The loss of a Service member has a tremendous impact not only on the loved ones left behind, but also on the unit whose members continue the mission while grieving.

A new program in the TRICARE West Region is designed to help military leaders address grief and isolation in many of the communities hit hardest by combat casualties. TriWest Healthcare Alliance has joined efforts with Joanne Steen, an author and counselor, to offer the Grief Solutions program.

According to Steen, President, Grief Solutions, LLC, the new program will give Service commanders and senior non-commissioned officers a deeper understanding of how to support and assist survivors, as they are the first to respond once families within their units are notified of a loss.

“It is very important that we do everything we can as leaders to assist our men and women in uniform,” said Dr. S. Ward Casscells, Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), and Director, TRICARE Management Activity. “Our country can never adequately express our sympathy and respect for the family’s loss. We must also address the needs of warriors who may have feelings of anger and grief,” he added.

Recently, in an effort to reach out to these families, Dr. Casscells began sending personally signed letters expressing his concern for the well-being of families left behind in the wake of a service member’s death. The letters also provide information about the survivor’s TRICARE health care benefits.

“It has been more than 30 years since Vietnam and we have a new generation of Americans who are learning, in real time, how to respond to military loss,” said Steen, co-author of “Military Widow: A Survival Guide.” “This program will arm leaders with the tools necessary to assist those who have lost the family members dearest to them,” she added.

Steen has assisted hundreds of spouses, parents, and children of fallen Service members; as well as provided Service leaders with practical skills to cope with the complexities of Service death.

“This initiative is part of our deep and ongoing commitment to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” said TriWest President and CEO David J. McIntyre, Jr. “We have a longstanding commitment to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors; this helps us to expand the scope of our support of these families.”

Grief Solutions will be offered to active duty, National Guard and Reserve units throughout the 21-states that comprise the TRICARE West Region, which is administered by TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

“We have a responsibility to help our entire military family—loved ones and warfighters—through this difficult time,” said Casscells. “The efforts of our TRICARE regional contractors to address issues that support families are an important part of the Military Health System taking care of its own.”

For information and a downloadable brochure about TRICARE Survivor Benefits, visit www.tricare.mil/tricaresmart/product.aspx?id=449&CID=88&RID=3.

More information on TriWest’s Behavioral Health initiatives is available on-line at www.triwest.com.