Military Caregivers often recognize that it is difficult for those that they work with to discuss sensitive topics relating to health and wellbeing. This active listening session will set the stage for the MFLN – Military Caregiving concentration’s 2016 Virtual Learning Event (VLE) on Communicating Sensitive Topics: A Service Providers Approach to Working with Caregivers starting 12 October 2016. The goal of the August 10 listening session is to ensure that training topics and content areas accurately reflect priorities and needs that are emerging among those who provide support to caregivers in the military family context. In this listening session, participants will contribute to understanding the importance of communication for interpersonal relationships and adult learning strategies, while providing an opportunity to identify specific sensitive topics that can be found within their fields. The topics identified by presenters and session participants will lay the foundation for training needs for military service providers and professionals as they work with families with special healthcare needs. Participants will be encouraged to share scenarios and challenges from the field that would be transformed into case studies during the upcoming VLE this fall. This participatory approach will assist in the MFLN Military Caregiving efforts to build effective programming through collaborative learning.

1. MC SMS icons
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https://learn.extension.org/events/2701
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family
Readiness Policy, U.S. Department of Defense under Award Numbers 2014-48770-22587 and 2015-48770-24368.
Listening Session: Working Together in
Addressing Sensitive Topics

2. Connecting military family service providers
and Cooperative Extension professionals to research
and to each other through engaging online learning opportunities
www.extension.org/militaryfamilies
MFLN Intro
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Sign up for webinar email notifications at www.extension.org/62831

3. JOIN THE CONVERSATION
1. Plug in mic-enabled headset
2. Request audio rights
3. Voice Rights Granted
4. Allow Camera and Microphone Access
No microphone?
Share with us in
the chat pod.

4. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
2016 KEY STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSION
Andrew
Crocke
r
Rachel
Braune
r
Alicia
Cassel
s
Christopher
Plein, Ph.D.
Hannah
Hyde
Meet our team!

5. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
2016 KEY STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSION
 Background
 Purpose
 Rationale
Welcome Key Stakeholders!

6. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
2016 KEY STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSION
 Explore engagement
practices used in and
around Military Families
Learning Network (MFLN)
Caregiving Concentration
Area webinar sessions
and virtual learning
events (VLE’s)
Two Primary Areas of Focus For Today
 Explore priority content
and topics for MFLN
Caregiving webinar
sessions and virtual
learning events VLE’s

7. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
2016 KEY STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSION
Three Goals for
Today
 Identify challenges and aspects
relating to communication
around sensitive topics
 Identify and prioritize important
communication skills for
dealing with sensitive topics
 Assess and prioritize learning
approaches and tools for
professional development and
training
Achieving These
Goals
 We need your input. Please
engage through the chat pod.
 Feel free to follow-up with us
after the session through the
contacts provided.
 Understand that your ideas and
suggestions will help to inform
future programming

8. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
BACKGROUND:
MILITARY FAMILIES LEARNING NETWORK (MFLN):
The MFLN serves military family service professionals through engaged
online communities which identify and make use of the highest quality,
best practices, research-and evidence-based information, educational
and curriculum materials, and programming activities and efforts.
MFLN MILITARY CAREGIVING CONCENTRATION
(MFLNMC):
The MFLNMC works to identify and facilitate professional development
opportunities for Department of Defense helping professionals working
with family caregivers of wounded service members and those caring
for their family members with special needs.

9. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
2016 KEY STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSION

10. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
BACKGROUND:
Participant
Engagement
Practices
 Multiple Platforms for
Interaction
 Collaborative Problem Solving
 Peer Learning
 Active Feedback and
Improvement
Contents and Topics
 Issue/Problem Focused
 Interrelated and Overlapping
 Highly Relevant to Practice
MFLN Guiding Principle: Learning comes about through interaction, engagement,
and application. We strive to provide a culture and setting for collaborative effort
(Brigitte Scott, MFLN).

11. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
CONCENTRATION SNAPSHOT:
Key Webinar Engagement
Practices
 * Chat Pod Discussion
 * Panel Discussion
 * Self Assessment (Quizzes)
 * Pop Up Polling Questions
 * Case Studies
Most Attended Webinar
Sessions
 Medicaid Children with Special
Needs-113
 Working to Balance Life - 82
 Empowering Those We Help -78
 * Combatting Compassion Fatigue –
81
 * Caring and Culture – 81
 * Creating New Strategies to Build
Trust and Credibility – 76
 Back to Basics: Medicare - 70

12. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
2016 KEY STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSION

13. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
PRIORITY ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES, CONTENT AND TOPICS
 Recognize and identify issues and topics of a sensitive nature,
that can inhibit effective communication in adequately
assessing and developing treatment planning or making all
necessary referrals when dealing with sensitive topics.
 Identify, assess, and develop skills that will prepare helping
professionals in working with families and colleagues in
dealing with sensitive topics.
 Identify techniques and resources that can help caregivers be
more effective in discussing sensitive topics with helping
professionals.
2016 Virtual Learning Event Focus - Communication

14. PRIORITY TOPICS
 Substance Abuse
 Mental Health Issues
 Caregiver Relationship Issues and Healthcare Needs
 Family Finances
 Caregiver Career Planning and Decision Making
Select the topic that professionals in your field find
most challenging when communicating with
families.

15. DISCUSSION:
Do the topics accurately reflect priority
training needs for professionals in your
field?
Share your responses.

16. DISCUSSION:
What additional topics should be
covered in professional development
and training?
Share your responses.

17. PRIORITY SKILLS
 Non-Verbal Communication Skills
 Crisis Communication Skills
 Multi-Cultural Communication Skills
 Establishing Rapport With Families
Select the skills areas which tend to be most
challenging for professionals in your field.

18. DISCUSSION
Share your comments.
Do the skill areas accurately represent
priority training needs for professionals
in your field?

19. DISCUSSION
What additional skill areas should be
covered in professional development
and training?
Share your thoughts.

20. PRIORITY PRACTICES
 Self-Assessment (Quizzes)
 Case Studies
 Panel Discussions
 Video Scenarios
 Presentation of Best Practices
 Instant Polls
 Chat Pod Discussions
Select the engagement practice that would prove
most effective in a webinar session for
professionals in your field.

21. DISCUSSION:
Do the three highest ranking practices
reflect the most effective methods for
engaging professionals in online
training?
Share your responses.

22. DISCUSSION
What additional engagement practices
might be helpful in professional
development and trainings?
Share your thoughts.

23. MFLN – MILITARY CAREGIVING
2016 KEY STAKEHOLDER LISTENING SESSION
Share your experience with our team!
Email your examples to:
Alicia Cassels
amcassels@extension.org
MFLN Caregiving Team
Priority Issues/Case
Studies
Success Stories from the
Field

24. Connect with MFLN Military Caregiving Online!
MFLN Military Caregiving
MFLN Military Caregiving @MFLNMC
MC SMS icons
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MFLN Military Caregiving @mfln_mc

25. MFLN Intro
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We invite MFLN Service Provider Partners
to our private LinkedIn Group!
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8409844
DoD
Branch Services
Reserve
Guard
Cooperative
Extension

26. Evaluation and
Certificate of Completion
MFLN Military Caregiving is offering a certificate of
completion for today’s webinar.
To receive a certificate of completion, please
complete the evaluation and post-test at:
https://vte.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1AYjS9
dZ1zqAeup
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27. Military Caregiving
Virtual Learning Event
Coming Fall 2016!
“Transform Your Work with Military Families:
Effective Strategies, Skills, & Resources for
Communicating Sensitive Topics”
• Event #1 begins on 12 October 2016
Stay tuned for more info!
For more information on MFLN Military Caregiving go to:
https://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/military-caregiving/
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28. www.extension.org/62581
28This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family
Readiness Policy, U.S. Department of Defense under Award Numbers 2014-48770-22587 and 2015-48770-24368.