Families with special needs family members likely face difficult choices and compromises. Consider how challenging it would be to weigh difficult issues if some of those choices were actually orders. Enrolling in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is mandatory across all military services for service members with a special needs family member. Because EFMP mandates special needs family members only be assigned to duty stations where there are services to maintain or support the medical, mental health, and educational needs of the family, EFMP enrollment can be seen as career limiting. As a military social worker, understanding the EFMP process—and its perceived compromises—will help you convey accurate information and guidance so your client can be successful in the military and take care of a special needs family member. In this Discussion, you consider the effect of EFMP on career and family.
Post (2 to 3 pages)
Rubin, A., Weiss, E. L., & Coll, J. E. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook of military social work. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Chapter 21, “The Exceptional Family Member Program: Helping Special Needs Children in Military Families” (pp. 359–382)
