Apart from the to-do list when moving, you should also pay attention to your family members’ special medical and educational needs. How and where can you get help before, during, and after the moving process? Do not worry as this article will help you with some helpful information.
The Exceptional Family Member Program can do all mentioned above. By enrolling in this program, you and your family can receive lots of benefits and assistance. The sections below will describe a lot more details about this program. Let’s check them out now!
What is the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMB)?
This is a compulsory enrollment program working with other civilian and military agencies for those who have not heard about the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMB). It aims to offer coordinated and comprehensive community support, personnel, housing, medical, and educational services to families with special needs.
Enrollment in this program is beneficial for military families as they can access assistance or receive consideration throughout the assignment process. So, when service members are on duty, their families can still navigate the educational and medical system.
Sometimes, the service members are on assignment guides to areas outside the United States. These areas require authorization for family member travel or sponsorship travel. Therefore, the eligible family members must be screened and enrolled before electing to serve the accompanied tour.
The screening will consist of medical records review of all members. For children aged six years and under, they need developmental screening. Besides, the soldiers are in charge of updating their current EFMB enrollment when the conditions change, or every three years at least.
Benefits
When enrolling in the EFMB, military families will get many benefits that you can read and refer through the EFMB objectives.
- Children with disabilities can receive medically related services with the similar priority to medical care for the active-duty soldiers per Department of Defense Instruction 1342.12
- Eligible family members will have their medical needs and special education assessed, documented, and coded in all locations. Then, these coded needs will be forwarded to the military personnel agencies and considered during the assignment process.
- When EFMB knows the needs and families’ conditions, soldiers can be assigned to areas where the EFM’s special education and medical needs are accommodated. However, it is available only when the personnel required for the soldier’s specialty and grade is valid.
- All eligible family members will be sent assistance and information needed to engage them with the community support services to satisfy their needs.
- Individuals with disabilities will receive accessible facilities and programs.
- Eligible toddlers, infants, and their families are provided with the Early Intervention Services.
If you’re preparing for a relocation due to military service, you might want to know about military relocation assistance programs available to you and your family. These programs can offer financial support, employment assistance, and help you transition to a new location seamlessly.
EFMP Enrollment
Soldiers can contact the nearest Army Medical Treatment Facility EFMP case coordinator for initiation enrollment. The EFMP participants will be permanently enrolled in this program if special education and medical do not warrant case closure. In case the Army separates the soldier, this program will also not be permanent.
To enroll in the program, you should complete the DD Form 2792-1 or the DD Form 2792. In case soldiers are Army Married Couples Program’s members, they and their qualified family members must enroll in the EFMP. This process ensures that each sponsor’s assignment manager will consider the families’ special needs.
Who Is an Exceptional Member?
Exceptional members, also known as EFM, are family members of soldiers. These people can be children or adults, regardless of age and gender. They will be considered select members when they have emotional, physical disorders affected by their development and behavior.
Also, people with mental, intellectual, or special medical effects are select members. In general, exceptional members have a diverse developmental history than ordinary people.
To better understand this, you should refer to some examples of common EFMP registration scenarios. While not covering all cases, this detailed and complete information represents common diagnoses so you can identify exceptional members.
Some general diagnoses of exceptional members are as follows:
- ODD / ADD / ADHD (for those who take more than one drug and have comorbidities, diagnosis and advice are often required).
- Allergic diseases (for those who regularly need to be vaccinated for allergies, under the specialists’ supervision, the number of visits is more than once per year)
- RAD / Asthma (those who are not enrolled are people with mild, intermittent, and do not need the help of a controller)
- Autism / Developmental Delay / Diffuse Developmental Disorders (these cases may include special education enrollment)
- Cancer (patients who have completed treatment and reduced their illness after five years and are not subject to special monitoring do not need to be registered)
- Pap Smear abnormality / Cervical dysplasia (patients must be registered to be those who have had colposcopy or cervical smear twice a year)
- Diabetes (those who need to register all have diabetes that is insulin, non-insulin and requires the constant supervision of a specialist)
- Assistive equipment (ventilator, g-tube, CPAP, regular dialysis and home dialysis, mobility aids such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids, oxygen, nebulizers at home, apnea monitor, pacemaker including model number of the same brand)
- Unstable health and mind (some common conditions include anxiety disorders, depression, unstable eating, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive disorder. These cases must be patients who have been on drug therapy for the past five years.
- Osteoporosis/prostheses (the body has any openings and artificial organs must be maintained)
- Children at high risk of premature birth or premature birth (those born less than 36 weeks, requiring long-term oxygen support or ventilation, hospitalization, and special care supervision for the infant born in a month)
- Early Intervention / Special Education requirements (based on an individual family support plan (IFSP) and an individualized education plan (IEP), these cases should be supported as soon as possible. The Early Intervention or School Program will complete the form: DD 2792-1.
- Substance abuse and use (in these cases special drug and alcohol counseling services)
- Exceptional members also include people with special medical conditions that need psychological advice or other specialists’ education.
When you see any suspicious signs, the EFMP office at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center is here to help. Contact at: (254) 288-8099.
If you need to relocate because of EFMP needs, don’t forget to utilize the Relocation Assistance Programs & Services . These programs offer relocation assistance to those with special needs, including help with finding housing, moving your family and household goods, and accessing medical and educational resources. This can help take some of the stress out of the relocation process and make it easier for you and your family.
How Can Families Enroll In the EFMP Program?
The most straightforward way is to contact the EFMP medical point at the local Military Treatment Facility (MTF) to get the paperwork. Another way is to contact the Marine Corps. There are some instructions for you to consult as follows.
Army EFMP Enrollment
- The completed DD 2792/ DD 2792-1 forms, along with applicable attachments, are sent to the Army Medical Treatment Facility, and the EFMP Case Coordinator will pay attention to them.
- Then, the EFMB Case Coordinator will execute an administrative review of these forms.
- The forms are forwarded to the proper Regional Health Command (RHC) by the EFMP Case Coordinator.
- At this stage, the forms will be reviewed again to decide educational and medical eligibility.
- Finally, the RHC will enter the data in the automated EFMP database, which is on the Army Personnel Network. After that, the soldiers will be notified of the enrollment by the EFMP Case Coordinator.
If you have a family member with a special need, it’s important to enroll in the Army’s Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), which provides support to military families. Learn more about US, CA, AU military enlistment age limits at Hood MWR and take advantage of the 12 Family and MWR Leisure Travel Services offered at Hood MWR.
Marine Corps EFMP Enrollment
- You also have to complete the forms first before sending them to your local MTF, HQMC, or Installation EFMP Office.
- The Installation EFMP Offices or MTF staff will accomplish the administrative documents review, then forward to HQMC.
- HQMC reviews the documentation and the forms upon receipt again and determines the educational and medical eligibility. The enrollment determination is also completed at this step.
- Eventually, a letter will be sent to the Marines’ government email account to notify the enrollment determination. Unless the marine has a government email, HQMC will send a letter to the address submitted in the Marine Corps Total Force System.
Air Force EFMP Enrollment
- Apart from the forms of DD 2792 and DD 2792-1, you also need to fill in the AF 2523 form. Then, the Airman’s PAS-coded Air Force MTF submits these forms, and the Special Needs Coordinator (SNC) will keep track of this process.
- Afterward, the SNC at MTF will conduct the form administrative review.
- The forms are reviewed one more time by the SNC to decide the educational and medical eligibility.
- If eligible, a letter will be sent to the Military Personnel Section (MPS).
- Then, the MPS staff will add a Q-code to the record of the Airman in MilPDS, which designates enrollment in the EFMP.
Navy EFMP Enrollment
- This step is similar to the step you have to do with the Army EFMP enrollment.
- The EFMP Coordinator reviews the forms as an administrative process.
- When finishing reviewing, the application will be forwarded to the Central Screening Committee (CSC) via fax, mail, or the Navy system for Family Accountability Assessment.
- The CSC is responsible for reviewing the enrollment forms for educational and medical eligibility, suggesting an assignment category, and forwarding the application to the Navy Personnel Command.
- At the Navy Personnel Command, the EFMP Manager will report the enrollment to the enlisted detailers and the officer prior, as well as annotate the personnel records of the sponsor in the EFMP database.
- The final step is that the Active-Duty sponsor contacts their Case Liaison for enrollment proof.
What Do You Know about Assignment Coordination?
The EFMP enrollment makes sure that the documented needs of family members receive contemplation in the process, while the driving force behind this process is the military mission.
The assignment coordination takes place when the Department of Defense receives a review request from the personnel command. This request will ask to review the documented needs to decide the availability of services at the projected location.
It is crucial to know about the assignment coordination as some areas will limit access to proper educational and medical services, especially in remote locations and overseas. When there is assignment coordination, the service member can clearly pay attention to mission-related responsibilities without worrying as their family members get the support and care they require.
What is Family Support?
The EFMP family support assists families in finding and access services and programs. This support consists of the following services:
- Education and outreach
- Early intervention services and local school information
- Managing non-clinical case, including plans for individualized services
- Referral and information for community and military services
- Warm handoffs to the EFMP at the next location
At the same time, the family support providers also play an integral part in the support. Their roles are as follows:
- Provide referral and information services, training, non-medical case management, and other support, including opportunities for families to access a common concern and need to help families empower their paths.
- Help to relocate families pinpoint and seek formal services, informal supports, and programs. This service might fall under the different agency’s responsibility or have a different name in other states.
- Bridge gaps in services, supports, programs, help families know what is provided, apply for entitlements and benefits, and decide eligibility.
If you’re interested in exploring different Army job fields and what’s needed to qualify for each, check out the Hood MWR Army MOS List page. Here, you’ll find detailed descriptions of each Army MOS and what they entail, as well as information on how to apply and qualify for specific roles.
EFMP Tools and Resources
There are a lot of helpful resources and toolkits developed for military families with special needs.
Directory for educating children with special needs
Military families will be provided with the resources needed to experience easier transitions and make informed assignment decisions. This directory includes two components for children from newborn to 3 years old (Early Intervention Directory) and those between 3 years old and 21 years old (School Age Directory).
When coming to the directory, you can:
- Explore the meaning of early intervention terms and abbreviations
- Locate the state’s early intervention funding, resources, services, and tools
- Look for the additional national, military, and government early intervention resources to meet your family’s needs
- Use the interactive resources and tools to prepare your child’s early intervention needs prior to moving
Instructions for Adults who have special needs
This is a guide from the Department of Defense for Adults with special needs. It offers resources and information to tackle a variety of topics relating to adults with special needs. Some information in this instruction is suitable for those who are diagnosed with a specific medical condition. In comparison, other sections are appropriate for adult children with disabilities.
If you or your loved one is an adult with special needs, finding the right exercises that fit their unique capabilities and needs can be challenging. However, there are still gentle exercises for seniors with arthritis at home, which can help improve flexibility and mobility. Check out 7 Gentle Exercises for Seniors with Arthritis at Home and incorporate them into their daily routine to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
Toolkit for Special Needs Parent
The Toolkit helps military families to gear toward tools and comprehensive information for children with special needs. To be more specific, parents can navigate the maze of special education and medical services, benefits, entitlements, and community support.
Person-centered Planning
Person-centered planning supports people with disabilities to plan work, housing, finances, and more. This service brings the following benefits:
- Focus on the strength of each individual, not deficits
- Focus on people with disabilities, not the planner
- Help alleviate stigmatizing labels, isolation, loss of hope, and opportunity
Its basic planning objectives are to help the individual with disabilities:
- Be treated respectfully
- Live in the community
- Choose their own services and housing
- Develop their own skills and interests
- Seek a valued social role
- Seek meaningful and independent relationships
The planning team will be made up by:
- Family members and friends: Extended and immediate family members, as well as close friends, can help with informed options and decision-making.
- Advocates: these people can aid in finding resources, discussing options, evaluating services and plans, and assisting people with disabilities to become self-advocates.
- An unbiased facilitator: facilitators help identify family, professionals, or family, helping keep track of the plan, and incentivize brainstorming during the meeting.
As a member of the Exceptional Family Member Program, person-centered planning can be a great resource for you and your family. This approach emphasizes prioritizing your unique needs and preferences to create an individualized plan of care. With the help of professionals and resources like female chefs, you can create a customized plan that addresses all aspects of your life, from healthcare to daily activities.
Fact Sheet about the Exceptional Family Member Program for All Ages
This fact sheet illustrates the content of this program, the steps to enroll, and who it is for. The steps to enroll are compulsory for military families looking for special educational and medical needs.
The Special Care Organization Record to Look After Seniors
The elderly members seem to be the most vulnerable in families, so they need special health care methods. With the record for the elderly, you can follow and organize information in the location if you are in remote areas. Click here for the tool kit.
The Special Care Organization Record for Adults and Children with Special Needs
If you are looking for an organizing tool for adults and children with special needs, this seems to be the most suitable. It helps to organize as well as keep track of information in a central location. In other words, it is a helpful tool for people to take care of their family when they cannot do that in some cases.
EFMP Online Videos and Learning
These resources are full of useful videos for people to watch and learn from. All the information you need to discover about the EFMP will be available. Some videos can be named such as:
- Early Intervention
- Overview of the EFMP
- Government Assistance
- Moving with the Individualized Education Program
- Individualized Education Program
- Post-secondary Transition
- Special Education Process
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- The Dispute Process
FAQs
Who must enroll in the EFMP?
The EFMP program is for exceptional family members of soldiers who meet the following conditions:
- Soldiers under the military are active.
- Participants participate in the United States Army’s Active Protection and Reserves (AGR) Program (USAR). Besides, other reserve elements in the Soldiers who have been in service for more than 30 days are also subject to this condition.
- AGR personnel serve under Title 10 (US Commentary) under the Army’s National Guard. Notable family members of these soldiers must be registered to join EFMP.
- Besides, in the Militia Department, civilian DA may not register for the EFMP. However, when they wish and prepare to relocate to a non-US location manually, the Government will ask them to identify exceptional family members. Examples are those who need special education or health-related services. The Government will allow and provide some of their travel expenses.
Does enrollment have any Impact on the Soldier’s Career?
As for the soldiers’ careers, enrollment or registration in the EFMP will not have any detrimental effects. Soldiers will not have to worry when choosing classes, schools, and joining quests.
The selection boards will not be provided with information regarding EFMP enrollment. The essential data used in this case are carefully confidential and not disclosed.
Our Special Education Needs to be Considered in the Military Personnel Assignment Process?
Mission outside of the United States is the primary criterion reserved for consideration for special education needs. The children’s educational needs are not the prerequisites for the 50 Trusted States and Territories missions.
Local school systems are responsible for delivering special education courses and facilities to exceptional members.
Fort Hood EFMP is located at Rivers Building, Building 121 in T.J. Mills Avenue and 761 Tank Battalion Avenue. ACS EFMP office is included here. Alternatively, you can visit the EFMP clinic at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.
If you want to register and enroll in the particular membership program, please contact the EFMP clinic at 288-8099. The EFMP clinic will be responsible for making screening appointments abroad. Another phone number you can reach is 288-8888. At the EFMP clinic, you will meet face-to-face with the Medical Director of EFMP and the dedicated staff.
Besides, some of the services you may need the EFMP Army Community Service Office to include:
- Provide enthusiastic information and referrals
- Ensuring community support
- Advocating policies to ensure monthly support
- Protecting resources
- Organize a weekly swimming program
- The EFMP orientation is for those who want to learn more.
- Some cultural exchanges and entertainment
- Community support group
- Library
In particular, you can also attend Meetings on the Child & Youth Services, Child Service and School (CYSS) and Special Needs (SNAP) Based Housing Process.
The whole family can participate in these necessary activities and services for free and for free.
How to contact the EFMP Support Office?
If you are interested in learning more and enrolling in EFMP, your local Special Family Members Program Family Support center will help. Contact them to get the best help. This program will provide supportive services to families. It is of tremendous importance to helping your family define the direction and coordination for enrollment and assignment.
When you join this program, you will have the opportunity to meet and receive advice from excellent resources, friendly advisors, ensure family members’ education, and get advice from help from the community. You can be your family’s greatest advocate and helper. Your family members will have access to the most appropriate service and care.
Some services that support families of EFMP include:
- Meet face to face and chat with experts tailored to your wishes
- Support in contacting and receiving virtual specialist advice from TRICARE
- Get the essential information about your resources online
- Families have direct access to services tailored to their needs through a digital engine EFMP & Me – new and modern, ensuring the fastest speeds
You will enjoy favorable conditions for joining the Special Family Membership Program, especially for military families. This program provides family support services and ensures a full range of information and referrals for those wishing to learn more. At the same time, enthusiastic support is provided to families with special education and medical needs.
The Special Family Membership Program’s services and communications are continually enhanced and improved so that members and families participating in the service get the most support. Every particular need of families will be carefully considered to improve everyone’s experience.
If you need more information about this program, please contact the headquarters at 800-342-9647.
Why do we need the DD2792 form?
The form DD 2792 is essential as it is used to enroll in the EFMP as a family member medical summary. The qualified medical provider has to complete and submit it to the local installation EFMP office. Otherwise, he or she also can send it to the HQMC EFMP by email.
Besides, the sponsor is also responsible for updating the enrollment state at least every three years or when the medical needs and conditions of your family members change. In case of members in your family do not need special medical services, you can get your physician to fulfill the form to update your medical status.
What is the difference between the form DD 2792 and DD 2792-1?
The DD 2792 form is defined as above. While the form DD 2792-1 is used for children from 0 to 21 years old or those are having the Individualized Education Program or the Individualized Family Services Plan. This form is known as the Special Education or Early Intervention Summary.
This form has to be accomplished by a school official or an early intervention and submitted to the local EFMP office. Another way is via email to the HQMC. And this form has to be along with the DD 2792. Whenever the member in your family does not need an IEP or IFSP, you should have the school official or the suitable EI fulfill the form to update the status change.
Will I be disqualified from the OCONUS PCS mission if I enroll in the EFMP?
The answer is no. The designation of PCS is not subject to any of the restrictions predetermined by EFMP. When EFMP oversees the PCS orders drawn up by MOS, EFMP will consider and make necessary assessments, for example, whether the service with necessary care is excellent and accessible to the locations. Recommended score or not. The Marine Corps’ EFMP, however, will have no restrictions on location and predefined categories.
How will unaccompanied overseas deployments and missions be affected by EFMP registration?
The Marine Corps’ deployment responsibility will not be affected by its enrollment in EFMP. Also, special missions such as unaccompanied overseas missions, and standard unit deployment, are guaranteed to be completed without interruption.
If a family member has unique needs and interferes with those duties, the sponsor must contact their MOS supervisor directly. They will discuss and develop suitable options for solving the problem, such as Humanitarian Assignment.
What is the difference between Overseas Suitability Screening and EFMP?
For EFMP-registered Marines, HQMC EFMP makes sure to review all missions at any location before issuing orders. Mediation members’ requests will be reviewed by DD 2792, DD 2792-1, and IFSP / IEP and receive appropriate assignments.
After careful review of the EFMP, PCS and family orders will have to go through the Overseas Suitability Screening process. More detailed information can be found at the offices at the nearest Military Treatment Facility.
This eligibility screening will not be affected by EFMP enrollment. Family members are equal and the same.
Appropriateness will be determined based on many factors, including:
- Examine the entire medical record, assess the severity of the condition, review the frequency and extent of treatment
- Examination of medical and dental security of a Dental Treatment Facility (DTF) / Military Treatment Facility (MTF) and local civilian communities
- Security and availability of ancillary services, special education, early intervention, and especially health
- Travel time to specialist doctors and medical facilities
- Climate conditions and surrounding environment
- The needs of the people, the qualifications of the health workers, and the human resources in the facilities
If you are looking for more pertinent information about Overseas Suitability Screening, your Military Treatment Facility Conformity Check Coordinator will help you with your questions.
What should I do if I want to withdraw from EFMP?
DoD delegates to EFMP to coordinate work. This enrollment program is required if you are eligible for admission. If your family members are no longer eligible to meet the eligibility criteria for enrollment, you must file DD 2792 and DD 2792-1 (if applicable). It will help you redefine your ineligibility for registration.
After completing the forms, they will be brought to the local EFMP office or via the HQMC EFMP email, [email protected]. The information you provide will be carefully reviewed by EFMP and informed to the decision’s sponsor by mailing to the official government email account.
The Bottom Line
If you are a soldier with the right conditions, joining EFMP will benefit you and your family members, especially for exceptional members. Members of this program receive extraordinary health and mental care and receive advice and questions from specialists. Hopefully, through this article, you have learned some more essential information about the Exceptional Family Member Program.
