Free 2-Day Summer Youth Program for Children Grades 2-12 Foreign affairs agency children in grades 2–12 are invited for two days of exploration into the world of diplomacy and realities of living overseas as an American. The young diplomat participants will also explore safety and security threats they might face overseas and identify resources to protect themselves. This course is highly interactive. Children are divided by age and all information is shared using age appropriate activities and details. **Session attendance is limited. Register now to guarantee your preferred session** Who May Attend: Open to all Foreign Affairs agency children in rising grades 2-12 (no exceptions) PLEASE NOTE: A parent or guardian is required to be on campus. This youth course runs simultaneously to MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar. Parents are encouraged to register for MQ911. Where and When: At the Foreign Service Institute, George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Arlington, VA from 9:00am-4:00pm on July 13-14, July 20-21, July 27-28, August 3-4, and August 10-11. How to Register: To register please email FSITCTraining@state.gov with all of the following information: which course offering you are interested in enrolling your children, the name of youth participant(s), rising grade levels, agency affiliation, and a preferred email contact. Questions: For questions about this seminar please contact coordinators at FSITCTraining@state.gov.

Transfer Season = More Employment Opportunities in FLO

You may have noticed several employment opportunities in FLO in recent weeks. FLO goes through transition season along with the rest of the Foreign Service community. We are all family members and many of us are moving on to our next adventure. We hope that those of you moving back to the DC area this season will consider applying for one of the positions below.

 Education and Youth Program Specialist (GS-09) - See vacancy announcement for details.

 Unaccompanied Tours Specialist (GS-09) - See vacancy announcement for details.

 Crisis Management and Support Program Specialist (GS-09) - See vacancy announcement for details.

All positions are located in Washington, DC and may require some travel. The positions are full time, two-year limited appointments, with potential to be extended up to a maximum of five years. The appointments are not in the Competitive Service. The application deadline for all three positions is 11:59 p.m. ET, June 24th, 2015.

IQ Quest - Summer Care: We’re here to help!

Summer is here but don’t worry if your summer care plans are still pending!  Information Quest (IQ) offers personalized guidance, targeted information and customized resources and referrals to meet your family’s unique summer care needs, including:

Personalized Referrals

Specialists are standing by 24/7 to refer you to summer camps and programs and child care providers that are the right fit for you and your family, including:

·         Day and residential programs

·         Specialized programs (sports, academic, art, special needs, etc.)

·         Child care centers

·         Family day care

·         In-home care (nannies, au pairs, babysitters)

·         And more!

Plus, you have access to Emergency Backup Dependent Care, a program designed to help you secure—and pay for—backup care when your care plans are disrupted. Emergency Backup Care provides:

·         Ample coverage — 5 days per year for each eligible family member

·         An extensive network of credentialed child care centers or in-home care providers which only require a $10 co-pay for up to a full day of care

·         Reserve care up to 30 days in advance or request for last-minute emergencies

Access Interactive Tools

Log on to the WorkLife4You website to access tips, checklists and in-depth articles to help your whole family plan for summer on topics such as:

·         How to find and evaluate summer camps

·         Discover summer options for teens

·         How to prepare your child for residential summer camp

·         Summer camp health & safety tips

·         Summer fun with the whole family

·         How to keep kids learning to avoid summer brain drain

·         And more!

Get Summer Savings

Visit the online Discount Center for helpful savings on millions of brand-name products and services nationwide for all of your needs this summer!

For additional information and/or to request the services please call 1-866-552-IQ4U (4748) or TTY: 1-800-873-1322.   

****************

The Family Liaison Office 

and

The Foreign Service

 Youth Foundation

cordially invite you to the 

2015 Youth Awards

 Ceremony

as we honor our

 FSYF Contest and Award Winners,

AAFSW Scholarship Merit Award Winners, 

and

 Children with Parents Serving

at Unaccompanied Posts

Friday, July 10th, 2015

10:00am - 12:00pm

RSVP Here 

Location of Event

Department of State's George C. Marshall Center

2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520

Use East Entrance on 21st Street

****************

It can be challenging at times to balance the demands of work and life. We may feel the need to do more in less time at work – or to be available at all times in today's connected world. We may also feel pressure to shine in all the other areas of our life – as a parent, as a spouse or partner, as a friend. These demands can make us feel burned out, stressed, unproductive, and unwell. This month's Member Pulse digest features tips for finding the work-life balance that's best for you. Just click on the titles below to go directly to the articles. ·         Work-life balance: tips to reclaim control Do you feel overwhelmed when you think of your to-do list at work? Do you often work long hours or work on your days off? Juggling work and life demands isn't easy, but these tips can help you keep a healthier balance. ·         Stress relief: when and how to say no At some point, most of us have said "yes" to taking on a task that we simply didn't have time to do. It's harder to say "no," but doing so can be much better for our stress level. Read more for tips on why, when and how to say "no." ·         Job burnout: how to spot it and take action Are you irritable around your co-workers or clients? Feeling cynical or critical at work? Suffering from unexplained backaches or headaches or a lack of energy? You could be experiencing job burnout. Job burnout can hurt your health, career and relationships. Find out if you're at risk of burnout and what to do if you are experiencing it. ·         Your EAP: daily living services Not enough hours in the day to finish everything on your "to-do" list? Your EAP can help you find the right business or service to meet your needs – from a pet-friendly hotel for your next trip to a reliable plumber. Services we can find for you include: Hotel accommodations Repair and maintenance for your home or car Transportation services Pet services Relocation assistance

The Ralph Bunche Library Speaker Series Presents: Understanding Violence - Lessons from Una Chapman Cox Fellow Sherry Zalika Sykes and three Virtual Student Interns -->

Amy Chang, Yale University; William Che Nembhard, Howard University; Melissa Pavlik, University of Chicago; and Amy Sereday, Columbia University.

Ralph Bunche Library

Thursday, June 4, 2015 @ Noon

 Room 3239, HST

RSVP – Library@state.gov

Summer is on its way and and transfer season is in full bloom.
Stress can become a factor during this transition time, especially in children.         For those who missed our webinar on Stress Resilience for Kids, the link to the recorded webinar is now available by emailing your request to: FLOaskUT@state.gov.  
              

FSYF Summer 'Meet-Up' Events Return! During the summer months, FSYF hosts meet-up events at fun, local area venues for FSYF families. These casual events do not require a reservation or registration! For more information contact FSYF at fsyf@fsyf.org  "The Army Blues" at Lubber Run Amphitheater, Friday, June 19, 8pm: The U.S. Army Blues, part of the United States Army Band "Pershing's Own", is a premier jazz ensemble.  Join other FSYF families at this free performance under the stars in beautiful Lubber Run Park in central Arlington (two blocks north of Route 50/Arlington Blvd.) at North Columbus St. & 2nd St. North. About the Foreign Service Youth Foundation: Since 1989, FSYF has helped Foreign Service youth embrace the adventure of an internationally-mobile childhood by encouraging resilience and fostering camaraderie.  Global programs include: a Foreign Service youth-written newsletter, a parent newsletter, five annual contests,and two scholarships for college-bound seniors.  D.C.-area events include: re-entry seminars for high school and middle school students, a college admissions workshop, teen/tween game nights at Oakwood Apartments, and a FAll welcome back picnic.  FSYF also assists FLO and AAFSW in providing emergency support to families evacuated from overseas.  For more information, visit www.fsyf.org. CFC code 39436.

FSI - Transition Center is offering a free seminar:

         Going Overseas Super Saturday

May 30 Morning & Afternoon | Our Going Overseas SuperSaturday includes four FREE non-tuition courses for adults and children addressing both the psychological and the logistical preparations necessary when planning an overseas move. The highly interactive presentations in each course introduce all ages to the impact and logistics of an impending international move and help families and couples plan together. See below for which of the courses best meet your family's needs. See the course page for registration instructions.

Morning Options: 9:00am–12:00pm

• Going Overseas for Families: This workshop designed for families addresses the concerns and excitement around the coming international move and makes them think about how they plan to prepare for it. Specific sessions focus on making transitions and dealing with stress. Children in grades 2-12 attend this class along with their parents.
• Going Overseas for Singles and Couples without Children: In this interactive workshop, individuals and couples discuss the four stages of moving and brainstorm methods to manage stress and communicate effectively through the transition.

Afternoon Options: 1:00pm–3:30pm

• Going Overseas: Logistics for Adults: For the afternoon session, adult participants attend this session to receive invaluable information on the logistics of moving overseas and learn the "nuts and bolts" of making this move.
• Going Overseas: Logistics for Children: Children in grades 2-12 will be introduced to the logistics planning necessary for their international move. The children engage in thinking about the impending packout and prioritize what they would like to take with them.

New Course for High Stress Assignments!!

FSI Announces: Pre-Deployment Preparation for  High Stress Assignments (MQ940)

June 3, 2015 ~ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

July 8, 2015 ~ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

This course has the simple goal of empowering employees and/or couples to be better personally prepared for an extended assignment to a high stress post. You will learn and examine the successful strategies of Foreign Service employees and couples who managed to find a way to survive a high threat assignment.

Course Objectives:

1.      Understand, predict, and plan for the underlying dynamics of decision making, separation, deployment and repatriation from a high stress assignment.

2.      Become familiar with the full range of resources available to both employees and family members related to an unaccompanied tour.

3.      Develop productive communication and dialogue patterns that are mutually sustaining for all phases of a high stress assignment.

4.      Understand the unique stresses on family members as well as employees during an unaccompanied tour and develop a mutual plan to protect the relationships involved.

Who should attend: 

Open to Foreign Affairs agency employees and couples with an onward assignment to a High Treat Post.

Where:

At the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Service Institute, Arlington, VA in room E2118.

How to Register:

·         State Department Employees may follow this link -http://reg.fsi.state.gov/CourseCatalog.aspx?EventId=MQ940

·         EFMs register through the employee’s CDO/Training Officer

·         All other USG employees and EFMs must submit an SF-182

QUESTIONS:

For questions about this seminar please contact Laura Miller at MillerLE@state.gov.

How to make stress your friend

Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend- 
Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.

Click on the link below to find out how to make stress your friend.

Revolutionary way to look at stress

Ops Center FAQs

                                   
                                 Click on State Magazine for full article

The Family Liaison Office in partnership

with MHN (formerly Managed Health Network)

presents an interactive workshop

“Enhancing Stress Resilience for Kids

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

9:00 -10:00 A.M. EST

Department of State, FLO room 1239

Remote participation:

You do not have to attend in person.  This workshop is available virtually.  Virtual participants will need a computer with a high-speed internet connection and computer speakers. The “chat” function will allow virtual participants to post questions during the presentation. There is a workbook to use during the workshop.  Please contact FLOaskUT@state.gov to request a copy.

                                                     

                                        Who may participate?

This program is open to all US government employees, their family members, and Members of Household.  It may be especially useful to those affected by long-term temporary duty (TDY) and permanent change of station assignments to unaccompanied posts or high threat posts.

                                         How to participate:

Contact FLOaskUT@state.gov to participate in person.    Virtual participants will log on to https://deptofstatehr.adobeconnect.com/r23k31mdibr/.  Enter as a guest; type your name and your current or future post. 

If you have questions: Please contact FLO's Unaccompanied Tours Support Team at 202-647-1076 or 1-800-440-0397 or email FLOAskUT@state.gov. 

Pre-Deployment Preparation for High Stress Assignments

Pre-Deployment Preparation for High Stress Assignments

Dates in May, June, and July 6:00pm–9:00pm | This course has the simple goal of empowering employees and couples to be more psychologically prepared for an extended assignment to a high stress post. Part of the course will focus on practical considerations in preparing for and sustaining an unaccompanied assignment. Both employees and family members who attend will better understand the challenges of maintaining the health and well-being of relationships with spouses, children, siblings and others who will await the return of the officer. The Department is asking officers to go to posts that are known to be difficult and appreciates the sense of service and courage of those officers willing to serve. No one wants an officer's sustaining personal relationships to be sacrificed along the way. 

Breaking News           Breaking News

Workshop

Stress Resilience for Kids

  Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. (ET)

 This session is designed for an adult audience and will discuss the challenges our children face in today’s busy world. The one hour interactive workshop will provide ways for parents to identify signs of stress in their children, discuss how adults’ and kids’ bodies react to stress, and provide techniques to reduce stress. A participant workbook accompanies the session and individuals are encouraged to request a copy before the session by writing FLOaskUT@state.gov.

New Format! Adobe Connect allows us to interactively communicate with you via the chat function anytime during the webinar. No training or experience necessary, just log on. A trainer from MHN (a Health Net Company) will facilitate the discussion.

Participants may attend in person or virtually. Virtual participants will need a computer with a high-speed Internet connection and speakers.

To participate in the webinar virtually, go to: 

Department of State Webinar: Enter as a “guest”,

type your first name and your current post or future post.

The session will begin at 9:00 a.m. (ET) and will last one hour.

      To participate in-person: RSVP to FLOaskUT@state.gov. If you do not have a Department of State ID badge or diplomatic passport, please let us know so someone will be available to escort you. It will be held in Room 1239 of the Harry S. Truman Building.    

      Please direct questions or in-person RSVPs to FLO's Unaccompanied Tours office at 202-647-1076 or email FLOaskUT@state.gov.

FSI Announces: Encouraging Resilience in the Foreign Service Child (MQ500)

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Raising resilient children is a common goal of parents, doing so in the Foreign Service context poses unique challenges and opportunities.  Join us and other nomadic parents to explore means to foster resilience in your child(ren).

This workshop will include:

·         A panel of Foreign Service Third Culture Kids (TCKs)

·         A wide variety of tools parents can use to model and nurture resilience presented by a psychotherapist who herself is an EFM and parent

·         Tips and ideas for mitigating the challenges of raising transient children

Who May Attend:

Open to all Foreign Affairs agency employees (FS and CS) and adult eligible family members (EFMs).

Where and When:

At the Foreign Service Institute, George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Arlington, VA on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 from 6:00 pm- 8:30 pm in room C3116.

How to Register:

To register please email the name of participant(s), agency affiliation, and preferred email contact to FSITCTraining@state.gov.

Tuition: No Charge

QUESTIONS:

For questions about this workshop please contact coordinators at FSITCTraining@state.gov.

For more information about other Transition Center programs and training classes for personnel, family members and members of household, see our website at http://tc.fsi.state.gov/

Passport Acceptance Day at Washington Passport Agency

On Saturday, April 25, the Department is hosting a Passport Acceptance Day at the Washington Passport Agency from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  This event will offer appointment and walk-in services for applicants using Form DS-11 (all first-time applicants, all minors, and applicants who are not eligible to use Form DS-82) who want to apply ahead of the summer travel rush.  

Applicants must be eligible to complete, execute, and submit Form DS-11, and have no immediate travel plans.  Passport processing time is four to six weeks.  Expedited processing, will call service, and same-day passport issuance will not be available.  Individuals who want to renew a passport using Form DS-82 should apply via U.S. mail. 

Event:                 Passport Acceptance Day

Date:                   Saturday, April 25, 2015

Time:                   9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 

Where:               Washington Passport Agency
                            600 19th St, N.W., Sidewalk Level
                            Washington, DC 20006

Appointments:   Please call 1-877-487-2778  

Payment:             Check or money order only

For more information on how to apply for a U.S. passport, including necessary documents and fees, please visit Travel.State.Gov.  U.S. citizens may also obtain passport information by phone, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778. 

Family Member Employment Forum

                 May 14, 2015

                 9:00am - 1:00pm

                U.S. Department of State

                George Marshall Center

                21st Street and Virginia Avenue NW

                Washington, DC

               Event Information and to Register:

              www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c62853.htm

Coping with stress

On April 14, 2015 FLO& MHN presented an excellent session on 

Coping with the Stress of Change

If you missed the session but would like a workbook please write us at FLOaskUT@state.gov


If you would like more information on resiliency please visit Beth Payne’s blog Fostering Resiliencehttp://wordpress.state.gov/fosteringresilience/

Handout D. from MHN's Coping with Stress of Change Workbook

                               Active Relaxation Techniques.

Progressive Relaxation

This technique is often most useful when you tape the instructions beforehand. You can tape these instructions, reading them slowly and leaving a short pause after each one.

• Lie on your back, close your eyes.

• Feel your feet. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and sink into the bed. Start with your toes and progress to your ankles.

• Feel your knees. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed.

• Feel you upper legs and thighs. Fell their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed.

• Feel your abdomen and chest. Sense your breathing. Consciously will them to relax. Deepen your breathing slightly and feel your abdomen and chest sink into the bed.

• Feel your buttocks. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed.

• Feel your hands. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed.

• Feel your upper arms. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed.

• Feel your shoulders. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed.

• Feel your neck. Sense its weight. Consciously relax it and feel it sink into the bed.

• Feel your head and skull. Sense its weight. Consciously relax it and feel it sink into the bed.

• Feel your mouth and jaw. Consciously relax them. Pay particular attention to your jaw muscles and unclench them if you need to. Feel your mouth and jaw relax and sink into the bed.

• Feel your eyes. Sense if there is tension in your eyes. Sense if you are forcibly closing your eyelids. Consciously relax your eyelids and feel the tension slide off the eyes.

• Feel your face and cheeks. Consciously relax them and feel the tension slide off into the bed.

• Mentally scan your body. If you find any place that is still tense, then consciously relax that place and let it sink into the bed.