SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE

Paternity, Child Support, and Parenting Time for Military Families

HALF ARE PARENTS

30,000 UNWED DADSTHIS YEAR

YEARLONG ABSENCE

MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS

PTSD/TBI

TEXAS HEROES PROJECT

PARTNERSHIPS with VA mental health, Texas Veterans Leadership Project, Texas National Guard, military installations, veterans organizations

HIGH-TOUCH SERVICES for military parents coping with unemployment, mental health or general stresses related to military service

EDUCATION specific to population

HIGH TOUCH SERVICES

HEROES Attorneys (3) located in high military population centers provide:

• Specialized case review and legal action

• One-on-one briefings at military installations

• Outreach to veterans re: serious non-compliance

• Multi-disciplinary case management referrals

• Interstate outreach to contacts in other states and countries

• IV-D SME and training to JAG Corps

POPULATION BASED SERVICES

• Parenting Order Legal Clinics – monthly at Ft. Hood, Ft. Bliss and Joint Base San Antonio

• Educational presentations and one-on-one briefings for Texas National Guard at Yellow Ribbon pre/post deployment events

• Veteran’s Legal Clinics – presentations and case work

• Military deployment handbook and checklist for paternity, child support and parenting time

BEST PRACTICES

Designation and Development of Resources

• Designate a military liaison within the state’s CSE

• Create a CSE checklist for service members

• Write a cover letter about the SCRA to accompany summons going to known military member

• Develop policy on release of child support information to a person designated by a military member. Accept power of attorney or require agency-specific release form?

BEST PRACTICES

Education and Professional Development

• Train case workers to conduct search on the Defense Manpower Site

• Provide training on military issues to caseworkers

• Conduct Child Support 101 trainings for JAG attorneys at military installations in the state

BEST PRACTICES

Outreach and Building Partnerships

• Identify cases on state CSE system involving a military member and proactively review for possible SCRA issues, modification, and transfer of an income withholding order

• Reach out to the National Guard State Family Program Director

• Participate in Yellow Ribbon briefings as a community provider

• Build partnerships with veterans’ service providers

Case Study:  SGT Castillo  

SGT Castillo He has a 2 year old daughter, divorced between 1st and 2nd deployments to Iraq (2008) , his child support was set at Texas guidelines and he exited the service in Spring of 2009.

•July 2010 – in court for non‐payment of support

•Diagnosed with PTSD by VA 

•Unable to sleep unless someone is watching him, lives with his mother

•VA has given him meds – he testifies meds cause him to sleep all day

•Lost two jobs due to chronic tardiness, lack of focus, irritability, and aggressiveness

•Disability rating of 20%, but is appealing

•CP testifies no visitation since NCP returned from service, daughter is distraught, CP worries if visits are appropriate

Case Study: SGT Sommers    

SGT Sommers Ex‐wife filed for divorce around the same time he was “blown up” in two IED attacks in Afghanistan. He never receives papers; papers were served to stateside address while he was in Walter Reed Hospital. Whilehospitalized, he learns from a family member that the divorce was finalized.

• Child support based on his pay while deployed

• Sgt. receiving treatment for TBI‐ Traumatic Brain Injury and serving limited duty in California as a recruiter 

• Child support is paid through California registry, CS remains atdeployment level

• Sgt. is transferred to Ft. Bliss, wants a CS mod review, when hecontacts CA he is informed they can’t do it

• CP and child are now living in El Paso as well

Case Study: CPT Lugo    

Cpt. Lugo Exits the Army in 2009, currently unemployed, has two CSE cases being paid with UI benefits, has a pending criminal matter and is being treated by the VA for non‐specified mental health issues.

• CP on lower order case files for upward modification

At the hearing

• NCP appeared, agreed to upward mod despite being unemployed

• CP raised issue of NCP receiving $40,000 VA disability payment

• CS is recalc’d to incl. $40K as income and retro judgment obtained

After the hearing

• Additional info received from VA mental health practitioner

• Cpt. Lugo’s limited cognitive functioning and PTSD triggered depression means he likely could not and did not understand the agreement he signed 

• VA concerned Cpt. might harm himself or others

Case Study: Specialist Thompson    

SPC ThompsonWhile deployed his girlfriend told him she was pregnant and had “his”baby boy.  He established an allotment to go to her and his son.Returned from deployment 4 months ago. 

• SPC Thompson has not seen his son

• Contacted his girlfriend upon his return. She tells him she is in a new relationship with someone who is a good daddy to the baby

• He goes to baby’s mom’s house to see baby but mom calls the police, then files for and is granted a protective order from him.

• He cancelled the allotment to his former girlfriend 

• Baby’s mom contacts commander, says Thompson wasn’t providing for his son 

• SPC Thompson scheduled to change station in two months

Case Study: Corporal Timmons    

CPL TimmonsShe has 6 yr. old daughter, was never married to daughter’s father, but has now been married for 2 yrs. Daughter’s father is former military living in another state now. She is scheduled for deployment in 3 weeks. 

• Texas child support order says CP/NCP are joint managing consv.

• No specific language in the order addressing custodial rights during deployment periods

• NCP has been in/out of VA treatment for substance use and PTSD 

• NCP has made statements about daughter coming to live with him

• CP completes an Army Family Care Plan placing her daughter with her husband