Army Community Service
Building 119
Picatinny Arsenal, NJ
07806		 ACS Homepage     ACS Staff Directory    

Army Community Covenant     Army Emergency Relief     Army Family Action Plan     Army Family Covenant    

Army Family Team Building     Army Volunteer Corps     Blood Drive     Calendar of Events    

Community Activities Center        Comprehensive Soldier Fitness     Employment Readiness   

Exceptional Family Member     Family Advocacy     Financial Readiness     Information & Referral  

   Mobilization & Deployment     Relocation Readiness     Sexual Assault Response    

Survivor Outreach Services    Town Hall     TRICARE     Veteran's Representative


HOURS OF OPERATION:
Monday - Friday
0700-1630

973-724-7247
FAX 973-724-2614
DSN 880

Exceptional Family Member Program


Marci Keck
973-724-2145

Monthly Newsletter and Calendar of Events

EFMP Overview Training

January Campaign
Birth Defects Prevention and Awareness
February Campaign
 The Heart Truth

March Campaign
Diabetes Awareness

April Campaign
National Autism Awareness Month
Autism 101 Training

May Campaign
 Mental Health Awareness Month

June Campaign
 Tourette's Syndrome

July Campaign
 Hearing Impairments

August Campaign
Attention Deficit Disorder

September Campaign
 Childhood Cancer

October Campaign
 Down Syndrome

November Campaign
 Visual Impairments

December Campaign
 Gifts for Special Needs Children

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, and educational, medical, and personnel services to Families with special/exceptional needs.         

What is an Exceptional Family Member?                                                  
 An Exceptional Family Member is a Family member (child or adult) with any physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, education, training, or counseling.

What is an exceptional/special need?
 A medical, psychological, or educational condition of a chronic nature, which requires active management by a medical subspecialty, or a special education program. A general rule of thumb for determining whether a condition constitutes an "exceptional need" should include the question; "Is there a need for special assignment consideration to assure availability of required medical, psychological, or educational services?"

Who must enroll in the program?                                                            
The following Soldiers with Exceptional Family Members must 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
  • Army National Guard (AGR) personnel serving under authority of title 10, United States Code

Soldiers that are members of the Army Married Couples Program will both enroll in the EFMP when they have a qualified Family member. 

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 and family members with medical needs each time they process for an assignment to a location outside the United States where family member travel is authorized at Government expense.

How does a Soldier enroll in the program?

The Soldier contacts the EFMP manager to begin the assessment process and obtain the enrollment forms (DD Form 2792 or DD Form 2792-1). Once the forms are completed, they should be returned to the EFMP manager who will review and forward to Keller Army Community Hospital for assessment and then to Walter Reed for coding. The regional medical command enrolls eligible active Army Soldiers into the program. The Army Reserve Personnel Command and the Army National Guard Readiness Center enroll eligible Reserve and Guard personnel.

Does enrollment have any impact on the Soldier’s career?

Enrollment in EFMP does not adversely affect selection for promotion, schools, or assignment.  Information concerning enrollment in EFMP or any of the data used in the program is not made available to selection boards.

What are the benefits of enrollment in the program?

Enrollment allows assignment managers at Army personnel agencies to consider the documented medical and special education needs of Exceptional Family Members in the assignment process. When possible, Soldiers are assigned to an area where their Exceptional Family Member’s medical and special education needs can be met. This decision 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

Installation EFMP offers information and referral regarding:
    -On and off post agencies and support groups
    -Educational workshops and recreational activities
    -Relocation services
    -Support counseling for Family members
    -Aid with respite care arrangements
    -Educational and medical advocacy for needed services
    -Assistance with exception to policy for housing

EFMP enrollment does not adversely affect a service member's career.  The EFMP information is NOT released to selection boards for schools and/or promotions.  However, service members who attempt to avoid EFMP enrollment may receive, at a minimum, a general officer letter of reprimand.  Avoiding enrollment includes knowing and willfully failing or refusing to enroll in the program, or withholding information in levy forms thinking it will affect career or assignment progression in a negative way.

Schools
 There are no schools on Picatinny Arsenal.  Special education classes are offered in the surrounding school districts.  Contact the offices using the link below for individual district information.  Please take the time to research each district's services prior to purchasing/renting a home.  http://www.co.morris.nj.us/generalHTML/schools.asp

Child Care
 Services for children with special needs are available on Picatinny Arsenal.  Children will be placed in either the Child Development Center or a certified Family child care home depending on space availability, child's needs and parent desires.  Prior to registering for care, contact the Child, School and Youth Services Coordinator at 973-724-5555 to set up an appointment for initial screening. 

The CYSS enrollment process is a 3-step process:

  • Intake interview with Child, School and Youth Services

  • Special Needs Accommodation Process (SNAP) Team meeting

  • Placement notification

Helpful Links: (The following link Opens in a new browser window. Please see disclaimer below.)

 

External website links are NOT controlled by Picatinny Arsenal.  Picatinny Arsenal is not responsible for their content or accessibility.

"The appearance of these hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the (Department of Defense/the U.S. Army/the U.S. Navy/the U.S. Air Force/the U.S. Marine Corps, etc.) of this web site or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the (Department of Defense/the U.S. Army/the U.S. Navy/the U.S. Air Force/the U.S. Marine Corps, etc.) does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at this location. This link is provided consistent with the stated purpose of this DoD web site."

Last updated:  08 February 2012