PoM’s EFMP specialists ensure continuity for exceptional families

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (August 30, 2024) --- The Army's 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, education and medical services to families with special needs.

At the U.S. Army Garrison Presidio of Monterey, EFMP specialists work diligently to ensure the needs of exceptional families are met when moving to the Monterey area. The EFMP professionals are split into two different sections; administrative and clinical. The administrative EFMP program manager works inside Army Community Services and provides the tools needed to submit application packets and gain educational support, while the clinical EFMP case coordinator works out of Gourley VA Clinic and assists with medical enrollment and medical support.

"The one thing the Army never wants to do is put a Soldier in an unnecessarily stressful situation," said EFMP program manager, Kyong Turner. "That is why EFMP works hand-in-hand with assignment coordination so Soldiers are not separated from exceptional family members. This allows the Soldier to perform at their best."

An exceptional family member is someone with any physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, education, training or counseling, and meets eligibility criteria. The criteria includes life-threatening conditions as well as chronic medical, mental health or physical conditions.

Medical and military personnel departments work with military members and families to coordinate assignments. While the military mission is the driving force, enrollment in EFMP ensures that a family member's special medical or educational needs are considered, since appropriate services may be limited in some locations.

"EFMP is not just for children of Soldiers, but for any dependent that meets eligibility criteria," Turner said. "Spouses, or any dependent adult, are eligible for medical support with EFMP. Children can access both medical and educational support if needed."

Ms. Turner also provides family support to exceptional families. EFMP family support plays a critical role in helping families navigate the identification, enrollment and assignment coordination process of the program. This includes providing resources to educate family members and enable them to become advocates for their loved ones. For example, Turner can point families in the right direction to access Army and community support services, as well as ensuring that their case is forwarded correctly to EFMP's at the Soldier's next location.

"Some of my favorite days of the year revolve around family support and integration," said Turner. "We hold an annual Fall Festival and Christmas Expo for exceptional families here at Army Community Service. Families can meet each other, bond and even receive gifts."

The clinical EFMP case coordinator is the person who documents the conditions and creates packets for verification and records keeping purposes. The clinical case coordinator also consolidates care to ensure EFMP participants do not have to travel long to get the coverage they require.

"Here in Monterey, it is often difficult to get the care you need on the private side," said clinical EFMP case coordinator, Nicole Gutierrez. "We are isolated on the peninsula, and often people would have to travel up to Palo Alto or San Francisco just to get coverage. With EFMP, we are mostly able to get everything done here on site."

When a family member is identified with special medical or education needs, the special needs are documented through enrollment in EFMP. Medical services work with families to coordinate identification and enrollment into EFMP. Once an enrollment packet is approved, EFMP is valid for three years in most cases. Nearing the end of those years a packet will need to be updated to ensure that it is still necessary to be in EFMP.

"My geographic range here spans much further than just the Monterey area," said Gutierrez. "I handle cases for most of California, all the way down to Los Angeles, and even as far as Nevada. The people I help range from Fresno to San Luis Obispo, and I can help them receive the care they need wherever it is they choose."

According to Ms. Turner and Ms. Gutierrez, the move to an online version of the EFMP has made the process even easier for families. Instead of having to call and painstakingly deal with transporting physical copies of documents, they can upload them online instantly in the portal system. This system also makes it easier to move duty locations since the EFMP specialists can transfer documents to wherever a Soldier goes.

To find out more information about the Army's EFMP please visit efmp.army.mil. To contact Ms. Turner, PoM's EFMP program manager, please call 831-242-7960 or visit the Army Community Service building, 4260 Gigling Rd, Seaside. To contact Ms. Guttierez, PoM's clinical EFMP case coordinator, please call 831-884-1060.

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