This program was delivered to military families, whose Service member had returned from deployment and was intended to impact military families and veterans.

The Kognito Family of Heroes program was a community-based, online, interactive training simulation that was designed to raise participants' awareness of the signs of post-deployment stress in a veteran and help family members and friends develop skills to manage the difficulties post-deployment life presents.

*As of August 2, 2023, Kognito stopped all selling and marketing activities of their product portfolio.

Results from a randomized controlled trial demonstrate that participants significantly enhanced their preparedness and likelihood to recognize signs of post-deployment stress and to approach veterans to discuss their concerns and encourage them to seek help at the Veterans Administration. Participants also reported significant improvements in actual behavior change after discussing their concerns with veterans.

This program intended to teach family members how to approach a veteran they were concerned about without using pressure or criticism, encourage veterans who displayed signs of psychological distress to seek help, and reduce stigma around mental health issues. Participants engaged in virtual role-play and conversations with three emotionally responsive veteran avatars who were experiencing post-deployment stress. This role-play was intended to help participants and veterans manage challenges of post-deployment life:

• What to expect after a veteran returns from deployment;
• What post-deployment stress is and how to recognize it, when to be concerned, and how to act on concerns;
• How to de-escalate and manage arguments and seek mutual compromise;
• How to renegotiate family chores and responsibilities and work together to solve problems;
• How to talk with a veteran who is displaying signs of suicidal ideation and encourage him or her to seek professional help; and
• How to find support services that can assist veterans and their families.

This program included a printable summary of best practices and a list of military and mental health resources that are available to participants locally and nationally.

This program was released in 2011 and was used by over 62,000 people at the Kentucky National Guard; the Air Force Space Command, which serves military families and Service members in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas; the Veterans Affairs of New York/New Jersey; the Virginia Department of Health; the Arizona Department of Health Services; and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.

No training was required to implement this program.

This program is no longer available to new customers; however, considerations for implementing a similar program might include acquiring participant buy-in, purchasing a license or yearly subscription, and ensuring participants have access to a computer with internet capabilities and adequate time to complete the program.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing a program similar to Kognito Family of Heroes, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

This program was 1 hour and was accessible online at all times.

Implementation costs included the purchase of simulations, and the following options were available: yearly institutional subscriptions, custom development, and individual licenses for 1-50 people.

To move the Kognito Family of Heroes program to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact Kognito by mail 25 Mall Road, 6th Floor, Burlington, MA 01803, phone 1-212-675-9234, email info@kognito.com, or visit https://kognito.com/contact/

https://kognito.com/products/family-of-heroes, https://sprc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Kognito-Family-of-Heroes-Legacy-Listing.pdf, and https://www.nreppadmin.net/viewintervention_id_312.html

Albright, G., Goldman, R., Shockley, K. M., McDevitt, F., & Akabas, S. (2012). Using an avatar-based simulation to train families to motivate veterans with post-deployment stress to seek help at the VA. Games for Health, 1(1), 21-28. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2011.0003