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INTEGRATED JOINT PROCESS TOOLKIT

WEBINAR FACILITATOR GUIDE

IntroductionIntegrated Joint Process Toolkit Webinar

Time: 120 minutes

Recommended: Part 1: 60 minutesPart 2: 60 minutes

Toolkit Overview: Using a combination of best practices from a variety of states, the Integrated Joint Process toolkit includes user-friendly materials that outline an integrated approach to Yellow Ribbon processes, with a focus on Jointness. It provides clearly aligned roles and responsibilities, associated procedures, and templates to facilitate the full cycle, from planning through execution and lessons learned. Checklists and other materials reflect current policy for mandated and recommended subjects and can be tailored to meet specific needs around core requirements. The toolkit highlights best practices in Jointness, service to special populations, and the complete Yellow Ribbon cycle.

Toolkit Objectives: Optimize use of available staff and

talent Prevent duplication and rework Avoid gaps in service and support or

underserved populations

Target Audience:2

Program staff and volunteers of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

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Required MaterialsAn Integrated Joint Process Toolkit Webinar

PowerPoint Joint-Webinar-PowerPoint-Slides

MediaNone

Props Integrated Joint Process Toolkit, accessed via the JSS

portal Toolkit resources to be projected via the Download All

Resources page accessed from the toolkit menu: o Section III: Planning YRRP Events; Element B:

Planning Joint Events; Resource: Sample Agenda for Joint Events

o Section IV: Evaluating a YRRP Event, Element B: Evaluating Jointness; Resource: Joint Assessment Template

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Webinar Guide Integrated Joint Process Toolkit

Say: Welcome to the webinar on the Integrated Joint Process toolkit. The objective of this webinar is to unpack the resources available in the Integrated Joint Process toolkit and provide an opportunity to discuss how you would adopt and replicate these resources and programs in your State.

Introduce yourself and provide a brief background of why you are facilitating the webinar.

Announce the States that have participants attending the call today.

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Note to facilitator:Recommended maximum of 30 participants. Adapt the ground rules for a larger group by asking participants to mute phones and hold questions until the end.

Say: Before we begin, let’s review some rules of engagement to ensure that we have successful webinar:• We will use group polling throughout

the session• If you have a specific question or

comment use the raise hand function• We expect full participation and

welcome open discussion. We may call on you to answer questions or ask for your opinion

• Please mute your phones unless instructed to respond to discussion questions

• At the end of the session we will hold a formal Q&A to address any of your final questions and comments

Say: What is the Joint toolkit all about?

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Using a combination of best practices from a variety of states, the Integrated Joint Process toolkit

includes user-friendly materials that outline an integrated approach to Yellow Ribbon processes, with a focus on Jointness.

It provides clearly aligned roles and responsibilities, associated procedures, and templates to facilitate the full cycle, from planning through execution and lessons learned.

Checklists and other materials reflect current policy for mandated and recommended subjects and can be tailored to meet specific needs around core requirements.

The toolkit highlights best practices in Jointness, service to special populations, and the complete Yellow Ribbon cycle.

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Say:The objectives of the toolkit are to enhance your abilities to:

Optimize use of available staff and talent

Prevent duplication and rework Avoid gaps in service and support

for underserved populations

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Say: Today we are going to cover the following sections that make up the Integrated Joint Process toolkit:I. The Full Cycle of the Yellow Ribbon

Process II. Organization and Staffing

III. Planning Yellow Ribbon Events IV. Evaluating a Yellow Ribbon Program

Event

If you haven’t done so already, you can access the toolkit from the homepage on the JSS portal.

Demonstrate for participants how to access the toolkit from the JSS site:

1. Log on to JSS2. Click on the Toolkits tab3. Click on Yellow Ribbon Reintegration

Program Toolkits 4. Click on Integrated Joint Process tab5. Click Download All Resources

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Say:Let’s take a quick poll. Does your program take a Joint approach to event planning?

Responses:1. Never2. Occasionally3. Neutral4. Almost always5. Always

Report the results of the poll to the group.

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Call on individual participants to discuss the benefits of a Joint approach.

Ask:What are some benefits of a Joint approach?

Say:One coordinated Joint team can utilize resources more efficiently and equitably. A Joint program can meet the needs of not only AIR and ARMY National Guard, but of all other Reserve Components as well. Multiple benefits for all components are enjoyed when events are combined, including the opportunity to give Service Members and their Families more varied event venues and options. In addition, there is a reduction of strain on service providers who often spend every weekend attending events. When resources are shared, funding is streamlined, extending assets for enhanced events and avoiding duplication of efforts.

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Call on individual participants to discuss the challenges of a Joint approach.

Ask:What are some challenges of a Joint approach?

Say:As we work through the elements of the Integrated Joint Process toolkit, you will learn effective strategies to overcome challenges to Joint planning.

Say: The first section of the toolkit includes information about the Full Cycle of Yellow Ribbon, including:

A. Full Cycle Overview

B. Pre-Deployment Events

C. During Deployment Events

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D. Post-Deployment Events (30 Days)

E. Post-Deployment Events (60 Days), and

F. Post-Deployment Events (90 Days)

Say:The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is a group effort of the Department of Defense,

State and local governments,

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communities,

Families, and most importantly, returning Heroes.

When men and women deploy, everyone is affected: Service Members, Families, communities, and employers. YRRP is designed to assist everyone in preparing for, coping with, and overcoming the challenges of deployment.

The Full Cycle Overview element of the toolkit provides general information about the complete cycle of Yellow Ribbon, and includes resources such as

guides on the purpose and phases of YRRP,

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DoD event standards,

and activities and options for providers. This element can be used for educating others about the Yellow Ribbon program.

Say:The goal of the Pre-Deployment Yellow Ribbon event is to educate the Family, unit, and individual Service Member on what resources they can use and what they can expect while the unit is deployed.

The initial alert and Pre-Deployment phase is a stressful time for everyone. Service Members are worried about leaving Families behind, leaving jobs, and deploying into harm’s way, while Families are concerned with the void that will be left when their Service Member leaves.

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Pre-Deployment events are generally funded as one-day events. These events consist of representatives from the State Family Program Office, chaplains, TRICARE, Veterans Affairs/Veterans Center, Military OneSource, and the office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) who gives presentations and is onsite all day to help with paperwork, questions, and assisting the unit and Family in any way possible with the upcoming deployment.

The Pre-Deployment Event element of the toolkit outlines

ideas for structuring events and

options for event activities and providers.

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Joint Pre-Deployment events can present unique challenges for YRRP teams. Commonly, Family Members are anxious about what will be happening to their Service Member and also to themselves while their Service Member is deployed. Adding to this is the challenge of accommodating deployment cycles of different lengths in a Joint program.

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Say:Let’s take another poll. When you plan Joint Pre-Deployment events, what are some ways you can use activities, agendas, and speakers to ease the stress of Service Members and Family Members, regardless of component?

Responses:a. Tailor briefings to very specific

points b. Have representatives from all

components represented on hand to answer questions

c. Ease the anxiety of the Service Member’s children with games that give information about the area of the world the Service Member is being deployed to

d. Involve the unit commanders in the Pre-Deployment event process to provide Operational Security (OPSEC) information, but also to answer questions about the mission.

e. All of the above

Say:Excellent job. There are many ways to ease the stress of Service Members and their Families. Be creative and use your resources and the people around you to create an enjoyable experience at your events.

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Say:The Yellow Ribbon During Deployment event is a chance for the Families to gather for a one-day event much like the Pre-Deployment event, except it is for Families only and is done while Service Members are deployed. Unit Rear Detachment and Representatives from many Military support agencies are present to assist with pay and legal issues, behavioral health support, employment support, education benefits, and more.

These organizations and representatives are available throughout the deployment cycle, but this event is a chance for Families to regroup after adjusting to the unit being gone, and also get assistance for any issue or problem they might have. It is also considered a good chance to prepare for reuniting with their Service Member.

The During Deployment Event element of the toolkit outlines

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options for activities and providers and

and ideas for increasing attendance at events.

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Say:Event attendance when a Service Member is deployed is definitely a challenge. Supporters and Family Members are under more stress and frequently have less time to attend events.

Call on individual participants to discuss strategies for increasing attendance.

Ask:What are some strategies to increase attendance of Reserve component supporters at During Deployment events?

Say:Great responses. You can also try providing fun and stress relieving activities, providing childcare with fun and engaging activities, allowing a chance to video teleconference (VTC) with the unit, and involving the supporters in activities designed to give them information as well as make them feel connected to their deployed Service Member.

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Say:The 30-Day Post-Deployment event is the first two-day drill a unit conducts upon returning from deployment. The event is usually conducted at a non-military facility. This event focuses on allowing the unit to get together with their Families and reconnect.

It focuses on connecting the Service Members and Families with providers who can help them overcome the challenges of reintegration, such as

legal and pay issues,

employment benefits,

behavioral health,

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drug use,

safety,

Veterans benefits,

and enrolling the Service Members in the Veterans Administration.

The 30-Day Post-Deployment Event element of the toolkit outlines

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options for activities and providers.

The 60-Day Post-Deployment event is the second two-day drill weekend that Service Members are required to attend, and it is usually conducted at a non-military facility.

During this time, many units also choose to hold their awards ceremonies, such as the Freedom Salute or

Hometown Heroes Salute. The event focuses on getting Service Members and Families together with the service providers they may need for reintegration.

It consists of one-on-one opportunities with counselors,

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advice from financial advisors,

and assistance with job placements and applications.

Assistance is also available to address the behavioral health of Service Members and their Families who might be dealing with combat stress factors.

The 60-Day Post-Deployment Event element of the toolkit outlines

options for activities and providers.

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The 90-Day Post-Deployment event is the third drill weekend for returning Service Members after deployment. The event is a drill usually conducted at the unit, and Family is not authorized to attend.

The 90-Day Event element of the toolkit outlines

activities and providers and

contains a comprehensive checklist for planning the event.

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Say:When you plan Joint events, it is important to include activities that accommodate all Reserve components.

Call on individual participants to discuss planning activities that accommodate all Reserve components.

Ask:How have you planned activities that accommodate all Reserve components?

Say:These are all terrific ideas. The more we can share experiences and ideas for a Joint approach, the better we are at planning events and meeting the needs of our Service Members and Families!

Now we are going to move on to the second section of the toolkit, which includes information about organization and staffing, including:

A. Staffing Considerations and Structures

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Say:Organization and staffing of Yellow Ribbon programs across the nation tend to follow a similar structure. Although varied across State programs, there are general job descriptions and attributes of staff, including program managers and coordinators, that tend to apply across programs.

Some States have the benefit of having all of their providers under one roof, such as in a Joint Forces Headquarters. Whether using a J-9,

J-1, or other staffing model, each Joint staff structure requires close coordination within and among other staff agencies (e.g., medical and chaplain) for successful events.

Use of the Joint Forces Headquarters provides an opportunity for close collaboration. In many cases, providers are so familiar with each other’s services that they can make a direct referral on the spot and avoid duplication of efforts. This makes it easier for Service Members and their Families to get the specific resources that they need.

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The Staffing Considerations and Structures element of the toolkit includes

program manager/coordinator attributes,

best practices for training and mentoring, and

sample organizational charts and job descriptions.

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Say:It’s time again for a poll. What staffing model does your program use? Select J-1, J-9, or other.

Reponses:a. J-1b. J-9c. Other

Report the results of the poll to the group.

Note:Recommended stopping point for facilitating a two-part webinar. End with Q&A at this juncture and continue at a later time.

The third section of the toolkit includes information about Joint planning, including:

A. Planning Overview and Logistics

B. Planning Joint Events

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C. Collaboration

D. Resource Management and Budgets, and

E. Outreach

Say:Planning and implementing a Joint event can appear daunting when faced with diverse deployment cycles and notification time, different policy guidance between Reserve components, alternate training schedules, and differing information required regarding the services and benefits Service Members are entitled to. There are many things a YRRP coordinator can do to help mitigate or eliminate these issues.

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The Planning Overview and Logistics element of the toolkit includes resources that assist in

coordination,

planning, and

organization, and is intended to ease implementation of Joint events.

Programs that implement Joint events carefully coordinate, organize, and plan by taking into account the many contextual factors that make for a successful event, such as unit size and timing within the deployment cycle.

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The Planning Joint Events element of the toolkit provides resources that exemplify successful methods for implementing a Joint event, including a

Commander briefing on Joint goals,

expense guide, and

sample agendas.

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Call on individual participants to discuss strategies for mitigating issues surrounding Joint event planning.

Ask: What are some strategies for

mitigating or eliminating issues presented in planning Joint events?

Say:Very useful discussion. There are many more helpful strategies in the Planning and Implementing a Successful Joint Event guide within Section III A of the toolkit.

Cover the following strategies if they are not mentioned in the discussion:

YRRP teams should coordinate with the ANG and ARNG counterpart throughout all planning, development, and implementation stages. A true Joint event embraces collaboration between all Reserve components. Monthly Reserve component YRRP team meetings can accomplish collaboration among all Reserve components.

(continued)

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Teams can also synchronize with Commands to determine the specific demographics for events, and then plan resources, speakers, and workshops accordingly.

Coordinate resources when different information is needed. Certain topics, such as pay and allowances, ID cards, and Family assistance should be geared toward the dominant component attending the event. For example, if attendees will be predominantly ANG, then an ANG speaker ideally would present those topics.

Planning one event pre-deployment, one during deployment, one thirty days post-deployment, one sixty days post-deployment, and one ninety days post-deployment per quarter will allow Air National Guard members to fit a YRRP event into their shortened deployment cycle schedules.

(continued)

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Plan to book different rooms for different units if necessary, depending on size, component, or Command team request. Check materials and presentations for service-specific wording or references, and change as needed.

Organization of the actual event also plays a big part. To allow for Joint funding, keep track of attendance numbers and bill each service based on attendance percentages. Co-locating several different deployment cycle events in one location will preserve resources and promote fiscal responsibility with YRRP funds.

It is easy to add an additional meeting room to an existing ARNG event to help accommodate even the smallest last-minute ANG or other Reserve component event. This helps when dealing with last-minute and smaller deployments.

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Share the following document from the Download All Resources page accessed from the toolkit menu files:

o Section III: Planning YRRP Events; Element B: Planning Joint Events; Resource: Sample Agenda for Joint Events

Say:This sample Agenda for Joint Events, found in section III B of the toolkit, is used by Mississippi and is an example best practice for implementing events that involve multiple components. This agenda shows one example of co-locating several events in one location to ease the Joint event process. Hosting a Pre-Deployment, 30-, 60- and/or 90-Day event simultaneously allows the program manager/coordinator the flexibility to add in units or individual Service Members and Families from other components. This type of event hosting also accounts for shorter deployment cycles and last-minute deployment notification.

Say:The success of YRRP depends largely on unit participation, community support, support from the State and Chain of Command, and the participation of outside programming, resources, and service providers.

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Programs exhibiting best practices have excellent collaboration skills, and as a result, have high Service Member and Family Member participation, strong community collaboration, passionate Command support, innovative programming, and reliable service provider and resource participation.

The Collaboration element of the toolkit provides a helpful resource that can be used to address inquiries about the

value and methods of collaborating. You can gain more detailed insight into collaboration by using the Collaboration: Teaming with Providers toolkit.

Say:In managing resources and budgets for Joint events, it is important to implement cost saving measures and creative solutions that are within YRRP guidelines and regulations.

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The Resource Management and Budgets element of the toolkit includes a helpful resource that

provides information about Invitational Travel Order processing,

saving money, and

funding. You can gain more detailed insight into resource management by using the Resource Management and Budgeting toolkit.

Even though YRRP is a mandatory program for Service Members, the success of a program depends largely on unit participation, community support, and support from the State and Chain of Command.

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Programs exhibiting excellent marketing strategies tend to have high Service Member and Family Member participation, strong community collaboration, and passionate Command support. A successful Joint event must be marketed to all components.

The Outreach element of the toolkit includes a helpful resource that

answers common questions about strategies for reaching out to different populations. You can gain more detailed insight into outreach by using the Outreach toolkit.

The final section of the toolkit includes information about Evaluating Yellow Ribbon events, including:

A. After Action Review (AAR) and Evaluation, and

B. Evaluating Jointness

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Say:Assessing all aspects of the Yellow Ribbon program and its individual events is essential. Gathering feedback from event attendees, support staff, and the YRRP team allows for constant improvement. You should gather feedback using the mandatory AAR and Evaluation, found on JSS. Some teams may also choose to supplement those with different After Action Report (AAR) formats and event evaluations.

The After Action Review and Evaluation element of the toolkit includes

templates and samples, including the mandatory AAR and several different evaluations for coordinators to choose from.

Say:In addition to assessing the strengths and problem areas of an event, it is also important to assess the Jointness of your program by taking into consideration the extent to which events involved members from all Reserve components.

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The Evaluating Jointness element of the toolkit includes a helpful resource

for measuring the Jointness of a program.

Share the following document from the Download All Resources page accessed from the toolkit menu files:

o Section IV: Evaluating a YRRP Event, Element B: Evaluating Jointness; Resource: Joint Assessment Template

Say:The Joint Assessment guide, found in Section IV B of the toolkit, can be used by your team to assess the Jointness of your program. The tool has been provided as an additional and separate evaluation, and is designed to help you measure your program’s capacity for hosting Joint events. Spend a few moments completing the evaluation and consider the ways that a Joint approach can be more successful at your program.

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Say:Thank you for your participation in today’s webinar. It has been a tremendous success!

Before you go, let’s review the objectives and some of the highlights of the Integrated Joint Process toolkit.

By using the Integrated Joint Process toolkit, you will enhance your abilities to:

Optimize use of available staff and talent

Prevent duplication and rework Avoid gaps in service and support or

underserved populations

Some of the highlights of the toolkit are to:

Become familiar with background of YRRP as well as Joint standards, guidelines, and activity examples from DoD guidelines.

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Use creative ideas for structuring events, options for activities at events, and options for provider choices.

Increase attendance and Family Member participation through use of best practice marketing techniques.

Use checklists and sample agendas for more streamlined event planning.

Use After Action Reviews and evaluations from Service and Family Members to assess the effectiveness and Jointness of an event.

Become familiar with different staffing models and mentoring and training practices, and

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Become more knowledgeable on sharing resources, streamlining funding, and extending assets for enhanced events and avoiding duplication of efforts.

Say: Now is the time we can discuss any general questions or comments you might have. If you would like to discuss anything further we are happy to stay on the call. Thank you for your participation!

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