse of an active duty soldier, and as a child whose father served on active duty," said Dr. Erstling.  "We are fortunate to have her on staff at Family Service of Rhode Island."

The March 13th program, designed particularly for nurses, mental health counselors, social workers and psychologists, also features Pamela Martin, M.Ed. of Rhode Island Operation: Military Kids, Faith Lamunyon, LICSW, a military life family counselor, and  Campbell Swiecicki, Ph.D. of the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children's Center located in South Carolina.

More information is available at www.familyserviceri.org.