ABSTRACT
In the initial stages, the key elements were organization and funding. First, we created a sound foundation of services that would be provided (peer support, counseling referral, case work assistance, and a system for immediate crisis intervention) for a well-defined target group (all those affected by a death in the armed forces). We worked to identify existing programs and ensure that no services would be duplicated. Gold Star Wives, for example, focuses their efforts on lobbying Congress for government entitlements to widows and Society of Military Widows provides a long-term social structure for widows with regular gatherings. TAPS would rely on these other organizations for their special services, but provide what had been missing, such as the immediate intensive aftercare that follows a sudden, traumatic death and the recognition and inclusion of those who were typically disenfranchised, such as siblings, parents, significant others, and even children.
