We are here to help and we understand how to meet the special medical and educational needs of our family members. Our staff is trained to provide services, support, and resources you need to provide proper care for exceptional family members. When you enroll in the program, we make sure you are assigned to a location with the proper services. Educational training and monthly social groups are organized to give you the opportunity to learn from others who face similar challenges, and our access to a vast network of local, state, and national resources is yours to share.
EFMP Webinar
Check out our new informative webinar to learn more about the resources that strengthen your community.
How Can We Help You?
- Family support
- Family case management
- Sponsor assignment
- Quarterly special needs forums
- Adult monthly social groups
- Educational training
- Respite care
- Accompaniment to school meetings
- Lending Resources
Enrollment Qualifications
The Exceptional Family Member Program is a mandatory enrollment program (MCO 1754.4B) for active-duty personnel who have a family member who meets the enrollment criteria. Enrollment cannot prejudice advancement or career. Registry in the program will not be an element of the Manpower Management System.
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Who will qualify?
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Use this self identification tool to see if your family member qualifies.
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Family Support
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The Marine Corps recognizes and is particularly responsive to the needs of Marines, both Active Duty and Marine Corps’ Reservists, who have family members with special medical and/or education needs. Early enrollment in the EFMP is the Marine’s guarantee that the Marine Corps will do its best to match a Marine’s grade and occupational specialty with a location where the exceptional family member’s needs can be met. However, there are other services that the EFMP offers and are designed to improve the quality of life of Marine Corps families with special needs.
How EFMP Helps You
The EFMP recognizes and understands that it is the spouse of the Active Duty Marine who bears much of the work and stress related to caring for a family member with special needs. Because sponsors often work long and irregular hours and frequently deploy, spouses often make and attend medical appointments, coordinate home medical care, attend special education meetings, and do most of the research about their child or family member’s condition. The EFMP Family Case Worker provides family support services to spouses and other DEERS-eligible family members.
When a sponsor is deployed or TAD, family members can complete and submit the EFMP enrollment paperwork and are always welcome to call and schedule an appointment at any time with the EFMP Family Case Worker for assistance.
It can take 6-9 months to identify and access medical, special education, and other services in a new state. The EFMP Family Case Worker can provide families with applicable local and state information and can help families find and utilize the local, state, and federal programs and organizations that assist and support families with special needs. They are there to help families cope with new diagnoses and to connect with appropriate supports and services.
Why Trust EFMP
EFMP employs Managers, Family Case Workers, and Training Education Outreach Specialists. EFMP has established a framework for effective communication and collaboration between families and professionals, between TRICARE and public healthcare systems, among agencies at the state and community levels, and among public agencies and volunteer organizations. The installation EFMP staff exists not only to assist families with enrollments and updates, but also serves as a vital link between exceptional families and federal, state, and local resources.
EFMP is Familiar With:
- Federal, State Laws, DoD Instructions, Marine Corps Orders, Publications and Directives and base regulations affecting individuals with disabilities
- Early Interventions Services (EIS) and Education & Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS)
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- Inclusion
- DoDEA
- Life Planning Decisions
- Financial resources & medical assistance programs & waivers
- Resources & Referrals
EFMP Can Also Coordinate:
- Parent Training Events
- Support Groups
- EFMP Family Events
Confidentiality
Enrolled families often ask questions about the confidentiality of the information they provide to EFMP. Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the health and educational information pertaining to the EFM is necessary for a successful program. Personnel shall receive access to EFMP information only when required in the course of their duties and shall preserve the confidentiality of enrollees’ information, and safeguard written and electronic correspondence and databases. The Marine Corps EFMP handles ALL medical and educational information with the strictest confidentiality. Local EFMP Managers provide limited information to the Unit Commander, or his/her designee to ensure commands are aware of those Marines who need to complete an update to maintain compliance. The information shared with the command is limited to the following:
- Name of Sponsor
- Grade of Sponsor
- Military Occupational Speciality
- Date of enrollment/Date of most recent update/Due date of next update
The specific medical diagnosis and treatment and/or special education needs of the EFM are not shared with the Command. This information is kept strictly confidential.
Information regarding an EFMP enrollment will appear in the EFM health records, the EFMP Case Management System, and the database of the appropriate assignment branch. The case file, kept by EFMP staff, will be kept strictly confidential. The EFMP Case Management System will NOT become an element of the Manpower Management System, individual record books, or the parent command records of the sponsor, nor be referenced in performance appraisals such as Fitness Reports.
If you have any questions regarding the confidentiality of your EFMP information, please contact the EFMP Office at 252-466-7533
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Remote Support
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Support for Geographically Dispersed MarinesMarines who are geographically dispersed may experience additional stressors as they are not able to access services and supports available at installations. The Exceptional Family Member Program is committed to meeting the needs of remotely stationed families by providing excellent customer service and creative and flexible family support.
PCS Transitions
Using a standardized Warm Hand-Off Process, Family Case Workers will work closely with families to ensure a smooth and seamless PCS transition. When a Marine receives orders, the Family Case Worker will work with the family prior to PCS to:
- Assess and identify needs
- Develop a plan to meet the needs
- Both the losing and gaining Family Case Worker will communicate and work with families to meet the needs
The plan will prompt discussion in the following areas:
- TRICARE transitions
- Medical care
- Housing
- Local resources
- School transition
- Respite care
- Any other needs identified by the family
Although families may not be able to access a physical EFMP office, they will receive support through phone and email communication.
Ongoing Family Support
Supporting this unique population requires particular skills. The Program Manager will assign cases to appropriate staff who can best address the needs of each family. EFMP staff will network and coordinate with local service providers and other organizations to provide the most effective local support for families. Contact with the family will be maintained at least quarterly but can be initiated as often as needed to meet the ongoing needs of EFMP families.
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Location Assignments
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Assigning Marine sponsors to locations that can support the needs of their family members ensures that the sponsor’s performance of duty is not inordinately affected by the demands of caring for their Exceptional Family Member. This allows the sponsor to concentrate on performing his/her duties and contributes to the operational readiness of Marine units. This is especially critical in overseas assignments where the provision of services may be limited. Successful execution of the EFMP improves the quality of life for Marine Corps families with special needs.
Deployments
The EFMP has no impact on the deployment responsibilities of Marines. Overseas-unaccompanied assignments, unit deployments, and standard deployments must be carried out without interruption. When a family member’s needs conflict with such assignments, the assignment will be effected under the provision of a Humanitarian Assignment.
Humanitarian Assignment
The Exceptional Family Member Program is designed to improve the quality of life of enrolled families and provides procedures and guidelines to facilitate the appropriate assignments. In achieving its goal the EFMP reduces family stress or hardship while minimizing the need for costly reassignments, especially OCONUS transfers due to the non-availability of adequate services.
Occasionally, a family member’s condition worsens to a level that the currently available medical services are no longer available and a Humanitarian Transfer is necessary to relocate to a location that can better meet the medical needs of a special needs family member. Or, a Marine may receive PCS orders that would be implemented during the course of critical medical treatments (e.g. chemotherapy, dialysis, transplant) for his family member and the attending physician does not recommend the PCS. These are just a few examples of why an EFMP enrolled Marine may need a Humanitarian Assignment.
Criteria for HUMS Assistance:
- A severe situation that presents a personal problem that is more severe than those normally encountered by Marines and their families in the course of military service.
- A hardship that occurs or is aggravated as a result of the Marine’s beginning the initial term of service or subsequent to the date of the last reenlistment.
- A problem involving the Marine’s immediate family where the individual’s presence is required to alleviate or eliminate the hardship. Immediate family is defined as the spouse, natural or stepchildren, brothers, sisters, and the Marine’s or spouse’s parents. A person who has stood in loco parentis for at least 2 years preceding the Marine’s entry on active duty qualifies as a parent for the purpose of humanitarian assistance.
- When orders are issued to a Marine who has been enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) and the assignment does not provide adequate medical care.
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Library List
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Exceptional Family Member Program Library List Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Book # Classification and Title Activities, Games, Play, for the Special Needs Child ACT 2 Tasks Galore: Making Groups Meaningful ACT 3 Tasks Galore: For the Real World ACT 4 The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun ACT 5 Play for Children with Special Needs ACT 6 Social Skills Activities for Special Children ACT 7 Life Skills Activities for Special Children ACT 8 Life Skills Activities for Secondary Students ACT 9 Special Talents, Special Needs ACT 10 Creative Play for Children with Disabilities ACT 11 Small Steps Forward ACT 12 The New Language of Toys ACT 13 Special Needs, Special Horses ACT 14 Early Intervention Games ACT 15 Story Time Yoga ACT 16 Peer Play and the Autism Spectrum Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) & Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ADD 1 The ADHD Parenting Handbook ADD 2 The ADD & ADHD Answer Book: The Top 275 Questions Parents Ask ADD 3 Taking Charge of ADHD ADD 4 Heads Up Helping!! ADD 5 Bodola Chips & Pop ADD 7 ADD/ADHD Behavior – Change Resource Kit ADD 8 Maybe You Know My Kid: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Child with ADHD ADD 9 Management of Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder ADD 10 ADHD/Hyperactivity: A Consumers Guide ADD 11 Understanding ADHD: The Definitive Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADD 13 The ADD Hyperactivity Workbook For Parents, Teachers and Kids ADD 14 The ADD Hyperactivity Handbook for Schools ADD 15 How to Reach and Teach Children with ADD/ADHD ADD 16 ADHD in the Young Child ADD 17 The Survival Guide for Kids with ADD or ADHD ADD 18 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What Every Parent Wants to Know Asthma ASP 1 The Asthma and Allergy Action Plan for Kids ASP 2 The Harvard Medical School Guide To: Taking Control of Your Asthma ASP 3 One Minute Asthma ASP 4 A Parent’s Handbook: Helping Your Child Manage Asthma Autism AUT 1 The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome AUT 2 The Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond AUT 3 Social Skills Lessons and Activities for Grades 4-6 AUT 4 Yoga for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders AUT 5 Everybody is Different AUT 6 A Picture’s Worth: PECS and Other Visual Communication Strategies in Autism AUT 7 Autism 24/7: A Family Guide to Learning at Home and in the Community AUT 8 A 5 is Against the Law! Social Boundaries Straight Up AUT 10 The Social Success Workbook for Teens AUT 11 Autism, Advocates and Law Enforcement Professionals AUT 13 Autism Treatment Guide AUT 14 Sibling’s of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families AUT 15 The Mom’s Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, and Related Disorders AUT 16 Joey and Sam AUT 17 Ian’s Walk: A Story About Autism AUT 18 Louder Than Words AUT 19 Mother Warriors AUT 20 Autism Early Intervention Facts AUT 21 The TEACCH Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders AUT 22 My Brother is Autistic AUT 23 Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew AUT 24 Life Journey through Autism: A Guide for Military Families AUT 25 Social Skills for Teenagers and Adults with Asperger Syndrome AUT 26 All About My Brother AUT 27 A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Autism AUT 28 Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book AUT 29 Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum AUT 30 Empowered Autism Parenting AUT 31 Autism Spectrum Disorders AUT 32 Autism and the Transition to Adulthood: Success Beyond the Classroom AUT 34 Does my Child Have Autism? AUT 35 The London Eye Mystery Cancer CAN 1 Taking Cancer to School CAN 2 When A Parent Has Cancer CAN 3 My Child Has Cancer: A Parent’s Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survival Communication and Visual Impairments COM/VI 1 Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know COM/VI 2 Children with Visual Impairments COM/VI 3 Helping Children with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities to Flourish COM/VI 4 Supporting Children with Communication Difficulties in Inclusive Settings COM/VI 5 Helping your Child with Selective Mutism COM/VI 6 Terminology of Communication Disorder: Speech-Language-Hearing COM/VI 7 Survey of Communication Disorders COM/VI 9 Language Instructions for Students with Disabilities COM/VI 10 Five Flavors of Dumb COM/VI 11 A Mango-Shaped Space COM/VI 12 Freak the Mighty Diabetes DIA 1 Mayo Clinic on Managing Diabetes Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse SA/DV 1 Violent No More SA/DV 3 Protecting Your Child from Sexual Abuse Down Syndrome & Mental Retardation DWN/MR 1 Down Syndrome DWN/MR 2 Be Good to Eddie Lee DWN/MR 3 Teaching the Infant with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals DWN/MR 4 Count Us In: Growing Up with Down Syndrome DWN/MR 5 A Parent’s Guide to Down Syndrome: DWN/MR 6 Children with Mental Retardation: A Parent’s Guide DWN/MR 7 Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents’ Guide DWN/MR 8 We’ll Paint the Octopus Red DWN/MR 9 Differences in Common: Straight Talk on Mental Retardation, Down Syndrome and Life DWN/MR 10 Medical & Surgical Care for Children with Down Syndrome DWN/MR 11 Willowood DWN/MR 12 My Friend has Down Syndrome DWN/MR 13 The Man Who Loved Clowns DVD/CD DVD/CD 1 School Mental Health – Training Resource Directory (CD) DVD/CD 2 When Someone You Love Has a Drinking Problem (CD) DVD/CD 3 Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (DVD) DVD/CD 4 Autism Awareness for Law Enforcement and Community Personnel (DVD) DVD/CD 5 Caregiving (CD) DVD/CD 6 Embracing Play: Teaching Your Child with Autism (DVD) DVD/CD 7 Double Duty – Staying Connected when a Depploed Dad (CD) DVD/CD 8 The First IEP: Parents Perspectives (DVD) DVD/CD 10 Asperger Syndrome for Dad (DVD) DVD/CD 11 Breathe – Managing Stress (CD) DVD/CD 13 Parents Rights and Special Education Resources (CD) DVD/CD 14 These Boots: A Spouse’s Guide to Stepping Up and Standing Tall During Deployment (CD) DVD/CD 15 Free Appropriate Public Education for Students with Disabilities (DVD) DVD/CD 16 Talking about Preteens DVD/CD 17 Parenting in the 21st Century (CD) DVD/CD 18 Last One Picked… First One Picked On: Learning Disabilities and Social Skills (DVD) DVD/CD 19 Finding Strength in Family and Community (CD) DVD/CD 20 Talking with your Teenager (CD) DVD/CD 21 Down Syndrome: The First 18 Months (DVD) DVD/CD 22 Sesame Street Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes DVD/CD 23 Sesame Street Talk, Listen, Connect: When Families Grieve DVD/CD 24 Spectrum Connections: Connecting to Emotions through Music (DVD) DVD/CD 25 Mr. Poe & Friends Discuss Family Reunion After Deployment (DVD) DVD/CD 26 Military Youth Coping with Separation: When Family Members Deploy (DVD) DVD/CD 27 Help From Home – Deployment Support for Military Service Members and Families (CD) DVD/CD 28 Taking Charge of your Money (CD) DVD/CD 29 Young Children on the Home Front: Family Stories, Family Strengths (CD) DVD/CD 30 6O Minutes to a Better You (CD) DVD/CD 31 Growing Stronger through Change DVD/CD 32 DOD Special Needs Parent Tool Kit (CD) DVD/CD 33 Being Bullied (DVD) DVD/CD 34 Surviving Due Process (DVD) DVD/CD 35 Straight Talk for Kids (DVD) DVD/CD 36 Wright Law – Special Education Law (CD) DVD/CD 37 I’m Tyler (DVD) DVD/CD 38 With You all the Way (CD) DVD/CD 39 Out-Erobics (DVD) DVD/CD 40 Military OneSource: You name it. We can help. DVD/CD 41 Home Teach Kit One Emotions and Moods EM 2 When My Worries Get Too Big Epilepsy EPI 1 My Mommy has Epilepsy EPI 2 Taking Seizure Dosorders to School EPI 3 Children with Seizures EPI 4 Becky the Brave EPI 5 Children with Epilepsy Health Care Issues HCI 1 Parenting Children with Health Issues HCI 2 Managing Migraines HCI 3 When Young Children are Injured HCI 4 When Your Child is Seriously Injured HCI 5 When your Child Goes Back to School After an Injury HCI 6 Taking Charge: Overcoming the Challenges of Long-Term Illness HCI 7 Healthier at Home: The Proven Guide to Self-Care and Being a Wise Health Consumer HCI 8 Raising and Emotionally Health Child When a Parent Gets Sick HCI 9 Your Child and Health Care HCI 10 Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie IEP’s IEP 1 Better IEP’s: How to Develop Legally Correct and Educationally Useful Programs IEP 2 Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives IEP 3 IEP and Inclusion Tips for Parents and Teachers IEP 4 Creating a “Win-Win IEP” for Students with Autism IEP 5 Better IEP Meetings Everyone Wins IEP 6 Hopes and Dreams: An IEP Guide for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders IEP 8 Nolo The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child IEP 9 How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up?: Quality Indicators for Effective Service Delivery IEP 10 All About IEPs Legal and Long Term Care Issues LEG/LTC 1 Special Needs Trusts: Protect your Child’s Financial Future LEG/LTC 3 Legal Rights of the Catastrophically III and Injured: A Family Guide LEG/LTC 4 Planning for the Future LEG/LTC 5 Special Education Law-Second Edition LEG/LTC 6 Understanding Special Education Mental Health & Bipolar Disorder MH/BI 1 Love is Never Enough MH/BI 2 Helping Someone with Mental Illness MH/BI 3 Practitioner’s Guide to Treating Fear & Anxiety in Children & Adolescents: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach MH/BI 4 Feeling Good – 100 Ways to Feel Better Every Day MH/BI 5 Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder MH/BI 6 It’s Not about the Weight: Attacking Eating Disorders from the Inside Out MH/BI 7 The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide MH/BI 8 Adolescent Depression: A Guide for Parents MH/BI 9 Clinician’s Guide to Mind Over Mood MH/BI 10 The Bipolar Child MH/BI 11 What Works for Bipolar Kids MH/BI 12 Facts to Relax By MH/BI 13 The Self-Help Source Book MH/BI 14 The Secret Life of Bees MH/BI 15 A Balanced Life: 9 Strategies for Coping with the Mental Health Problems of a Loved One Neuromuscular Disorders & Cerebral Palsy ND/CP 1 Raising a Child with a Neuromuscular Disorder ND/CP 3 Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Parent’s Guide ND/CP 4 Cerebral Palsy: A Complete Guide for Caregiving Parenting PAR 1 Nurturing the Families of the World PAR 2 Raising G Rated Kids in an R Rated World PAR 4 A Parent’s Guide to Building Resilience in Children and Teens Parent & Sibling Issues in Families with a Special Needs Child SIB/PAR 1 It Isn’t Fair!: Siblings of Children with Disabilities SIB/PAR 2 Married with Special-Needs Children SIB/PAR 3 The Sibling Slam Book SIB/PAR 4 Living with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs SIB/PAR 5 Views from Our Shoes: Growing up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs SIB/PAR 6 Chart Your Course: Preparing for the Journey Preemies & Early Intervention PREM 1 The Early Intervention Dictionary PREM 2 Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child: The Emotional Journey PREM 3 The Secret of the Baby Whisper PREM 4 Meeting Early Intervention Challenges: Issues from Birth to Three PREM 5 Preemies: the Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies PREM 6 The Preemie Parents’ Companion PREM 7 In Time and with Love: Caring for the Special Needs Baby Resources & Guides on Special Needs RG/SN 3 Common Psychological Disorders in Young Children RG/SN 4 Assessment of Children & Youth with Special Needs RG/SN 5 You, Your Child, and “Special” Education: A Guide to Making the System Work RG/SN 6 Childhood Behaviors Disorders-V RG/SN 7 Managing Chronic Health Needs in Chid Care and Schools RG/SN 8 Off to School – Parent-Eye View of the Kindergarten Year RG/SN 10 Writing Soap Notes with Client Management Formats RG/SN 11 A Reader’s Guide for Parents of Children with Mental, Physical, or Emotional Disabilities RG/SN 12 Nolo’s Guide to Social Security Disability: Getting and Keeping Your Benefits RG/SN 15 Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry RG/SN 17 Case Managemnt Practice RG/SN 18 Computer Resources for People with Disabilities RG/SN 19 Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s School RG/SN 20 Caring for Our Children National Health and Safety Performance Standards RG/SN 21 DSM-IV Training Guide for Diagnosis of Childhood Disorders Schizophrenia SCH 1 Schizophrenia: Questions and Answers Special Needs Advocacy SN/ADV 1 From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide SN/ADV 2 Special Needs Advocacy Resource Book Special Need Children SNC 1 Raising a Child Who Has a Physical Disability SNC 2 Negotiating the Special Education Maze: A Guide for Parents and Teachers SNC 3 Soaring in the Storm SNC 4 Steps to Independence SNC 5 The Elephant in the Playroom SNC 6 Arnie and the New Kid SNC 7 A Parent’s Guide to Developmental Delays SNC 9 A Different Kind of Perfect SNC 10 Growing with Your Learning-Disabled Child SNC 11 The Survival Guide for Kids with LD SNC 12 Shut Up About… Your Perfect Kid!: the Movement of “Imperfection” SNC 13 Young Children with Special Needs: Birth through Age Eight SNC 14 The Child with Special Needs SNC 15 A Walk in the Rain with a Brain SNC 16 Different Dads SNC 17 Does a Disabled Child = A Disabled Family? SNC 18 School Success for Children with Special Needs SNC 19 In Jesse’s Shoes – Appreciating kids with special needs SNC 20 The Special Needs Planning Guide: How to Prepare for Every Stage of your Child’s Life SNC 21 My Buddy SNC 22 It’s Okay to be Different SNC 23 When the Labels Don’t Fit SNC 24 My Sister’s Special SNC 25 The Special Child: A Source Book for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities SNC 26 All Kinds of Friends, Even Green! SNC 27 After the Tears SNC 28 Promoting Social Success: A Curriculum for Children with Special Needs SNC 29 Special Parent, Special Child SVC 30 Don’t Call Me Special SNC 32 Little Children Big Needs SNC 33 Building a Joyful Life with Your Child Who Has Special Needs SNC 34 Susan Laughs SNC 35 Yoga for the Special Child SNC 36 Abuse and Neglect of Children with Disabilities SNC 37 More Than a Mom: Living a Full Life When Your Child has Special Needs SNC 38 Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs Tourette Syndrome TS 1 Children with Tourette Syndrome: A Parent’s Guide TS 2 Jerk California Materials can be checked out via the EFMP office for three weeks. Overdue notices will be sent first to the user’s email. A notice for long-overdue materials will be sent to the military sponsor’s commanding officer. Revised 4/2016