The Foreign Service Journal, May 2007

younger siblings and sensitivity to others’ needs. Substance abuse was the least reported category (about 3 percent) by either set of parents. Respondents also noted the emotional reactions they observed in their children following the announcement or beginning of a parent’s unaccompanied tour (see Table 2, left). A total of 13 emotions were listed, and respondents were asked to check off all that they observed. The answers were aggregated to provide rank orders. Interestingly, employees’ and family members’ observa- tions were almost identical — except for “pride.” Although frequently mentioned by family members as an emotion they feel, employees didn’t observe a feeling of pride in their children. When asked what information they think parents should have before starting an unaccompanied tour, most respondents talked about the need for frank com- munication and discussion within the family. They also emphasized the importance of attitude, and wanted to know what is “normal” to expect from their children. Many wanted post-specific information on the country and living conditions — not just the sort of information found in post reports, but also what community liaison officers provide at post (several mentioned making that guidance age-appropriate for their children). These are some of the materials being developed for the hand- books mentioned earlier. Support Services Underutilized The final section of the survey focused on available support services and resources. Respondents were asked about their awareness of the FLO portfolios and services — Community Liaison Office, Unaccompanied Tours, Education and Youth, Expedited Naturalization, Family Member Employment and Support Services — as well as their utilization of the services, and their satis- faction with them. Significantly, only 50 percent of all respondents had used FLO services; among State employees currently on unaccompanied tours, less than 40 percent had utilized them. There is reason to believe that awareness is an impor- tant issue. For many participants, this was their first exposure to these services. For each FLO office or ser- vice mentioned in the survey, a Web link, e-mail address or other contact information was provided, and several respondents expressed gratitude for bringing these resources to their attention. Among employee respon- F O C U S 32 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 0 7 Table 2 Top Six Emotional Reactions Observed in Children Following Announcement or Commencement of a Parent’s Unaccompanied Tour EMOTIONAL REACTIONS AS REPORTED BY AS REPORTED BY IN CHILDREN EMPLOYEES THE AT-HOME PARENT Anxiety 1 2 Sadness 2 1 Love/affection 3 3 Confusion 4 4 Anger 5 5 Pride 14 6 Coping with an Unaccompanied Tour: Resource Links Office of Casualty Assistance provides personal contingency planning assistance. E-mail oca@state.gov ; call (202) 736-4302. “Long-Distance Relationships” (MQ801) is offered on Saturday mornings twice a year by the Transition Center at FSI. Go to http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc for class information. The Transition Center and Overseas Briefing Center offer a wealth of information in the OBC as well as on the intranet (http://fsi. state.gov/fsi/tc/) and on the Internet (http://state.gov/m/fsi/tc ). IQ: InfoQuest , a free service for Department of State employees and families, offers information and extensive research capabili- ty for resources and service providers across the United States on child care, adoption, elder care, educational programs, legal and financial issues, retirement planning and consumer informa- tion. Go to www.worklife4you.com. State Department employees can go to the intranet at http:// hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/hrweb/er/DependentCare/IQ/InformationQ uest.html, or e-mail DixonMJ2@state.gov for instructions on how to register. MED’s Employee Consultation Services offers free, confidential counseling to employees and family members by licensed clini- cal social workers. Call (202) 663-1815. To access the HomeFrontUS listserv or the specialized sup- port services from Managed Health Network, contact the pro- gram specialist for unaccompanied tours — see below. For more information on support services and programs for those on unaccompanied tours, visit www.state.gov/m/dghr/c 14521.htm, or contact Program Specialist for Unaccompanied Tours Nan Leininger at (202) 647-3179 or (800) 440-0397, or e- mail LeiningerNW@state.gov or FLOAskUT@state.gov. FLO would greatly appreciate comments and additional sug- gestions.