EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 1

EFMP NewsYour free guide to EFMP services, entertainment and educational opportunities on Joint Base Lewis-McChord

FREE

Exceptional Family Member Program May 2015

Upcoming Events Pages 2-3

Preparing for a Move: Education & Special Services & Documents to Hand Carry Pages 6-7

Summer Camps & ActivitiesPages 4-5

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 2

In this issue:

Armed Forces Community Service (AFCS)Director: Alecia R. Grady

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

Bldg. 2140, Waller Hall, Rm. 400JBLM-Lewis Main

usarmy.jblm.imcom.list.dfmwr-acs-exceptional-family-member@mail.mil

EFMP Program Manager: Mary Herrera253-967-9704

EFMP Staff Members:

Upcoming Events, pg. 2-3Summer Camps & Activities, pg. 4-5Preparing for a Move, pg. 6-7EFMP Survey, pg. 8Local Support Groups, pg. 9Birth-to-Three Services, pg. 9EFMP Enrollment Process, pg. 9Resources at your fingertips, pg. 10

Nancy Dozier: 253-967-9705Carol Watrous: 253-967-3451Cheryl Hoyson: 253-967-5795Megan O’Day: 253-967-9097Lynn Shick: 253-967-3464Anthony Buggage: 253-982-2695

The EFMP office has an open-door policy regarding assistance to our Families. Please feel free to contact us if you have any ques-tions about available services, concerns, or if you need resources or advocacy at Joint Base Lewis-McChord or in the civilian community.

MaySKIES Registration May 4-22 Parent Central Services, Lewis Main & McChord Field to reg-ister for May SKIES classes. Registration for classes is the first Monday through the fourth Friday of the previous month. For a description of classes or to reg-ister your child, go to JBLMmwr.com & click on the yellow WebT-rac button.

AFCS EFMP Focus Group May 12, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m., Waller Hall AFCS Classroom. Come share your success stories, con-cerns or challenges with an IMCOM Accreditation Team Member.

Special Families of Pierce County May 6, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., “Filing a Complaint & Due Process”, with Tracy Reid. May 9, 10:00 a.m. – noon, “Did You Know?! Top 10 Educational Advocacy Questions and An-swers”, with Helen Caldart. Location - Children’s Museum of Tacoma, 1501 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma. Childcare is limited and pre-registration is required each month.

PURPAS– Monthly Mtg May 13, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Henry Foss High School, 2112 South Ty-ler Street, Tacoma, Rooms 213A and 215A. Please bring your own beverage; snacks will be provid-ed. For more information, contact Susan Jackson at 253-565-2266, ext 107, or Sybille White at ext 118.

JBLM EFMP Family Friendly Movie May 16, 12 - 2:00 p.m., “Padding-ton” (2014) at the McChord The-ater. FREE. Sensory controlled environment. Perfect for special needs and young viewers. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your own snacks. For more information contact 253-982-2695.

Spouses Out on the Town May 19, 9-3 p.m.. New to JBLM? Enjoy a day out on the town visiting sites outside JBLM. Pick-up Times & Locations: 9 a.m., Waller Hall AFCS (Lewis Main) & 9:30 a.m. S&FRC (McChord Field). Limited Seats Avail-able: Register at JBLMAFCS.checkappointments.com. Please bring lunch (or money for lunch). Dates, pick-up times & locations subject to change; call 253-967-3628 for details.

Congratulations to JBLM Special Olympics! (photo on pg. 8) JBLM Tigers are at it again!!! On Sunday, April 19 JBLM Tigers participated in the Special Olympic Washington Re-gional Swim meet. During this meet the team won 22 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze medals. Ath-letes worked hard to accomplish their goals. Those receiving gold medals will proceed to the Spe-cial Olympic Washington State Games held May 29-31. That event is hosted here at JBLM. The swimmers will compete at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. Congratulations

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 3

Tigers!! If you have any ques-tions, please contact Genia Stew-art, Head Coach, at 253-967-2405 or email her at mary.e.stewart48.naf@mail.mil.

COMMUNITY NEWSJuvenile Chinook Salmon Event May 3, Noon – 4:00 p.m., Tum-water Falls Park, 110 Deschutes Way SW, Tumwater. Family-friendly salmon-themed activi-ties. For more information contact 360-754-4148 or go to www.streamteam.info.

I-5 JBLM Vicinity Conges-tion Relief Open House May 5, 4:00-7:00 p.m., McGavick Conference Center, Clover Park Technical College, 4500 Steila-coom Blvd. SW, Lakewood. For more information contact: Clau-dia Bingham Baker, Olympic Region Communications, at 360-357-2789.

Parenting with Candyce Bollinger presents “Building Self Esteem in Your Child” May 5, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in part-nership with South Puget Sound Community College and Hands on Children’s Museum. Call 360-956-0818 x 103 to pre-register. Cost is $25 per family (up to 2 adults and 4 children). www.hocm.org

36th Annual Olympia Wooden Boat Festival May 9-10, at Percival Landing Park in downtown Olympia. Sat-urday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and

EFMP News is an authorized unofficial community information source published for members of the Joint Base Lewis-Mc-Chord EFMP community. There is no U.S. government endorsement of any commer-cial sponsor. Editorial content is provided by Exceptional Family Member Program, Armed Forces Community Service, and Family & Morale Welfare and Recreation offices. Submissions are welcome but will be edited for accuracy, brevity, clarity and journalistic style. Submissions are due on the first day of the month, one month prior to publication date. EFMP News is published monthly. Circulation: 1000. Send submissions to: Mary.K.Herrera.civ@mail.mil

Policy:We encourage letters to the editor, but they must be signed. We will consider withhold-ing the name of the author upon request. Letters regarding an issue should contrib-ute to informational interest.

We reserve the right to edit all material for style, to fit available space, to resolve libel, force protection and grammar.

Although the information in the issue is current at time of publication, activities and events are subject to change. Please contact the activity for confirmation.

Join us on FACEBOOK! Connect with other EFMP News readers on Facebook and get regular updates on our program.

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Events...Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. All types of wooden boats will be displayed as well as handmade items and an international food alley. www.olywoodenboat.org

Power Parenting presents “Food and Nutrition: How to Turn Eating Into a Pleasure”, May 12, 6:00-8:00 p.m. by the Family Support Center of South Sound and Hands on Children’s Muse-um. Call 360-956-0818 x 103 to pre-register. www.hocm.org

The Children’s Museum of Tacoma, together with the Exceptional Families Network’s support group, SPECIAL Fami-lies of Pierce County, hosts a monthly evening program (second Thursday monthly) for families with children who have special needs, May 14, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Registration: Advance registra-tion through SPECIAL Families of Pierce County is required for admission of all children into the museum galleries on work-shop nights. Parents will need to complete an online intake form for each child they plan to bring. To request an intake form and register your child, please contact SPECIAL Families of Pierce County at specialfamili-estacoma@gmail.com. If you wish to attend without your child an RSVP is preferred but not required. For more information contact Angela Fish at specialfamiliespc@gmail.com. www.playtacoma.org/programs.

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 4

Special Needs Summer Camps Camp Directory & ActivitiesJOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD CAMP PRIME TIMECamp Prime Time is a nonprofit established to provide a weekend, recreational opportunity in a wilder-ness setting for those families who have a child with special needs. Located in the Wenatchee National Forest, families stay in cabins and enjoy hearty meals prepared by Eq-uity Residential volunteer staff. Ac-tivities include swimming, fishing, hiking, boating, and arts and crafts. The camp is about a 2 hour drive from JBLM. Parents are responsible for the supervision and medical care of their children throughout the three days.This year’s camp is scheduled for July 10-12. Families may register for an opportunity to participate begin-ning 1 June. Names will be drawn on June 10th; those selected will be

notified and will have the option to accept or decline a cabin. Families choosing to participate will submit a refundable $25 deposit NLT 1600 on June 12th. Please contact Nancy Dozier, EFMP Coordinator, at 253-967-9705, on line at nancy.e.dozier.civ@mail.mil, or in-person at the AFCS EFMP office in Waller Hall, Room 400 for more information.Camp is free of charge; however, families must provide their own transportation to and from camp.

SAVE THE DATE: EFMP CAMP JBLMThe 8th Annual Exceptional Fam-ily Member Program Camp JBLM, “Star Warriors of American Lake”, is scheduled for August 21-23 at the Northwest Adventure Center and Shoreline Park on Lewis North. There are two options available to families: an overnight cabin stay

from Friday evening thru Sunday morning and a 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. “day camp” on Saturday. Fam-ilies interested in cabin stays will have the opportunity to submit their names for a drawing. Additional information will be available in the coming months.

SUMMER CAMPS AND PROGRAMS FOR CHIL-DREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS

WA STATE EDITIONThe 2015 Summer Camp Directory is now available. You can down-load a PDF file or access online at www.cshcn.org/resources-contacts/summer-camp-directory. This is a searchable website and may include additional camps that were submit-ted after the deadline for this printed directory.

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 5

COMPANIONSHIP PROGRAM SUMMER ACTIVITIES

STAR WARS PARTY, May 8, 6-8:00 p.m., age 5-13, $10/person, includes photo, Lakewood Community Center, Register by May 1st.Teen & Young Adult Nights, 5/29, 6/26, & 7/24, 7-9:00 p.m., Age 13-21, $8/participant, Various loca-tions, Registration deadlines vary, but are typically one week prior to the event date. Pre-registration re-quired - call 253-798-4177 or online www.piercecountywa.org/parks.

FOR 24/7 INFORMA-TION AND REFERRALS for family services, you may go to http://www.myarmyonesource.com/default.aspx. You may live chat or call 1-877-811-ARMY for further assistance.

PIERCE COUNTY PARKS AND RECRE-ATION CAMPS

CAMP LOTS OF FUNA day camp experience for children and young adults ages 6-21 with disabilities. Registration begins: Monday, May 4, 2015, 5-6:30 p.m.,

Lakewood Community Center. More information available www.piercecountywa.org/parks or 253-798-4176.

SUMMER CAMP PIERCE (For Young Adults)Specially designed for young adults, ages 21-30 with disabilities. Fun Activity Programs, Develop Social Life Skills. Open Registration Night, Tuesday, May 5, Lakewood Commu-nity Center, 6-7 p.m. More informa-tion available www.piercecountywa.org/parks or 253-798-4176.

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 6

Education Directory for Child With Special Needs, States at a Glance

http://apps.militaryonesource.mil/MOS/f?p=EFMP_DIRECTORY:HOME:0::::EKMT:37.20.15.0.0.0.0.0.0

Military Community & Family Policy-Office of Special Needs provides directory of age specific resources and States at a Glance for special education and parent resources.

Center for Parent Information & Resources

www.parentcenterhub.org

Provides parent education, acronyms, tools, webinars, and a directory of local Parent and Information Training Centers to appropriately advocate for children, proactively supporting personal accountability. Funded by OSEP.

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children

http://www.mic3.net/

The “Military Compact” addresses key educational transition issues encountered by military families including enrollment (ie. Shot records waived 30 days at the time

of registration if they were packed), placement (ie. similar classes accounted for, Math 1 to Algebra 1), attendance (ie. Deployment not PCS related), eligibility (ie. standardized tests waived for high school courses; unlike civilian students who transfer, they will not have to retake the tests in the new state) and graduation (ie. Students who transfer only their senior year may go by state graduation requirements of the school they attended junior year or may choose to go by the state graduation requirements of the new school. Parents are encouraged to compare the differences in state graduation requirements at the time of registration with the new school in the new state.). This legislation is adopted into each state’s code of law. Department of Defense Educational Activity (DoDEA) is a de facto member.

Memorandum (19 JUL 2013), US Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSEP)

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/120392dclhighlymobile.pdf

Guidance for States to expedite processes for highly mobile children, specifically military dependents:

a) evaluations in 30 days instead of 60 days, b) remove delays due to school district schedules for families moving during incomplete screenings, c) continue Extended School Year (ESY) for students moving in the summer who were receiving ESY at the previous school.

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

http://jblmmwr.com/acs/acs_efmp.html

EFMP, during outprocessing, will transfer you in the system to your next duty station and/or connect you with resources to ensure a smooth transition to your next location.

Military OneSource

https://www.militaryonesource.mil

Tools to plan your move; transition assistance.

Need help with your transition? Call 253-967-9704 to be referred to one of our EFMP Systems Navigators.

Preparing to PCS/ETS/Retire: Tools for Education & Special Services K-12 & Don’t Forget to hand carry documents you need for registration

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 7

Preparing to PCS/ETS/Retire: Tools for Education & Special Services K-12 & Don’t Forget to hand carry documents you need for registration

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 8

If your child’s IEP or 504 plan needs to be renewed before the end of the school year, this is the time to request your meeting. Our Systems Navigators are able to attend meet-ings with you or assist you with preparing for your meeting. Call AFCS-EFMP at 253-967-9704.

The Department of the Army is providing all Families from all branches of JBLM an opportunity to have access to special ed connection and e-learning courses. For access please email us at usarmy.jblm.imcom.list.dfmwr-acs-exceptional-family-member@mail.mil.

Steps for accessing e-courses: 1) Go to this link to create an ac-count: http://armyefmp.ds.lrp.com/login/index.php2) You will receive a confirmation email and will be able to begin your desired course.

Special Ed Connection & DirectSTEP eCourses!These courses are for Education Professionals AND parents of special needs children.

The school year is quickly drawing to a close and the Exceptional Family Member Program is gear-ing up its fall calendar. What types of information and assistance would you find most helpful?

Please take a few minutes to answer six questions: W W W.SURVEYMONKEY.COM/S/AFCSEFMP1

Any EFMP Family who completes the survey will be eligible for a drawing. Prizes include gift cer-tificates for bowling, golf, or an ATV rental. For more information, call 253-967-9097.

EFMP Survey

KUDO 2015 A SUCCESS! More than 200 children engage in a “Kids Understanding De-

ployment Operations” Day at JBLM on Saturday, Apr. 11.

JBLM Tigers at the Special Olym-pic Washington Regional Swim

meet, Apr. 19

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 9

EFMP Enrollment Process

Birth To Three Early Intervention Programs

Contact the Lead Agency for your county for a referral for services. Family Resource Coordination/Pierce County: 253-798-3790South Sound Parent To Parent/Thurston County: 360-352-1126Holly Ridge Center/Kitsap and Mason counties: 360-373-2536Community Health Access Program (CHAP)/King County: 206-284-0331

Support Groups for You & Yours

If your Family member has a health condi-tion that necessitates a specialist or spe-cialty clinic, he or she MUST be enrolled in EFMP under medical, DD Form 2792. If your child has an IEP (Individualized Education Program) or 504 plan, he or she must be enrolled in EFMP under educa-tion, DD Form 2792-1. Enrollment forms for EFMP are renewed every three years or sooner, if there are significant changes.

Disenrollment is not automatic upon expi-ration; it is required for a change in marital status or a significant improvement that no longer warrants enrollment.

Army — Submit your completed enroll-ment forms to the EFMP office located in the Madigan Nursing Tower, on the first floor, left side, just past the chapel, room 1-28-17. For questions regarding enroll-ment or overseas screenings, please call 253-968-0254/1370/4355. This office is closed on Thursdays.

Air Force — Submit your completed enrollment forms to the SNC office 62nd Medical Clinic, first floor of Airman’s Clinic Bioenvironmental hallway, second/third office on left. For a PCS screening or for questions call TSGT Michelle Sutton at 253-982-3350. Lois Fisher is the Special Needs Coordinator at 253-982-5568. Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday 0800-1530; Wednesday 0800-1100. Closed 2nd Tues-day 1200 – 1530; Closed on Thursday. For Air Force Respite Care, contact the Ser-vicemember & Family Readiness Center at 253-982-2695.

EFMP Family Support Services Bldg. 2140, Waller Hall, Room 400, JBLM-Lewis Main; Bldg. 552, Servicemember & Family Readiness Center, JBLM-McChord Field. Installation and local resources and ser-vices, housing and school issues, IEP/504 plans, respite care, systems navigation, advocacy, support groups, monthly newsletter, disability services and Special Needs Accommodation Process are avail-able for all Army and Air Force EFMP Families.

SPECIAL FAMILIES OF PIERCE COUNTY

groups for peer support, employ-ment, recovery and wellness, hous-ing, independent living, and veter-ans’ services.

PURPASA family support group open toall (parents, children, and helpingprofessionals) for individuals withAutism. Participants meet on the2nd Wednesday of the month atHenry Foss High School, 2112 SouthTyler Street, Tacoma, Room 213A and 215A, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Bring your own beverage; snacks will be provided. For more informa-tion please contact PAVE at 253-565-2266. Susan Jackson: sjackson@wapave.org or Sybille White:swhite@wapave.org.

TACIDTacoma Area Coalition of Individu-als with Disabilities promotes the independence of individuals with disabilities. It is located at 6315 South 19th Street, Tacoma. Call 253-565-9000 for further information. The website is www.tacid.org and has a program link to an extensive schedule of workshops and support

the corner of 15th and Pacific Av-enue. Street parking is free after 6 p.m. Childcare is limited and pre-registration is required each month. To RSVP go to: www.exceptional-families.org/events.html. Contact Angela Fish at specialfamiliespc@gmail.com for further information.

Special Families of Pierce County (SFPC) is a support group for families with special needs children in the South Sound region.Meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, 1501 Pacific Avenue, on

EFMP News • May 2015 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400 253-967-9704/9705 10

Resources

Individuals With DisabilitiesAcommonvoice.org (Counseling)

Addresources.org (ADD/ADHD)

Autismsocietyofwa.org (Autism)

Autismspeaks.org (Autism)

Biorxhemophilia.com (Bleeding disorders)

Exceptional-families.org (SN Support Group)

Featwa.org (Autism)

Gluten.net (Gluten Intolerance Group)

Hsdc.org (Hearing Speech and Deafness Center)

Pc2online.org (PC2 for Developmental Dis-abilities)

Piercecountywa.org/companionship (Pierce County Parks & Recreation)

Stompproject.org (Specialized Training for Military Parents)

Tbiwashington.org (Traumatic Brain Injury of Washington)

Thecpnetwork.org (Cerebral Palsy)

Family AssistanceCdc.gov/ncbddd/index.html (National Center on Birth Defects and Developmen-tal Disabilities (NCBDDD))

Efoodnet.org (Pierce County Food Banks)

Metroparkstacoma.org/specialized

MilitaryOneSource.mil

MyTricare.com (Tricare)

Ssa.gov (Social Security)

Uhcmilitarywest.com (Tricare Western Region)

Children’s ServicesNaccrra.org/military-families (ChildCare Aware of America)

Nmfa.org (National Military FamilyFamily Association)

Psesd.org (Puget Sound Educational Service District)

Ssp2p.org (South Sound Parent2Parent)

FacebookFacebook.com/efmpjblm

Facebook.com/JBLMFamilyMWR

Facebook.com/JBLMcyss

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