Michael DeAvies, the Fleet and Family Support education services facilitator at the Anacostia Navy Annex, held an eight-hour workshop at Bethesda to help men examine their roles as fathers in today’s society.

‘‘This [workshop] is not intended to be a teaching program,” DeAvies said. ‘‘It’s very hard being a father in this day and age. This program gives us an opportunity for reflection and conversation of the various characteristics of what it means to be a guy in today’s society and the challenges of being a father.”

The workshop consisted of a 12-step program from the National Fatherhood Initiative. The program allows fathers to examine and discuss their childhoods, how the role of men has changed over the past decades and what being a good father entails.

‘‘The program teaches the expectations of fathers today compared to the expectations of fathers when we grew up,” said Cmdr. Jayde Kurland, a doctor in Bethesda’s Gastroenterology Department. ‘‘[Our fathers] didn’t have it easier than we do, but it was definitely different.”

Kurland, who has two children, said society’s views on fathers have changed since he was young. The roles of ‘‘the family provider” and ‘‘the caretaker” are no longer defined by gender as they used to be. He said children need their mothers and fathers to be role models in their lives.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) Lima Deverson, leading petty officer of Bethesda’s 5 West Hematology and Oncology Inpatient Ward, said the course has helped him realize the areas he needs to work on with his children. He said he needs to be more involved with his children and learn time management. He said the course gave him confidence in his parenting skills.

‘‘I learned I am doing quite a few things well on my own,” Deverson said. ‘‘Things I thought I was doing backward, but are actually right on track.”

DeAvies said every father has the skills necessary to be a father. But some just have to work harder to build those skills, he said.

‘‘The program gives [fathers] the opportunity to look at [themselves] as far as their strengths and weaknesses and identify challenges they need to work on,” DeAvies said.