EFMP
Sailor-to-Sailor December Newsletter
Recapping US Navy career news and opportunities from December with the Sailor-to-Sailor newsletter:
https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/72610
Read all about:
-Exceptional Family Member Program updates
-Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce implementation
-And more!
Navy leaders – empower your Sailors: Share this post, send to a shipmate, or print the newsletter and post it on your shop’s bulletin board.
Exceptional Family Member Program
- New instruction released 23 Jun 23:
- The Navy is creating a centralized office with additional civilian staff who will support any changes in policy. The centralized office is scheduled to be fully staffed late FY24 or early FY25. There is no immediate action required for providers or admin personnel in support of EFMP at this time. BUMED N34 (Medical Readiness) will continue to reference current Navy policy as they work with the Office of Special Needs to develop an implementation plan.
- The DOD Office of Special Needs has enhanced the Exceptional Family Member Program to improve the experience of military families while creating consistency across EFMP.
- Families enrolled in EFMP will see standardization-driven changes in the following areas:
- Identification and enrollment. This is the point of entry into EFMP. When a family member is identified as having special medical or education needs, medical services will coordinate the documentation of those needs and the family’s enrollment in the EFMP. Standardization of identification and enrollment ensures the process is consistent for families across services. Enrollment in EFMP is mandatory for active-duty military members who meet enrollment criteria.
- Assignment coordination. This ensures the family’s special needs are considered during the assignment process. Enhancements include each service branch using the same criteria for determining the availability of services, and the ability for service members to request a second review of assignment decisions. Importantly, service members now learn the reason for declined orders.
- Family Support. EFMP Family Support providers enable families to become their own best advocate by helping them identify and connect with resources, expert consultations, education and community support. There is now a requirement for EFMP Family Support providers to complete at least one annual personal contact with each family assigned to their caseload.
- Disenrollment. The revised policy provides guidance and transparency regarding the process and requirements for disenrollment that were not part of the previous DOD issuance. The policy standardizes how families are instructed to disenroll and how EFMP staff will monitor the process.
- Respite care. Respite care provides short-term relief for primary caregivers. Although the policy has changed, the changes will be gradual and implemented through a phased approach to ensure each family’s needs are met.
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