EFMP News/February 2013

EFMP News • February 2013 Bldg. 2140, 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 February 2013

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Indoor Fun

EFMPEnrollmentProcess

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Page 7

Page 2Pajama Party


In this issue:

Army Community Service (ACS)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:

Pajama Party, pg. 2

SSI Workshop, pg. 3

Indoor Winter Fun, pg. 4

Online Resources, pg. 8

JBLM life...

Nancy Dozier: 253-967-9705Carol Watrous: 253-967-3451Jaclyn Gilley: 253-967-3553Terry Giles: 253-966-5393Cheryl Hoyson: 253-967-5795Timmy Milligan: 253-967-9097Mike Berkshire: 253-982-2695

The EFMP office has an open-door policyregarding 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 on Joint Base Lewis-McChord or in the civiliancommunity.

EFMP News Editor/Graphic Design:

Johanna [email protected]

Monthly Swim Night withCompanionshipFebruary 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Clover Park High School Pool, 11023 Gravelly Lake Dr. Lakewood.

Special Families of Pierce CountyParkland/Spanaway GroupFebruary 4; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Topic: “The ABCs of Behavior.” Speaker: Kathryn Metz, Regional Lead Supervisor, ACES.See page 6 for directions.

Special Families of Pierce CountyDowntown Tacoma GroupFebruary 7; 6 - 8 p.m. Topic: “The ABCs of Behavior.” Speaker: Kathryn Metz, Regional Lead Supervisor, ACES.See page 6 for directions.

Companionship’s Pajama JamFebruary 8, from 7 to 9 p.m. Join in the fun with a DJ for dancing, crafts, activi-ties, snacks, pictures galore, and Wii video games. See page 6 for details.


SSI Workshop/Brown Bag LunchFebruary 13, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at ACS Waller Hall. Presented by STOMP, this event offers specialized training for military parents. RSVP at 253-967-9705 or e-mail [email protected]. Appropriate for clients and helping profes-sionals.

EFMP Family Friendly MovieFebruary 16, noon - 2 p.m. at the McChord Theater. FREE movie. Sensory-controlled environment. Perfect for special needs and young viewers. All children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information contact 253-982-2695.

EFMP News is an authorized unofficial community information source published for members of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord EFMP community. There is no U.S. government endorsement of any commercial sponsor. Edito-rial content is provided by Exceptional Family Member Program, Army Community Service, and Family & Morale Welfare and Recreation of-fices. Submissions are welcome, but will be ed-ited 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: [email protected]

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

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

Although the information in the issue is cur-rent at time of publication, activities and events are subject to change. Please contact the activ-ity for confirmation.

Down Syndrome SupportGroup/Mom’s Night OutFebruary 8 @ 6:30 p.m. BJ’s Restaurant, Tacoma Mall. Dads welcome, too! This meeting is open to any parent who has a child with a chronic health care need or disability. For questions call 253-970-7264/ 253-565-2266 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].

Pierce Co. Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (PC2)February 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

HUB-High FunctioningAutism Support GroupFebruary 13, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Henry Foss High School, 2112 South Tyler Street, Tacoma, Rooms 213A & 215A. Bring your own bev-erage; snacks will be provided. For more information please call 253-565-2266. See page 6 for additional information.

February EventsJBLM life...“Coffee Klatch” Get-Together. This is an opportunity for parents to share what is important to people in their day-to-day lives in a casual setting. Coffee, tea, soda, water, and juice will be provided. To RSVP call 253-564-0707, extension 101.


Inside Ideas for

W I N T E R F U NNeed inside activity ideas to keep the winter months interesting? Visit www.Familydaysout.com/kids-things-to-do-usa/washington for more than 100 places to have fun with your family. Some ideas include:

Point Defiance Zoo andAquariumVisit the Marine Discovery Center to discover firsthand what a sea star or sea urchin feels like. This kid-focused, hands-on animal area is open every day from 10am to 3pm. It is located at 5400 North Pearl Street in north Tacoma. www.pdza.org

Children’s Museum of TacomaLocated at 1501 Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma. Sign up for their e-newsletter at: www.playtacoma.org

Hands on Children’sMuseum, OlympiaVisit the Hands on Children’s Mu-seum’s new location in Olympia’s East Bay Waterfront at 414 Jefferson Street NE. Sign up for the newsletter. www.hocm.com

Charlie’s SafariIt never rains in Charlie’s Safari. This family fun center is open every day and admission is for all day play. They offer a special area for children one to four, a quiet area for parents, laser tag, and lots of fun. Ask about the FRG program rates in support of our military. Explore the website for great ideas. www.charliessafari.com

Play to Learn at JBLM

Play to Learn is a FREE collaborative program for parents, grandparents, neighbors, family and friends who nurture children ages six and under. Thematic curriculum invites individual play, engaging activities, songs, and a whole group circle time for children and adults to enjoy together. Play to Learn is a drop-in program, no registra-tion needed.

Time: 10 - 11:30 a.m.

February 6, Build it with BlocksFebruary 13, Love NotesRaindrops and Rainbows8197 American Lake Dr. JBLM-Lewis-North

February 27, Let’s ReadMarch 6, AlphabetMarch 13, Going GreenMarch 20, Colors of SpringMarch 27, Dental HealthEscape Zone841, off Lincoln Blvd.JBLM-McChord-Field


Inside Ideas for

W I N T E R F U N

Honoring Your

Military Kids

Their Sacrifices deserve to be recognized

February 10, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The STAR Center in South Tacoma, 3873 So. 66th, Tacoma, WA 98409. The event is presented by The Ranger & Airlifter newspapers.Special sponsor is Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Foundation. FREE for all military families. Games & prizes, giveaways, inflatables, video games, and activities for high school - aged children and younger. Reser-vations required. Sign up at www.northwestmilitary.com.

Recent ACS/EFMP Staff Changes

In December, we said goodbye to Jackie Kelly, our EFMP Specialist, who moved to the Plans, Analysis, and Integration Office (PAIO) under the Joint Basing Branch at JBLM. Terry Giles, our very first Systems Navigator, has accepted a position as the EFMP Manager in Hohenfels, Germany and will be leaving in February. Both of these outstanding individuals leave a void within an extraordinary team of client-focused staff. Best wishes to Jackie and Terry as they continue to deliver exceptional customer service to both clients and co-workers.

In November, our student intern Katrina Boutwell, was honored at a goodbye luncheon for her contributions to the Exceptional Family Member Program at JBLM. On Wednesday the 16th of January we welcomed Tim Templin, our newest intern from St. Martin’s University. Our student interns allow us to continue to offer a broad range of services to our Families ensuring that a staff member is always available to clients during our normal business hours. A special thank you to St. Martin’s for sending us such capable individuals.


CompanionshipACS-EFMP partners with the Companion-ship Program to provide recreation and leisure opportunities for individuals with special needs and their friends and families. The goal is to assist the participants in find-ing and maintaining strong friendships by providing different activities throughout the community. For more information call 253-798-2997 or e-mail: [email protected]. The monthly newsletter is available at www.piercecountywa.org/com-panionship.

Resources

Special Families of Pierce CountySpecial Families of Pierce County (SFPC) is a support group for families with special needs children in the South Sound region.

The Parkland/Spanaway Group meets on February 4, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Pierce County Library Processing & Ad-ministrative Center, 3005 112th Street SE, Conference Room B. Location is 1 mile off Hwy. 512 Portland Ave. Exit, at the corner of 112th Street East and Waller Road East. Childcare is not provided at this meeting. For questions e-mail [email protected].

The Downtown Tacoma Group meets on February 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chil-dren’s Museum of Tacoma, 1501 Pacific Avenue, on the corner of 15th and Pacific Avenue. Street parking is free after 6 p.m. Childcare is limited and an RSVP is required. To pre-register your child each month, visit: www.exceptionalfamilies.org/events.html. E-mail to RSVP at [email protected].

HUBA new family support group for individuals with high functioning Autism. Participants meet on the second Wednesday of the month at Henry Foss High School, 2112 South Tyler Street, Tacoma, Rooms 213A and 215A from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Parents and young adult children are invited to attend. Bring your own beverage; snacks will be provided. For more information please call 253-565-2266 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]. www.wapave.org

TACIDTacoma Area Coalition of Individuals 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 groups for peer support, em-ployment, recovery and wellness, housing, independent living, and veterans services.


EFMP Enrollment ProcessIf your family member has a health condition that necessitates a specialist or specialty 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, they are required to be enrolled in EFMP under education, 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 expiration; it is required for a change in marital status or a significant improvement that no longer warrants enrollment.

Army – Submit your completed enrollment forms to the EFMP office. Their location is at the Madigan Nursing Tower, on the first floor, left side, just past the chapel, room 1-28-17. For questions or overseas screening call 253-968-0254.

Air Force - Submit your completed enrollment forms to the SNIAC office on the second floor at 62nd Medical Clinic. For a PCS screening or for questions call SGT McDonald at 253-982-3350. For Air Force Respite Care, contact the Airman & Family Readiness Center at 253-982-2695.

EFMP Family Support ServicesBldg. 2140, Waller Hall, Room 400, JBLM-Lewis Main Bldg. 552, Airman & Family Readiness Center, JBLM-McChord FieldInstallation & local resources & services, Housing & school issues, IEP/504 plans, Respite Care, Systems Navigation, Advocacy, Support groups, Monthly newsletter, Disability services, and Special Needs Accommodation Process are available for all Army and Air Force EFMP Families.

Birth To Three Early Intervention ProgramsContact the Lead Agency for your counties for a referral for services. Family Resource Coordination/ Pierce County: 253-798-3790

South Sound Parent To Parent/ Thurston and Mason Counties: 360-352-1126

Holly Ridge Center Kitsap County: 360-373-2536

CHAP/King County: 206-284-0331


Resources

Individuals With Disabilities

Addresources.org

Autismsocietyofwa.org

Autismspeaks.org

Featwa.org

Gluten.net

Hsdc.org

Special-families.org

Stompproject.org

Tacanow.org

Tbiwashington.org

Thecpnetwork.org

Family Assistance

Efoodnet.org

Hsdc.org

Militaryhomefront.dod.mil

MilitaryOneSource.com

Operationhomefront.net/Washington

Triwest.com

Usacares.us

Children’s Services

Naccra.org

Nmfa.org

Psesd.org

Ssp2p.org

Facebook

Facebook.com/efmpjblm

Facebook.com/JBLMEFMPSG

Facebook.com/JBLMFamilyMWR

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EFMP News/February 2013