Note from MCPON: Navy Safe Harbor Program

[Sonya Ansarov]

UNCLAS//N01760//

NAVADMIN 044/10

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO Washington DC /N09/FEB//

SUBJ/Navy Safe Harbor//

RMKS/ 1. Our Sailors make enormous sacrifices to serve their country and to support the Navy's mission. It is a covenant of leadership that we should in turn give 100 percent of our support when they become wounded, ill, or injured. I want to highlight one of our best initiatives, Navy Safe Harbor.

2. Navy Safe Harbor is the lead organization for providing non-medical care to seriously wounded, ill, and injured Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and their families. Through proactive leadership, safe harbor provides a lifetime of individually-tailored assistance designed to optimize the success of our shipmates' recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration activities. It is incumbent upon navy leaders to ensure that wounded warriors are referred to safe harbor for help and to support them with their recovery and return to a healthy, productive life.

3. Navy medicine has long provided world-class medical care to wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families. To extend that standard of care beyond medical treatment, Navy Safe Harbor supports Sailors, Guardians and their families by providing non-medical care management. Safe Harbor collaborates with organizations within and outside of the navy to address pay and personnel issues, invitational travel orders for caregivers, housing and lodging arrangements, child and youth programs, recreation and leisure programs, transportation needs, legal and Guardianship issues, education and training benefits, commissary and exchange access, respite care, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder support services, and much more.

4. Safe Harbor military and civilian field staff are at the following locations and provide regional coverage:

A. Navy medicine facilities: National Naval Medical Center-Bethesda, Naval Medical Center (NMC) Portsmouth, NMC San Diego, Naval Hospital (NAVHOSP) Camp Lejeune, NAVHOSP Jacksonville, NAVHOSP Bremerton, Naval-VA Hospital Great Lakes, and Naval Health Clinic New England.

B. Veterans Health Administration facilities: Safe Harbor care managers are assigned at James A. Halley VA Polytrauma Center - Tampa, FL, and the VA PolytraumaCcenter - Palo Alto, CA. Care managers from NMC Portsmouth cover the Richmond VA Polytrauma Center and the care manager at Great Lakes covers the Minneapolis VA Polytrauma Center.

C. Other facilities: Safe Harbor has care managers assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and at Naval Bases Norfolk and San Diego.

5. Eligibility for enrollment is extended to all seriously wounded, ill, and injured Sailors, Guardians, and their families (to include Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom casualties; on or off-duty accidents (e.g., motor vehicle accidents); or other serious illnesses (physical or psychological)). If a member does not meet Safe Harbor enrollment criteria, member will be provided a referral or information to address their issue. Enrollment is voluntary and members are enrolled for as long as necessary. There are multiple access points for referral to the program, including the

Following:

A. A member may self-refer to Safe Harbor 24/7 by calling toll-free

1-877-746-8563 or sending an e-mail to safeharbor(at)navy.mil.

B. A command generated personnel casualty report via the defense casualty information program system (DCIPS).

C. Navy medicine medical care case managers and other service medical care managers may contact Safe Harbor directly.

D. The member's command leadership may contact Safe Harbor.

6. Navy Safe Harbor's goal is to return Sailors and Guardians to duty; when this is not possible, Safe Harbor will work collaboratively with federal agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Labor, and state and local organizations to ensure successful career transition and integration of Sailors, Guardians, and their families back into their communities.

7. As leaders we have to be aware of our Sailors' issues and their families'

Issues, being especially vigilant of deployment related problems. Work with your Sailors to get them the necessary care and support they have earned. It is a responsibility of covenant leadership, and Safe Harbor is there to help.

8. For more information on Safe Harbor, visit the Safe Harbor website at http:\\www.safeharbor.navy.mil. Sailors and Guardians and families can also follow the Safe Harbor program on Facebook and Twitter.

9. Point of contact: CAPT Key Watkins, Navy Safe Harbor, at [phone]/DSN 225 or email at safeharbor(at)navy.mil.

10. Vice Chief sends.//