Exceptional families get exceptional support

Photo By Cpl. Kristin Moreno | Anna Nguyen, training and education outreach specialist for the Exceptional Family Member Program aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif., briefs the Marines attending Recruiters School at the theatre aboard MCRD San Diego about the EFMP. She said the importance of the program is mission readiness of all service members. She also explained that enrollment in the program can ensure they aren’t sent to a location where their family member can’t receive adequate care.  

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

01.27.2011

Story by Cpl. Kristin Moreno 

Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego     

SAN DIEGO - The EFMP is a mandatory-enrollment program, per Marine Corps Order P1754.4B. It was established in 1987 to assist military families with finding the care and support needed for their exceptional family member. An EFM can be a spouse, child, stepchild, adopted child, foster child or dependent parent who may require special physical, intellectual or emotional care based on a diagnosed medical or educational need.

“The program has helped give us stability and get our family in one location where their care is being provided, their medical physicians and specialties,” said Rivero.

Enrollment in the program ensures the needs of the family are being met while allowing the service member to focus on his job and mission readiness.

“Not enrolling in the program affects the Marine Corps all the way down the line,” said Jan King, EFMP manager, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. “Family readiness and mission readiness can be impacted if a Marine is in a location where the family member’s needs are not being met.”

While enrollment in the program doesn’t prevent deployment or world-wide assignment, it ensures exceptional families will not be relocated to an area where they cannot receive the care they need.

King said there was a case where a Marine moved to a new duty station in a cold, damp climate. His daughter had asthma, but he never enrolled in the EFMP.

Due to the new environment, his daughter developed severe respiratory problems and was hospitalized numerous times.
King said that if the Marine had enrolled in the program, EFMP assignment coordinators would have researched that location and determined if it was suitable.

If a service member is slated for deployment, the EFMP can provide support and resources and help the family set up a plan beforehand, so the service member can have peace of mind and know his family is taken care of while he’s away, she added.

Support groups are held regularly on the depot to bring families together to talk about their situations and exchange information. If a member lives in a remote location and a support group is unavailable, the EFMP will help connect them with an exceptional family close to them.

The program also offers specialized training for exceptional families to help educate and alleviate stress. Through the workshops, families are educated about specific topics, what their rights are and new resources available to them.

“We want to educate and empower parents so they can be the best advocates for their children,” said King.

Another way the EFMP helps to alleviate stress is through the installation-reimbursed Respite Care Program, a service that provides temporary care of a family member with special needs, so their regular care giver can have some time off.

“The respite care gives me [and my husband] time to share together without worrying about taking care of the kids,” said Rivero. “Taking care of my daughter is a 24 hour job, and sometimes it’s hard to get a break, so it’s nice to have that window to cool off and know she’s in good care.”

Respite Care will reimburse up to 40 hours a month of care per family. The coverage includes the care of siblings 12 and under of children enrolled in the EFMP. Reimbursement rates are based on the level of need of the exceptional family member as determined by the EFMP medical screeners at Headquarters Marine Corps. The rates are intended as a subsidy to the cost of using the services of a respite care provider and may not cover all costs expended.

As an additional resource the EFMP has three dedicated attorneys located at HQMC, Washington, D.C.; Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C.; and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. The attorneys are very knowledgeable about the system and can provide legal advice and representation free of charge, said King.

“Exceptional military families face challenges that others who have never been in their shoes cannot possibly understand,” said King. “[The Exceptional Family Member Program] makes them feel like someone cares and that they are supported.

If the dependent hasn’t yet been medically diagnosed but there is a concern for the individual, the EFMP is available to discuss the proper steps for diagnosis or if enrollment would be beneficial.

“We can guide, but we can’t refer specific doctors or hospitals over others,” said Elizabeth Wright, MCRD San Diego EFMP family case worker. “I just tell them all of their options, let them know the care provider they chose must be TRICARE authorized and let them make the decisions.”

To enroll in the EFMP, ensure the family member is enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollments Reporting System. Fill out DD Form 2792 Medical Summary and DD Form 2792-1 Special Education/Early Intervention Summary; and contact the local EFMP office for assistance and information at [phone].

• Date Taken: 01.27.2011
• Date Posted: 01.28.2011 11:22
• Story ID: 64388
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US