Name
#179 Implementation of the Family Wellness Program for Intimate Partners of Service Members Following Traumatic Brain Injury across the Defense Intrepid Network for Traumatic Brain Injury and Brain Health
Speakers
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
USPHS
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Wellbeing
Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the bidirectional associations between service member neurobehavioral symptoms and family distress in patients with traumatic brain injury.
2. Describe the different approaches incorporating the three Family Wellness Program sites across the Defense Intrepid Network.
3. Identify the barriers to further expansion of the Family Wellness Program.
2. Describe the different approaches incorporating the three Family Wellness Program sites across the Defense Intrepid Network.
3. Identify the barriers to further expansion of the Family Wellness Program.
Session Currently Live
Description
Research has demonstrated the very strong negative association of unhealthy family functioning with service member (SM) brain health, particularly when recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). An unhealthy home environment may impact symptom improvement and return to duty following discharge from treatment. Therefore, the Family Wellness Program (FWP) for intimate partners (IP) of SMs receiving TBI treatment was created. This presentation overviews the establishment of the FWP at three Defense Intrepid Network (DIN) locations. The FWP screens IPs for elevated physical, psychological, social, and caregiving health-related quality of life symptoms, and provides a clinical report with individualized recommendations and referral options. The FWP uses Computer Adaptive Technology administration of the Traumatic Brain Injury Caregiver Quality of Life (TBI-CareQOL) via the TBI Portal within CarePoint. IPs complete measures in-person or remotely by scanning a quick-response code via a smart phone or selecting a link sent via e-mail. The FWP was launched at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) in July 2024 with IPs of SMs receiving treatment in the 4-week intensive outpatient program (IOP). The FWP was integrated into the already established Family Program during the fourth week of the IOP. The clinician tailors the IPs Family Program session attendance as part of the clinical recommendations. The FWP launched at the Fort Carson Intrepid Spirit Center (ISC) (Evans Army Community Hospital) January 2025 as part of the 6-week IOP. Using a dual-goal dyadic approach, IPs complete the measures approximately two weeks prior to the SM’s IOP, at the end of the IOP, and at a 3, 6, and 12 month follow up, modeling the SM’s IOP questionnaire completion. IPs are invited to participate in: [1] a phone call with a nursing care coordinator to review the clinical report and receive a resource guide; [2] a group virtual one-hour presentation at the midpoint of the IOP; and [3] the SM’s IOP graduation ceremony which includes a sampling of concepts in the IOP. The FWP launched at the Camp Pendleton ISC (Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton) in January 2025 with IPs of SMs in the 5-week IOP and other outpatient programs, and a model overlapping the NICoE and Fort Carson ISC approaches. Camp Pendleton is in the process of expanding onsite clinical services to IPs such as Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy, Mind Body Medicine classes, and sessions aimed at equipping IPs with the tools and strategies provided to SMs in the IOP. To date, 59 IPs have participated in the FWP (NICoE=47, Fort Carson=7, Camp Pendleton=5). Current challenges include: [1] no dedicated clinical support impacting launch dates, expansion efforts, and participation numbers; and [2] no research support to establish human research protocols, clinical trials, database cleaning, statistical planning, or program outcomes and impact. The program is a priority for DIN leadership. The establishment of the DIN as program of record in January 2026 and mandated requirements specified in NDAA FY2025 Sec721 around family services should facilitate sustainability of the FWP’s essential components and uptake across the DIN.