The Exceptional Family Member Program is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational and medical services to families with special needs. Additionally, these special needs are considered when the Army assigns them to a new post.
An exceptional Family member is a someone with any physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, education, training or counseling, and meets the eligibility criteria.
According to Paul Grossman, EFMP Division Chief, there are approximately 44,000 active-duty member and 55,000 family members enrolled in the program.
“Enrollment ensures that medical and educational services and supports are available at assigned installations,” said Grossman.
Additionally, Soldiers should ask themselves, does anyone in my family:
· Have a potentially life-threatening condition(s) and/or chronic medical/physical condition, a current and/or chronic mental health condition, a diagnosis of asthma or another respiratory-related diagnosis, a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
· Require adaptive equipment, assistive technology devices, and/or environmental and/or architectural considerations?
· Have special education needs?
If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of the questions, you should make an appointment at your local medical hospital Treatment Facility EFMP office to initiate the process for enrollment consideration.
Enrollment in the EFMP also ensures that Family members' documented medical and educational needs receive consideration during assignment coordination. The program has three components: identification and enrollment of a family member with special medical or educational needs; assignment coordination to determine the availability of services at a Soldier’s projected duty station; and support to help families identify and access programs and services.
About a year ago, the U.S. Army launched a digital platform to streamline the process for families enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program. The automated Enterprise EFMP (E-EFMP) System makes enrollment, overseas Family member travel screening (FMTS), assignment coordination and family support access easier and synchronizes all aspects of care for families with special needs.
“The E-EFMP system is a secure, digital platform that automates enrollment and the Family Member Travel Screening (FMTS), making PCS moves more efficient for families as they update their documents and allowing for the expedient assignment coordination,” said Grossman. “The E-EFMP system increases transparency and trust between EFMP families and the Army and adds program execution consistency across the enterprise.”
EFMP Families have 24/7 computer-based access to E-EFMP using the DoD self-service Logon. Spouses and Family members over 18 years old can now complete the screening application electronically without walking into a military or medical treatment facility’s EFMP office.
“The online forms will cloud-save data, limiting the need to re-enter data in the future, and case files will automatically move with the Soldier and Family throughout their Army career," said Grossman.
For more information regarding E-EFMP please check out the program’s website https://efmp.army.mil/EnterpriseEfmp/.
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