3-4 Navy Personal Excellence Partnership Program This   aspect   of    the    personal    excellence    effort functions   externally   within   the   community.   It   is   a collaborative   effort   among   Navy   commands,   public and/or private sector organizations, and schools or youth organizations. The intent is to obtain and pool resources and  volunteers  for  the  purpose  of  strengthening  the personal excellence of American youth. The long-term goal of this program is to promote a sense of self-worth and to reinforce in young people the knowledge, traits, attitudes, and skills essential for responsible citizenship and effective participation in the American work force. FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM Commanders    are    responsible    for providing    the    opportunity    for    a reasonable  quality  of  life  for  Navy personnel and their families. It is both ethical    and    pragmatic    for    Navy leaders to care for their families  — ethical because it is the right thing to do  and  pragmatic  because  care  of Navy   members   and   their   families directly impacts upon job performance, retention, and readiness.  Navy   members   must   be able  to  concentrate  their  energy  on the successful accomplishment of the Navy mission. —OPNAVINST 1754.1A The    Navy    family    matters!    Healthy    families contribute to combat readiness and career retention. To promote high-quality family life in the Navy, the CNO set  up  the  Family  Support  Program  in  1979.  The program's mission is to increase readiness and retention of    service    members    by    providing    informa-tion, resources, and services that support and enrich the lives of Navy families as well as single Sailors. The Family Support Program includes Family Service Centers, the Family    Advocacy    Program,    Family    Home    Care Programs, and the Casualty Assistance Calls Program. Family Service Centers All bases with 500 or more active-duty members have installation Family Service Centers (FSC). They are located throughout the United States and at many overseas locations. FSCs offer a variety of programs for single  and  married  Sailors  and  their  families.  While individual FSCs will tailor services and programs to fit the needs of the local military community, all centers offer 13 core programs. These programs fall into one of three areas: (1) information and referral, (2) education and training, and (3) counseling. INFORMATION AND REFERRAL.—Resources for the family are abundant. Often active-duty members and  families  require  assistance  in  obtaining  specific information about relocating to a new duty station and establishing themselves in the military community. Each FSC  has  an  information  and  referral  specialist  who provides  assistance  and  makes  specific  referrals  for services  and  programs  available  on  base  and  in  the civilian community. FSCs also have a team of relocation assistance  personnel  available  to  locate  information about present and future duty stations. Welcome Aboard Packages for bases are available as well as the Standard Installation   Topics   Exchange   (SITES)   which   lists general information for military installations worldwide. PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND ENRICH- MENT.—A proverb states, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” FSC staffs have an interest in positive family growth. Every local center sponsors a wide   variety   of   classes   on   subjects   ranging   from balancing family budgets to spouse employment. These classes are opportunities to gain and improve on family skills, thereby avoiding a crisis before it develops. SHORT-TERM   NONMEDICAL   COUNSEL- ING.—Sailors  and  their  families  occasionally  need professional support while they are trying to cope with some   situation   or   problem.   Often   many   personal, financial, marital, and family problems can be resolved with short-term counseling. FSCs offer such counseling through   counselors   and   social   workers   who   hold recognized  professional  credentials.  The  aid  of  these counselors may be a starting point for referral to another type  of  counseling,  such  as  pastoral  counseling  by  a Navy chaplain, long-term counseling by a Navy medical officer,  or  other  forms  of  counseling  conducted  by civilian agencies. Many counseling services at the FSC are  confidential;  however,  some  are  not.  Information