EFM Program helps Navy families with special needs

Corey Kendrick EFMP liaison

Well, here we are. It is November already, and the weather is starting to turn colder — well, at least relatively colder here in California — and thoughts are turning to preparing for the holidays.

November is also Exceptional Family Month at the Fleet and Family Support Center, and while all military families are exceptional in their own right, November is a time to recognize families that are in the Navy’s Exceptional Family Member Program, also known as the EFM Program.

This is also a good time to bring more awareness to what the Exceptional Family Member Program is and who qualifies.

The EFM Program is a quality-of-life and detailing tool that is used by the military to help ensure that service members and their families are assigned to locations that can meet the needs of the exceptional family member.

So who exactly qualifies as an exceptional family member? The answer is fairly simple: Family members with ongoing medical, dental, mental or educational special needs that require ongoing treatment for 12 months or longer usually qualify for the EFM program.

Signing up is now easier with the introduction of the EFMP enrollment request in the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System, or NFAAS. By clicking on the enrollment request button under a family member’s name, a request will be sent out to the local Exceptional Family Member Program liaison at the local FFSC, who will then contact the service member in order to help facilitate the enrollment process. Service members are also more than welcome to come into the local FFSC and speak with the EFMP liaison directly.

But the big question is: What can the Exceptional Family Member Program do for service members and their families, and why should they enroll?

Enrolling in the EFMP program enables the Navy to take the special needs of a service member’s family into consideration when assigning duty stations. The EFMP also allows for family members in certain categories to remain in the same geographical area (homesteading) so that there is a continuity of care for the family member while the service member is still able to meet their sea/shore rotation requirements. Service members who have family members in the EFM program also have additional resources available to them, such as the EFM liaisons, who have a list of local community resources for those with special needs.

Those enrolled in EFMP may also qualify for TRICARE ‘s Extended Health Care Option (ECHO), which is a cost-sharing program that helps pay for certain therapies, equipment and treatments that are not generally covered under TRICARE’s other plans.

In addition to possibly qualifying for ECHO, family members may also qualify for free respite care, sometimes up to 40 hours a month.

These are just some of the benefits of the EFM Program. The EFMP liaison at FFSC not only provides resources for family members but also education and training about the program for commands, service members and families.

If you think you have a family member who may qualify for EFMP, or if you have questions about the program, contact the local EFMP liaison, Corey Kendrick, at 982-3159 or corey.kendrick.ctr@navy.mil.