Contact Information
Deployment Readiness Coordinator
Maria Rodriguez Callejas
12th Marine Corps District
BLDG 8, Rm 120
3704 Hochmuth Ave, San Diego, CA 92140
Work Desk: 619.738.5136, Work Cell: 619.988.0593
Maria.RodriguezCallejas@Marines.usmc.mil
Welcome
On behalf of the District's Command Team, greetings and welcome aboard!
You are a welcomed addition to the 12th Marine Corps District (12thMCD) family, and we look forward to working with you.
The goal of the Unit, Personal, and Family Readiness Program is to provide support to Marines and their families. We take pride in ensuring that we are offering the best quality support for the unit, the Marine, and the family members. Family, to us, is defined as all members of a Marine's family. You will have an opportunity upon check-in, to tell us who family is to you through the updating of your MOL Family Readiness Module. Support for you and your family shall be provided to regardless of your marital status, to include: your spouse, children, and/or your designated parents/extended family members. This service and support are paramount to an increase in personal and unit readiness. Personal, and Family Readiness is a priority and is the primary foundation for unit and mission readiness.
As the Deployment Readiness Coordinator (DRC), my primary duty is to support the Commanding Officer with communication to the Marines and their family members, to provide information and resource referral, to provide deployment and readiness support, and volunteer management. I also serve as an informational link between the 12thMCD Commander and your Recruiting Station (RS) Uniformed Readiness Coordinators (URCs). Your unit URCs will keep you informed of training events, briefs, local, current and command-sponsored events. You will receive e-mails, phone calls and messages from MOL informing you of what is taking place within your respective command. It is imperative that you contact your URC if you have any major life events, or changes in contact information, so that they can update their databases.
As soon as you come on deck, ensure that you check in with either me at the District HQs, or your URC at the RS. We have important documents for you to complete. Spouses and other family members are welcomed to contact me or the RS URC for information about the area, resource referrals, and volunteer opportunities.
Our various Command Teams will ensure you are well informed about all programs and resources available to you and your family while you are a member of the 12thMCD family. We welcome any feedback on events you attend or would like to attend. We are always open to suggestions and new ideas. We look forward to hearing from you.
On behalf of the Command Team, welcome aboard. I along with the other URCs look forward to assisting you and your family, with any concerns you may have. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
Chaplain Alan Rogers, CDR, US Navy
Email: mark.rogers@marines.usmc.mil
Mobile: (808)-285-7402
Your 12th Marine Corps District Chaplain serves to strengthen, support, and equip all assigned personnel and their families for success at work, home, and in life.
Total Readiness: Encompasses mental, physical, spiritual, and social wellness. Neglect in any one area ultimately affects them all and negatively impacts quality of life and one’s ability to complete the mission.
Spirituality: Generally, refers to that which gives meaning and purpose in life. It may be defined by a connection to the divine, religious belief, practice of a philosophy, or a particular way of living. Every person has a “spiritual” dimension. What gives you purpose, hope, a reason to endure and overcome?
Spiritual Readiness: The strength of spirit which enables the warfighter to accomplish the mission with honor. Characterized by hope, moral decision-making, respect for others, meaningful relationships, and the ability to forgive, it results from an alignment between outward behavior and those internal values which form the basis of personal spirituality as together we embody honor, courage, and commitment.
Recruiting is both an important and arduous mission which requires readiness and resiliency. Your Chaplain is here to offer spiritual support, provision or facilitation of religious practice, confidential care and counsel on any issue, moral and ethical advisement, and qualified referral upon your request for help with any need: mind, body, spirit, relational.
FAQs:
* I’m not “religious,” so how can the Chaplain help me?
Chaplains ensure the free exercise of religion for all by providing religious ministry according to the tenets of their respective religious organization, facilitating support for all other faiths, and caring for all service members and their families, including those subscribing to no specific faith.
* How can I know what I tell the Chaplain remains confidential?
All communication on any area of concern, religious matter, etc., conveyed to a chaplain in private is considered “privileged” by law and Regulation and can never be disclosed without your consent.Chaplains are the ONLY professional care providers who are not mandated reporters, regardless of the subject, without exception.Chaplains cannot be compelled by a command, legally subpoenaed, or otherwise required to share any information regarding service members or others seeking their services.
* I appreciate the Chaps, but I’m doing OK right now, so what can he/she do for me?
Your Chaplain is undoubtedly a good person to know in a time of crisis, but Chaplains also daily support Marines and families as trusted sources of information, advice, and resource referral. Chaplains serve with you, deploy with you, and understand the demands of service. Consider your chaplain a personal spiritual fitness trainer who has no other agenda than seeing you succeed. Religious support. career decisions, relationship enhancement, parenting support, or simply as a place for a break for conversation separate from the grind, your Chaps is a friend worth getting to know before you think you need him.
The Mission of the District Chaplain’s is to strengthen the Spiritual, Emotional, Relational, Moral Fitness of our Marines and families.
* Spiritual Fitness: How do you connect with the things in life that bring meaning? How do you connect with a purpose larger than yourself? How do you cultivate and strengthen the inner spirit? For some it may be through meditation, prayer, sacred writing, or worship. For others, it may mean volunteering, hiking or spending time with family.
* Emotional Fitness: How do you deal with stress? How do you decompress? The answers are as unique as each person. There are some things that seem to be consistent across the board: Exercise, Quality sleep, Healthy diet, Quality social interactions.
* Relational Fitness: Life is all about relationships. How can you invest in the most important relationships in your life? Spouse, children, family, and friends. For Marriage Enrichment, you may be able to attend a CREDO Marriage Retreat, which is an all-expenses paid weekend at a hotel or conference center.
* Moral Fitness: Character counts on this assignment more than ever. There are so many ways for our moral compass to be thrown off, so each person must be on guard that they do not indulge in the little compromises that eventually lead to a path of destruction. The Marines are admonished to “keep our morals clean.” Doing the right thing at the right time matters.
In order to accomplish the mission of spiritual, emotional, relational and moral fitness, the Chaplain Supports, Trains, Assesses, Advises, and Refers.
1. Support: 24/7 Confidential Counseling and Crisis Support, Face-to-Face or Distance, In Person or (more likely) over the phone. Help is only a phone call away. YOUR CHAPLAIN CARES ABOUT YOU. Regardless of your background or faith tradition, I want you to be the very best and healthiest person you can possibly be. 100% confidentiality allows a person to talk freely about the most sensitive topics. On recruiting duty most of the chaplain counseling gravitates around the topics of stress, marriage, crisis intervention, and adjustment to the new assignment.
2. Training: Provides quarterly (and as requested) training on Wellness, Stress Management, Suicide Prevention, Spiritual Fitness, Relationship Enrichment, Character Development.
3. Assessment: Quarterly visits with Canvassing Recruiters, with a particular emphasis on 1st year Recruiters.
4. Advise: Update chain of command (as long as it doesn’t violate confidentiality) on issues related to morale and well-being of Marines/families.
5. Referral: Medical, Military OneSource, CREDO, DRC or other resource as needed.
What to Expect from Your Chaplain
1. YOUR CHAPLAIN CARES ABOUT YOU. Regardless of your background or faith tradition, I want you to be the very best and healthiest person you can possibly be. 100% confidentiality allows a person to talk freely about the most sensitive topics. On recruiting duty most of the chaplain counseling gravitates around the topics of stress, marriage, crisis intervention, and adjustment to the new assignment.
2. CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELING – This 100% confidentiality allows a person to talk freely about the most sensitive topics. On recruiting duty most of the chaplain counseling gravitates around the topics of stress, marriage, crisis intervention, and adjustment to the new assignment.
3. CRISIS RESPONSE / INTERVENTION – Any one of us can reach a point of being overwhelmed by events in life. But there is always hope. There is always someone who cares.
4. CEREMONIES – Religious events, Command events, Retirements and weddings.
Most Frequent Challenges to Look Out for on Recruiting Duty:
1. Work Stress – This is common and often peaks at 7-9 months into the assignment. Key indicators are 1) lack of sleep, 2) lack of exercise, 3) lack of proper nutrition in conjunction with 4) diminished family time.
2. Marriage Enrichment – Marriages that are the most vulnerable have some factors in common: 1) First 12 months of recruiting tour, 2) Relocated away from support network, 3) Spouse is caring for small children, 4) Poor communication habits, and 5) Expectation management and acceptance.
3. Grief – Life events happen even while there is a mission to be made. Any one of us may experience one or more of these events: loss of loved ones, marriage difficulty, and/or other life events. For every one of us who loses something or someone important, grief is a very real thing that needs to be processed. If we do it well, we will move toward acceptance.
BEST PRACTICES
* Cultivate healthy habits early.
* Put important dates on the calendar
* Keep a couple hours a week blocked off just for your family.
* Communicate well and often with your spouse.
* Keep a positive mental attitude.
* Get involved in your community, faith group, or other interest group.
* Connect spouses with the other spouses.
* Minimize the use of alcohol.
* Being “well” is a combination of several factors.
Suicide Prevention and Awareness
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals under the age of 35, but in most cases it is preventable. Being aware of indicators and risk factors can make our commands and our community a safer place.
Remember RACE to Intervene
If someone is exhibiting the signs that they are at risk for suicide, remember the acronym RACE to help keep the safe for now. RACE stands for Recognize, Ask, Care, and Escort.
Recognize: The Warning Signs
What are the warning signs that could indicate that a person might at risk?
* Change in behavior/appearance
* Isolation
* Statements about death
* Seeking information about how to die and looking to obtain means to commit suicide
* Loss of a relationship, loss of job or money
* Facing a situation of humiliation or failure
* Feeling worthless, shame, overwhelming guilt or self-hatred
* Expressing a sense of hopelessness
* Giving away possessions
Ask: Directly and clearly about suicide. Say:
* “Are you thinking about killing yourself”? – or –
* “Are you thinking about suicide”?
Care: Let them talk and stay with them (physically and emotionally)
Escort: Take them to the next level of support and let the chain of Command know.
2022 Most Requested Resources
Military Family Life Counselor - 12th Marine Corps District (California area Marines and family members)
POC: Mrs. Nissrine Habhab, (619) 616-6792, nissrine.habhab@leidos.com
Capabilities: Military & Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) are experienced behavioral health professionals assigned to installations, embedded in units, schools, and Child Development and Youth Centers, MFLCs augment and work in collaboration with other Marine Corps Behavioral Health programs. MFLCs act as touchpoints for Marines and families who may need assistance.
Website: https://sandiego.usmc-mccs.org/marine-family-support/prevention-and-counseling/military-family-life-counselors
Military OneSource:
Capabilities: Military OneSource from the Department of Defense is your 24/7 gateway to trusted information, resources, and confidential help. When military life happens, it’s your “first line of support: - giving service members and military families tools to stay well and thrive.
Website: Support for Military Personnel & Families • Military OneSource
MCCS San Diego New Parent Support Program:
POC: Koalani Lahr (619) 524-8033 or Sylvia Sanchez (619) 524-0805
Capabilities: The New Parent Support Program (NPSP) is a professional team of social workers, counselors, and registered nurses who provide education and support to Marine families who are expecting or raising children aged 0 -5 years old. The NPSP also hosts baby boot camp and group parenting classes, playgroups, and home visits for Marines and their families.
Website: New Parent Support (usmc-mccs.org)
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society:
POC: Jeff Nash, Director. (619) 524-5734 office. (619) 524-0724 direct line (619) 381-3743 cell. jeffrey.nash@nmcrs.org
Capabilities: Emergency Travel, grants, Budget for Baby, quick assist loans, and more.
Website: Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) - Financial Assistance, Interest-Free Loans & Scholarships
Support The Enlisted Project (STEP):
POC: Tracy Owens, Programs Manager. Tracy.Owens@teamstepusa.org
Capabilities: STEP builds financial self-sufficiency among junior active duty enlisted service members and recently discharged enlisted veterans and their families in southern California facing financial crisis through counseling, education, and grants.
Website: Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) - SDMFC (sdmilitaryfamily.org)
The National Resource Directory:
Capabilities: The NRD is a database of validated resources that support recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration for service members, veterans, family members, and caregivers.
Website: National Resource Directory | Connecting our Service Members & Veterans (nrd.gov)
MCCS San Diego Personal & Professional Development, Information & Resource Referral - PCS Smooth Move Workshops:
POC: Perlita Rodriguez. (619) 524-5732. Perlita.Rodriguez@usmc.mil
Capabilities: This program provides information and referral functions designed for mobile military lifestyles. Individuals with unresolved needs are referred to the resource that can best address the needs. Specialists maintain a database of installation, DoD, community, and national resources. It oversees all relocation service functions to assist with a PCS or transitioning out of the military.
Website: Information & Referral (usmc-mccs.org)