Q&As from Straight Talk with Smith

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Q: How can we raise awareness of the Parent Transition rooms set up in various schools? These rooms are part of a partnership between military parents, School Liaison Officers (SLO), and the schools. A: Learn more at the SLO Facebook page www.facebook.com/sandiegoschoolliaison and look for more information to come on NBSD's Facebook regarding these exciting initiatives for military families. Q: I know someone in housing that was told they couldn't have a pet when it was related to their treatment. I think it was a therapy animal. Why is that not allowed? A: Families with special needs are highly encouraged to contact the Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Liaisons at (619) 556-6899. Families with special needs have access to a wide range of benefits and resources, and can also get the most recent and accurate policies from the EFMP Liaisons. Q: Why can't pets be allowed in all military housing neighborhoods and not just limited to some neighborhoods? A: While many of our military families own pets and therefore choose a pet-friendly neighborhood, many of our current and future residents express a strong desire to live in pet-free neighborhoods. The Navy and Lincoln balance those competing desires from our families by designating certain neighborhoods for pets and certain neighborhoods as pet-free. In addition, some neighborhoods are more conducive to pets, i.e. homes have larger yards; while other neighborhoods are not conducive to pets, i.e. small balconies/patios only. For these reasons we must limit which neighborhoods accept pets. Sailors can choose particular neighborhoods as long as specific requirements are met such as rank, bedroom/dependent numbers. Q: Why don't all the housing neighborhoods have air conditioning? A: Several factors including location, proximity to the ocean, and age of the homes explain why not all neighborhoods have air conditioning (A/C). In general, housing built prior to 2000 did not have A/C installed. Since then, our newer housing has had A/C installed. Available funding is also a factor. Each year, the Navy and Lincoln assess and prioritize necessary improvements to the neighborhoods. Over the past several years three neighborhoods (Murphy Canyon, Chesterton and Mira Mesa Ridge) have been retrofitted with A/C. The Navy and Lincoln continually assess and prioritize necessary improvements to the homes based on safety, quality of life and resident feedback. Unfortunately there are not enough funds to install A/C in all our neighborhoods. Q: Can Naval Medical Center San Diego offer evening walk-in hours for routine support? Right now, there are three hours in the morning (0600-0900) but this doesn't work for people with children in school. A: For any patient questions or concerns about hours of operations, please contact (619) 5326418. Q: How can families learn about the heritage and appreciation events in advance, like November Native American Heritage celebration events at various commands? A: The information for NBSD is posted on Facebook or the Sailor can inquire at their command.


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