Purpose of Handbook

This handbook has been developed to assist Army exceptional families in becoming more knowledgeable and skilled advocates for their exceptional family members. You will find information on laws affecting individuals with disabilities as well as some of the resources and assistance available to families. There is information on educational services and life planning decisions, including transition, to independent living, career preparation, vocational rehabilitation, housing, and financial planning. Also included is information on support groups, respite care, recreation, clothing, medical assistance, help from Army Community Service, and handling disputes.

The people in your family are probably the most important people in your life. You have a tremendous influence on how your family members grow and develop; what you know and do can make a difference. You have the challenge of meeting the needs of your family member with disabilities and to find opportunities and assistance that are available to you.

The necessity of frequent moves can make it difficult for exceptional families. It takes time to get the correct services in place for the family member with disabilities and with each move, families must begin again. Responsive school systems and human service agencies will carry over services for an individual from another area. The installation Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) manager in Army Community Service can serve as a link between exceptional families and local resources.

Definition of Exceptional Family Member Program

The Exceptional Family Member Program is a mandatory enrollment program that is based on public law and Department of Defense mandates. It works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated medical, educational, housing, community support, and personnel services to families with special needs.

Three groups of soldiers with exceptional family members are required to enroll in the program: active Army, 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, United States Code.

Early enrollment in the EFMP is the soldier's guarantee that the Army will do its best to match the soldier's grade and specialty with a location where the exceptional family members needs can be met.

Soldiers who are enrolled are still subject, however, to worldwide assignment, and like any other soldier, may be called upon to serve an unaccompanied tour.

Information about enrollment is not given to selection boards. Enrollment does not adversely affect a soldier's selection for promotion, schools, or assignment.

Family members are screened and enrollment initiated, if eligible, during routine medical care and deployment outside the continental United States (OCONUS). Also, screening occurs during inprocessing, reassignment processing, and outprocessing if soldiers indicate they have or suspect they have an exceptional family member.

Soldiers are enrolled permanently in the program unless medical or special education needs warrant case closure or the soldier is separated from the Army. Soldiers are responsible for keeping their exceptional family members medical and/or special education documentation current. A review is required as exceptional family member's condition changes or at least every three years whichever comes first.

Department of the Army civilian employees do not enroll in the program. However, they must identify dependent children with special education and medically related service needs each time they process for an assignment to a location outside the United States where family member travel is authorized at Government expense.

The objectives of the program are to: enrolled

* Provide medically related services to eligible Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) students with disabilities outside the United States.

* Assess, document, and code special education and medical needs of exceptional family members.

* Consider exceptional family member's medical and special education needs in the assignment process outside the United States.

* Consider only medical needs in the stateside assignment process.

* Assign soldier's to an area where the exceptional family members medical and special education needs can be accommodated provided there is a valid personnel requirement for the soldier's grade and specialty.

* Enable Department of the Army civilians to inform DoDDS of the arrival of dependent children with special education and medically related service needs after they have been selected for a position outside the United States where family member travel is authorized at Government expense.

* Provide information and assistance needed to involve exceptional family members with community support services to meet their needs.

* Ensure facility and program accessibility to individuals with disabilities

Major Exceptional Family Member Program Roles and Responsibilities

The U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center manages the worldwide EFMP for the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management; military personnel agencies (U.S. Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM), U.S. Army Reserve Personnel Center, and National Guard Personnel Center) enroll and assign soldiers with exceptional family members; and the Army Medical Department assesses, documents, and codes exceptional family member's needs, and initiates enrollment of eligible soldiers in the program. In areas outside the United States, the Army Medical Department provides medically related services to eligible DoDDS students with disabilities. Army Community Service coordinates, integrates, and manages the installation EFMP for the commander. The program is integrated through the EFMP committee which meets at least quarterly.

A detailed description of EFMP roles and responsibilities is provided in AR 608-75 (Exceptional Family Member Program)