The Army Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a mandatory enrollment program implemented through AR 608-75. EFMP, working in conjunction with other military and civilian agencies, provides a comprehensive, coordinated, multi-agency approach for medical, educational, community support, housing, and personnel services to families with special needs. The Army EFMP includes both personnel and family support functions.
Personnel Function
Enrollment allows assignment managers at Army personnel agencies to consider the documented medical and special education needs of EFMs in the assignment process. When possible, soldiers are assigned to an area where their EFMs medical and special education needs can be met. This will depend on a valid personnel requirement for the soldier's grade, specialty, and eligibility for the tour. All soldiers are still eligible for worldwide assignment.
Enrollment in the EFMP is mandatory for Active Army soldiers, U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) soldiers in the USAR-Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program and other USAR soldiers on active duty exceeding 30 days, and Army National Guard (AGR) personnel serving under authority of title 10, USC.
Soldiers are responsible for keeping their EFMP enrollment current as exceptional family member condition changes or at least every three years, whichever comes first.
Family members must be screened and enrolled, if eligible, when the soldier is on assignment instructions to an area outside the continental United States for which command sponsorship/family member travel is authorized and the soldier elects to serve the accompanied tour. This screening consists of a review of medical records for all family members and developmental screening for all children 6 years and younger.
Enrollment in the EFMP does not adversely affect selection for promotion, schools, or assignment. Information concerning enrollment in the EFMP or any of the data used in the program is not made available to selection boards.
Soldiers who are members of the Army Married Couples Program both are enroll in the EFMP when they have a family member that qualifies.
Enrollment Criteria
Criteria for enrollment are contained in AR 608-75, Appendix B.
Identification Process
EARLY IDENTIFICATION: Early identification aids Army personnel agencies in considering the special medical and/or educational needs of the family member early in the process of identifying a future assignment. Early identification aids the soldier and family members in avoiding late and costly approval of overseas accompanied travel. Early identification can be achieved:
During routine medical care by the health care provider at the military treatment facility
During completion of in-processing and out-processing query sheets by the soldier
By self-identification by the soldier or family member
OVERSEAS SCREENING: All soldiers with assignment instructions for outside the continental United States who elect to serve the accompanied tour must have family members medically and educationally screened and, if required, enrolled in the EFMP. This process should be completed within 30 days of receipt of assignment instructions. Identification during overseas screening can result in a delay of approval for the family member travel if the family member has a special medical or educational need and has not been enrolled in the EFMP previously.
When are family members screened? Family members are screened when the soldier is on assignment instructions to an area outside the continental United States for which command sponsorship/family member travel is authorized and the soldier elects to serve the accompanied tour.
The steps in the process are:
Soldier is placed on assignment outside the continental United States.
Losing Military Personnel Division personnel service battalion verifies family members' eligibility for accompanied tour.
Soldier receives authenticated DA Form 5888 (Family Member Deployment Screening Sheet) for screening and DA Form 4787-R (Reassignment Processing) for reassignment processing.
Losing military treatment facility screens family members for medical and/or educational needs.
The soldier/spouse completes DA Form 7246 (EFMP Screening Questionnaire) and signs and authenticates DA Form 5888
If no medical or developmental problems are identified in the screening process, block 9a is checked to indicate that EFMP enrollment is not warranted. NO FURTHER EFMP ACTION.
If a family member requires further evaluation, DD Form 2792 (Exceptional Family Member Program Medical Summary) and/or DD Form 2792-1 (Exceptional Family Member Special Education/Early Intervention Summary) are completed.
If enrollment is warranted, the forms are forwarded to the appropriate regional medical command for coding.
The regional medical commands enroll eligible Active Army soldiers into the program. The Army Reserve Personnel Command and the Army National Guard enroll eligible Reserve and Guard personnel. The date that DD Form 2792 and/or DD Form 2792-1 is sent for coding is entered into block 9b of DA Form 5888.
Military Personnel Division/personnel service battalion coordinates with the gaining command to determine if services are available.
Military medical makes recommendations on locations where medical services are available.
DoD Dependents Schools identifies pinpoint locations where educational needs can be met (if applicable).
Housing office indicates availability of housing.
When services are not available at the location to which the soldier has been assigned, Army personnel agencies consider alternative assignment locations based on existing assignment priorities or, upon approval of the appropriate authority, send the soldier on an unaccompanied tour.
Deletion from assignment instructions is not granted solely because of a soldier's enrollment in the EFMP. The EFMP is designed to be an assignment consideration, if soldier is enrolled, and not an assignment limitation. Soldiers could be reassigned to an "all others tour" to meet Army requirements.
Deferment for soldiers with family members enrolled in the EFMP is granted when family travel decisions from the gaining command are not finalized.
EFMP Personnel Points of Contact
Special Needs Advisors are the points of contact for initiating enrollment in the EFMP. The Special Needs Advisors are located at military treatment facilities.
Family Support Function
AR 608-75 requires installation Exceptional Family Member Program managers. These individuals are located in Army Community Service (ACS) centers.
Advise the installation commander and supported troop commanders of EFMP issues that affect their soldiers.
Serve as chair of the installation EFMP committee and, at a minimum, conduct meetings quarterly. If the committee is not in existence, submit appropriate documents to the installation commander to establish such a committee. The committee may be a subcommittee of the Human Resource Council. The EFMP manager:
Provides comprehensive minutes to the installation commander for approval and furnishes a copy to the military treatment facility commander.
Maintains approved minutes on file under file number 608-75a and destroys minutes when no longer needed for current operations.
Includes, at a minimum, representatives from Army Community Service, military treatment facility, Military Personnel Division/personnel service battalion, civilian personnel advisory center, directorate of public works, staff judge advocate, child and youth services, community recreation, public affairs office, and schools. One or more representatives who are exceptional family members or parents of an exceptional family member are invited to participate when appropriate.
Establish a special needs resource team as a subcommittee of the installation EFMP committee and serve as a member of the special needs resource team, and assumes or designates a chairperson of the team. The special needs resource team:
Explores child care and youth activities options for children with special needs in installation child and youth programs.
Determines child, youth, and family care options for care and activities considering feasibility of program accommodation and availability of technical support.
Recommends placement that accommodates, to the extent possible, the child or youth's individual needs and parent mission requirements and preference for care/activity setting.
Performs secondary functions of technical support, need for increased staff/provider support.
Makes referral to special education/ services, and conducts periodic placement review of children enrolled in installation child and youth programs.
Members, in addition to the installation EFMP manager, include the community health nurse, child and youth services coordinator, other program managers who work in the care/activity setting in which placement is being considered, and parents of the child. The team can be augmented by the child's primary medical care provider, psychologist, assigned social worker, therapists, early intervention program personnel as appropriate. Other health care professionals may provide consultation.
The installation EFMP manager coordinates care for the child/youth, as part of the individualized family service plan or the individualized educational program, with the special needs resource team.
Participate in in-service and ongoing professional training.
Submit annual EFMP budget request to the ACS director.
Develop an installation EFMP standing operating procedure.
Track installation EFMP participants using documents provided by military treatment facility EFMP staff, Military Personnel Division/personnel service battalion, and other authoritative sources.
Update the EFMP section of the DA Form 3063 (Army Community Service Management Report).
Assess relocating soldier's EFM housing and community support needs (for example, Army Community Service, child and youth services, and community recreation) prior to departure. Share required service information with the gaining installation EFMP manager (continental United States) or MACOM EFMP manager (outside the continental United States) who notifies the affected installation agencies prior to EFM's arrival.
Assist families in developing solutions to individual and community EFM issues and problems (for example, inaccessible facilities and programs) and inform and advise the installation commander of EFM needs
