Six more AETC bases roll out Central Registry Board

By Master Sgt. Jerry Taranto
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Air, Education and Training Command continues expansion of the Family Advocacy’s Central Registry Board after the Air Force’s successful initial test phase of five installations.

Forty additional bases roll out the new program this summer including Columbus, Maxwell, Tyndall, Little Rock, Goodfellow and Vance air force bases. Sheppard and Lackland Air Force Base began testing in 2002 and implemented the new board in 2004. Randolph AFB is also participating in a pilot study.

The Central Registry Board is replacing the Family Maltreatment Case Management Team as a means for making case status determinations of spouse and child abuse.

“For nearly 20 years the Air Force used the FMCMT to make substantiation determinations and clinical recommendations in alleged family maltreatment incidents, as required by DoD,” said Pam Collins, a Treatment Program Manager with the Air Force Medical Support Agency at Family Advocacy Headquarters at Brooks City Base, Texas. “But a growing number of concerns about the consistency of the decisions led family advocacy officials to look for a new, improved mechanism for handling these cases.”

CRB members decide which incidents meet the new research-based/Air Force definitions of family maltreatment for entry into the Air Force Central Registry. The vice wing commander chairs the CRB, or may delegate the role to the mission support group commander.

In 2002, five bases agreed to replace their maltreatment team with a newly revised CRB on a test basis. A recent study shows the CRB’s demonstrated improved consistency and accuracy of decisions. Expert reviewers agreed with board decisions in more than 92 percent of incidents.

“The CRB helps to streamline the process and is the heart of considering victim impact,” said Maj. Cynthia Hampton, AETC Behavioral Health Consultant. “It also gives credibility and a sense of fairness to the decisions.”

Counseling recommendations for these families such as individual, family or marital therapy are discussed at the clinical case staffing meeting with the Family Advocacy Program staff members.

Another significant difference with the CRB includes the member’s commander gets to vote on the decision. Determinations are made by majority vote and are no longer placed in medical records. The CRB consists of a six-member board compared to the 12- to 16-member case management team.

Prior to stand-up, Family Advocacy Officers will attend a “CRB Boot Camp” to determine specifics on launching and maintaining the board. To test different training strategies, half of the installations will receive in-person support and the other 20 will receive telephone support prior to an Air Force-wide launch.

“The Air Force-wide rollout is being conducted in stages due to the extensive training and support requirements needed for initiating and maintaining the CRB process,” said Hampton. “It also assures standardization of quality across the Air Force.”