Some examples of a diagnosis that would qualify a family member include:

• Allergies (Chronic)
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Anxiety Disorder
• Asperger’s
• Asthma
• Autism
• Bi-polar Disorder
• Cancer
• Cerebral Palsy
• Cleft Palate
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Delayed Milestones in Children
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Downs Syndrome
• Eczema
• Educational Special Needs / IEP / 504
• Epilepsy
• Food Allergies
• Genetic Disorders
• Hearing or Visual Impairment
• Heart Condition
• Hypothyroidism
• Lupus
• Lyme Disease
• Migraines
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Distrophy
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Premature Birth 
• Schizophrenia
• Scoliosis
• Seizure Disorder
• Sickle-Cell Anemia
• Sleep Disorders
• Speech Impairment

Family Support

The Marine Corps recognizes and is particularly responsive to the needs of Marines, both Active Duty and Marine Corps’ Reservists, who have family members with special medical and/or education needs. Early enrollment in the EFMP is the Marine’s guarantee that the Marine Corps will do its best to match a Marine’s grade and occupational specialty with a location where the exceptional family member’s needs can be met. However, there are other services that the EFMP offers and are designed to improve the quality of life of Marine Corps families with special needs.

How EFMP Helps You

The EFMP recognizes and understands that it is the spouse of the Active Duty Marine who bears much of the work and stress related to caring for a family member with special needs. Because sponsors often work long and irregular hours and frequently deploy, spouses often make and attend medical appointments, coordinate home medical care, attend special education meetings, and do most of the research about their child or family member’s condition. The EFMP Family Case Worker provides family support services to spouses and other DEERS-eligible family members.

When a sponsor is deployed or TAD, family members can complete and submit the EFMP enrollment paperwork and are always welcome to call and schedule an appointment at any time with the EFMP Family Case Worker for assistance.

It can take 6-9 months to identify and access medical, special education, and other services in a new state. The EFMP Family Case Worker can provide families with applicable local and state information and can help families find and utilize the local, state, and federal programs and organizations that assist and support families with special needs. They are there to help families cope with new diagnoses and to connect with appropriate supports and services.

Why Trust EFMP

EFMP employs Managers, Family Case Workers, and Training Education Outreach Specialists. EFMP has established a framework for effective communication and collaboration between families and professionals, between TRICARE and public healthcare systems, among agencies at the state and community levels, and among public agencies and volunteer organizations. The installation EFMP staff exists not only to assist families with enrollments and updates, but also serves as a vital link between exceptional families and federal, state, and local resources.

EFMP is Familiar With:

• Federal, State Laws, DoD Instructions, Marine Corps Orders, Publications and Directives and base regulations affecting individuals with disabilities
• Early Interventions Services (EIS) and Education & Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS)
• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
• Inclusion
• DoDEA
• Life Planning Decisions
• Financial resources & medical assistance programs & waivers
• Resources & Referrals

EFMP Can Also Coordinate:

• Parent Training Events
• Support Groups
• EFMP Family Events

Confidentiality

Enrolled families often ask questions about the confidentiality of the information they provide to EFMP. Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the health and educational information pertaining to the EFM is necessary for a successful program. Personnel shall receive access to EFMP information only when required in the course of their duties and shall preserve the confidentiality of enrollees’ information, and safeguard written and electronic correspondence and databases. The Marine Corps EFMP handles ALL medical and educational information with the strictest confidentiality. Local EFMP Managers provide limited information to the Unit Commander, or his/her designee to ensure commands are aware of those Marines who need to complete an update to maintain compliance. The information shared with the command is limited to the following:

• Name of Sponsor
• Grade of Sponsor
• Military Occupational Speciality
• Date of enrollment/Date of most recent update/Due date of next update

The specific medical diagnosis and treatment and/or special education needs of the EFM are not shared with the Command. This information is kept strictly confidential.

Information regarding an EFMP enrollment will appear in the EFM health records, the EFMP Case Management System, and the database of the appropriate assignment branch. The case file, kept by EFMP staff, will be kept strictly confidential. The EFMP Case Management System will NOT become an element of the Manpower Management System, individual record books, or the parent command records of the sponsor, nor be referenced in performance appraisals such as Fitness Reports.

If you have any questions regarding the confidentiality of your EFMP information, please contact the EFMP Office at 252-466-7533

Support for Geographically Dispersed Marines

Marines who are geographically dispersed may experience additional stressors as they are not able to access services and supports available at installations. The Exceptional Family Member Program is committed to meeting the needs of remotely stationed families by providing excellent customer service and creative and flexible family support.

PCS Transitions

Using a standardized Warm Hand-Off Process, Family Case Workers will work closely with families to ensure a smooth and seamless PCS transition. When a Marine receives orders, the Family Case Worker will work with the family prior to PCS to:

• Assess and identify needs
• Develop a plan to meet the needs
• Both the losing and gaining Family Case Worker will communicate and work with families to meet the needs

The plan will prompt discussion in the following areas:

• TRICARE transitions
• Medical care
• Housing
• Local resources
• School transition
• Respite care
• Any other needs identified by the family

Although families may not be able to access a physical EFMP office, they will receive support through phone and email communication.

Ongoing Family Support

Supporting this unique population requires particular skills. The Program Manager will assign cases to appropriate staff who can best address the needs of each family. EFMP staff will network and coordinate with local service providers and other organizations to provide the most effective local support for families. Contact with the family will be maintained at least quarterly but can be initiated as often as needed to meet the ongoing needs of EFMP families.

Location Assignments

Assigning Marine sponsors to locations that can support the needs of their family members ensures that the sponsor’s performance of duty is not inordinately affected by the demands of caring for their Exceptional Family Member. This allows the sponsor to concentrate on performing his/her duties and contributes to the operational readiness of Marine units. This is especially critical in overseas assignments where the provision of services may be limited. Successful execution of the EFMP improves the quality of life for Marine Corps families with special needs.

Deployments

The EFMP has no impact on the deployment responsibilities of Marines. Overseas-unaccompanied assignments, unit deployments, and standard deployments must be carried out without interruption. When a family member’s needs conflict with such assignments, the assignment will be effected under the provision of a Humanitarian Assignment.

Humanitarian Assignment

The Exceptional Family Member Program is designed to improve the quality of life of enrolled families and provides procedures and guidelines to facilitate the appropriate assignments. In achieving its goal the EFMP reduces family stress or hardship while minimizing the need for costly reassignments, especially OCONUS transfers due to the non-availability of adequate services.

Occasionally, a family member’s condition worsens to a level that the currently available medical services are no longer available and a Humanitarian Transfer is necessary to relocate to a location that can better meet the medical needs of a special needs family member. Or, a Marine may receive PCS orders that would be implemented during the course of critical medical treatments (e.g. chemotherapy, dialysis, transplant) for his family member and the attending physician does not recommend the PCS. These are just a few examples of why an EFMP enrolled Marine may need a Humanitarian Assignment.

Criteria for HUMS Assistance:

• A severe situation that presents a personal problem that is more severe than those normally encountered by Marines and their families in the course of military service.
• A hardship that occurs or is aggravated as a result of the Marine’s beginning the initial term of service or subsequent to the date of the last reenlistment.
• A problem involving the Marine’s immediate family where the individual’s presence is required to alleviate or eliminate the hardship. Immediate family is defined as the spouse, natural or stepchildren, brothers, sisters, and the Marine’s or spouse’s parents. A person who has stood in loco parentis for at least 2 years preceding the Marine’s entry on active duty qualifies as a parent for the purpose of humanitarian assistance.
• When orders are issued to a Marine who has been enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) and the assignment does not provide adequate medical care.