Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

The Exceptional Family Member Program helps to provide support and the required care for family members with disabilities and special needs, to better support Soldiers and family members stationed at Fort Drum.
 

EFMP works with other military and civilian agencies to provide for family members with special needs:

• Comprehensive and coordinated medical services

• Educational needs

• Housing needs

• Community support services

• Personnel services

 

The EFMP assists with the special physical, emotional, developmental, and intellectual needs by providing community support services such as resources, information and referral, advocacy, support groups, respite care and relocation assistance.
 

An exceptional family member is a dependent family member (child or adult) of an active-duty Soldier, with any physical, emotional, developmental, behavioral, mental, or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, education, training, or counseling on an on-going basis.
 

Some examples of EFMs are those with asthma, autism or PDD, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD or ADHD), diabetes, arthritis, depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia, anxiety/phobias and panic disorders, learning disabilities or any special education services, and high-risk newborn.
 

Soldiers eligible to relocate their families at government expense should identify family members with a medical, physical, emotional, or intellectual disorder to assignment authorities in accordance with AR 600-75; enrollment in the EFMP is mandatory.
 

Those who are required to enroll are active-duty Army, U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers in the USAR – Active Guard Reserve program and other, USAR Soldiers on active duty exceeding 30 days, and U.S. Army National Guard personnel serving under authority of title 10, United States Code. 
 

Enrollment is done on a walk-in basis, although assignment coordination or screening requires an appointment. Enrollment in the program does not adversely affect selection for promotion, schools, or assignment. The information provided to EFMP is not made available to selection boards and command. EFMP is designed to help families get the care they need and deserve.