Parental deployment has substantial effects on the family system, among them ambiguity and uncertainty. Youth in military families are especially affected by parental deployment because their coping repertoire is only just developing; the requirements of deployment become additive to normal adolescent developmental demands. Focus groups were used to inquire about uncertainty, loss, resilience, and adjustment among youth aged 12-18 that had a parent deployed, most often to a war zone. The nature of uncertainty and ambiguous loss was explored. Response themes included overall perceptions of uncertainty and loss, boundary ambiguity, changes in mental health, and relationship conflict. These accounts suggest that ambiguous loss is a useful concept for understanding the experiences of these youth and for structuring prevention and intervention efforts.

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A conceptual model for evaluating community-based program sustainability is presented, along with a 53-item Program Sustainability Index (PSI). Structural equation modeling (SEM) and principal axis factor analysis indicate strong support for each of the seven elements of the PSI. When considered as an overall model, six of the seven framework elements were retained. Internal consistency for each subscale was acceptable, and acceptable performance validity was demonstrated when the subscales were contrasted with middle-range program results. These findings are discussed with regard to next steps in the conceptualization and measurement of program sustainability, as well as implications for planning and implementing communitybased programs for families. C ommunity-based programs are important in the service delivery system in many communities; yet there is a lack of knowledge about how programs are sustained (Lerner, 1995), including inadequate systematic conceptualization and associated measurement of sustainability. Funding providers and the professionals who receive their funds are obligated to work toward sustaining programs. The poignancy of this obligation was expressed by a service provider who said,We have a responsibility to our program recipients; they've had so many losses in their lives and for us to come in for a year or two or three and give them hope, only to have the program go away, we've just caused another loss and a further loss of hope in their lives. (Akerlund, 2000, p. 353) Our purpose in this article is to present a community-based program sustainability conceptual model and a multifactor measure that corresponds to the model. Toward a Theory of Program SustainabilityThere are three dimensions in our conceptual framework logic model: elements associated with sustainability, middlerange program results, and an ultimate result of the program being sustained (see Figure 1). We assume that sustainability elements lead to desired middle-range program results and that these desired results increase the chances of a program being sustained (ultimate result). Sustainability elements also may be related directly to the ultimate result of a program being sustained. We examine linkages between sustainability elements and selected middle-range program results in the course of discussing the Program Sustainability Index (PSI), a measure of the sustainability elements.

This study used structural equation modeling to examine a strengths-based, community practice model to explore the relationship between formal and informal community-based social networks and family adaptation in military communities. ''Sense of community'' was examined as a critical mediating variable. Results provide support for the practice model. Several important insights were revealed about the strength and nature of pathways between components in the model. Results suggest that communities (including the workplace) can be important sources of tangible information and expressive support. Other important implications for community practice and research are discussed.

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