Program supports families with exceptional needs Published Oct. 24, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Preston Webb 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs RAF MILDENHALL, England -- The 100th Force Support Squadron is scheduled to host several Exceptional Family Member Program events on RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath. The EFMP offers support to families of active-duty Airmen in which one or more family members have an exceptional medical or educational need. "The EFMP is a comprehensive system providing support to families, making sure their needs are met," said Kathy Nguyen, 48th Medical Group special needs coordinator from Washington, D.C. "My job is to relieve stress by acting as a conduit between families and the complex medical system they face." Support provided by the program includes ensuring the individual medical needs of each member are met, relocation assistance, answering questions or concerns regarding accommodating needs during permanent changes of station; one-on-one consultations; military-child education support, ensuring the educational needs of EFMP children are met; support groups, where families can share information, training and encouragement with one another; and recreational activities providing families with the opportunity to socialize and enjoy themselves. To some families the sheer amount of needs to be met and services available from separate agencies may seem daunting, however the EFMP-Family Support office and Elisabeth Leath, 100th FSS EFMP-FS specialist from Canfield, Ohio, offers Team Mildenhall families relief from needing to coordinate their support alone. "Family support offers a single source, embedded in the Airman and Family Readiness Center, for families to be referred to that can connect them to other services, such as medical or other helping agencies, they may need," Leath said. Working in family support, Leath has found many struggling families opt out of standard recreation and sink into seclusion because of the stress of planning activities, or want to avoid unpleasant incidents and outbursts. To help families with exceptional family members stay involved in the community, Leath has organized several events such as family skate nights, bowling nights, sensory-friendly movie viewings and even music lessons. "It's important for families to know they're not alone and there are other families that have been through the same thing or learn of services used by another family they wouldn't have known about otherwise," Leath said. "They may also find out about off-base resources they might not have found because they don't travel as much as some of the other families." Events are open to EFMP members, Department of Defense civilians and contractors with special-needs family members. Scheduled events include: · Native-American flute lessons from 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28, 2014, at the Bob Hope Community Center on RAF Mildenhall. · Family Skate Night from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 18, 2014, at the Page Community Activities Center on RAF Lakenheath. · Parents of Awesome Kids Meetup from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month, in Room A at the RAF Lakenheath Chapel. For more information or to sign up for an event, contact the A&FRC at DSN 238-3406 or commercial at 01638 543406.