EFMP News/April 2016

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

EFMP News

Exceptional Family Member Program

Pages 4-5

Upcoming Events

Pages 2-3

EE

Page 10

Special Olympics Upcoming Events Basketball Tournament Pages 2-3

FR

Tricare ABA Changes

April 2016

2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400

253-967-9704/9705

1

In this issue: Upcoming Events, pg. 2-3 Special Olympics Basketball, pg. 4-5 Tricare ABA Changes, pg. 6 Birth-to-Three Services, pg. 7 Community Support Groups, pg. 7 EFMP Enrollment Process, pg. 7 Resources, pg. 8-9 EFMP Spotlight, pg. 10

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

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

2140 Liggett Ave., Waller Hall, Rm. 400 JBLM-Lewis Main usarmy.jblm.imcom.list.dfmwr-acsexceptional-family-member@mail.mil

EFMP Program Manager: Mary Herrera 253-967-9704 EFMP Staff Members:

Nancy Dozier: Carol Watrous: Cheryl Hoyson: Megan O’Day: Lynn Shick: Anthony Buggage:

253-967-3464 253-967-9705 253-967-5795 253-967-9097 253-967-3451 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 questions about available services, concerns, or if you need resources or advocacy at Joint Base Lewis-McChord or in the civilian community.

2

EFMP News • April 2016

April

JBLM EFMP Family Friendly Movie

Apr. 16, 12 - 2:00 p.m., “Norm of the North” at McChord Theater.

FREE. Sensory controlled environment. Perfect for special needs and young viewers. All children must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drink are allowed in the theater. For more information contact 253-9822695.

An Introduction to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

a webinar offered on Apr. 7, 10-11 a.m., by The Johnson Center for Child Health and Development (in Texas). This diet can be beneficial for children in the autism spectrum. To register go to https://attendee. gotowebinar.com/register/5815351 4559450754?splash=false. To find out about future webinars and autism research go to http://www. johnson-center.org/webinars.

CYSS Kids Fest 2016

For Month of the Military Child, Apr. 7 1:00-4:30 p.m. at Bowl Arena Lanes and MWR Fest Tent (Liggett Ave., Lewis Main), free bowling and hands-on activities.

Kids Workshop

Home Depot 9 a.m.-12 p.m., 1st Sat. of each month. Contact local store for details.

New Sensory Storytime & Art Series

Apr. 20, May 25 and Jun. 22, 3 p.m. at the Book Patch Library, JBLM-Main. http://jblmmwr. com/other_pages/libraries/2016/ sensory.html

Play to Learn (Free)

Collaborative playgroups for family & children under 6 on Wed. Two locations: Escape Zone (McChord Field) 10-1130 a.m. and Raindrops & Rainbows (Lewis North) 1:30-3 p.m.

SKIES Registration

Visit Parent Central Services, Lewis Main and McChord Field to register for May SKIES classes. Registration for classes is the 1st through 4th Friday of the previous month. For a description of classes or to register your child, go to JBLMmwr.com and click on the yellow WebTrac button.

Hands-On Children’s Museum

Located in Olympia, has free admittance the first Friday of each month (Apr. 1 & May 6) and other activities throughout the month. Call 360-956-0818 or access www.hocm.org for details.

Penn State Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) TeleConsult Program A consulting team of mental health and educational professionals and researchers

Events..

provides free information to anyone who has questions about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), behavior intervention, and how to advocate for a child who is on the autism spectrum. Visit teleconsult.militaryfamilies. psu.edu to learn more about this program.

Metro Parks of Tacoma, Specialized Recreation

offers social groups, arts and crafts, bowling, dancing, interactive games, Special Olympics sports, week-end adventures, and much more.

Call 253-404-3950 or visit www. metroparkstacoma.org/ for more information.

Autism Awareness Month Activities & Events: Book Fair & Resource Fair

Sat., Apr. 16, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 5711 Main St. SW, Lakewood. There will be vendors who serve the local autism community, giveaways and children’s activities.

Speaks. http://seattle.mariners. mlb.com/sea/ticketing/special_ event.jsp?group=autism

WAAALK for Autism & Resource Fair

Sat., Apr. 2 at Marina Park in Kirkland. http://www. washingtonautismadvocacy.org/ updates/waaalkforautism/?pag e=CiviCRM&q=civicrm/event/ info&id=49&reset=1

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. 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

Exploration for All: Autism Early Open 2nd Sat. each month 8-10 a.m. at Pacific Science Center in Seattle. https://www.pacificsciencecenter. org/exploration-for-all

Policy: We encourage letters to the editor, but they must be signed. We will consider withholding the name of the author upon request.

Letters regarding 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 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.

Seattle Mariners Autism Awareness Day Sun., Apr. 10, 1:10 p.m. A’s vs. Mariners at Safeco Field, Seattle. Free Seattle Mariners Autism ball caps, $7 each game ticket benefits Autism

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

www.facebook.com/efmpjblm 2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400

253-967-9704/9705

3

Special Olympics Picture five kids, aged nine to twelve, with challenges to overcome like Down Syndrome or autism. Now picture these kids on a basketball court. These kids you’re picturing are Ariel

4

EFMP News • April 2016

Vitti, Brandon Newlander, Ethan Crow, AJ Pogoncheff, and Bryce Bailey. And, there was Anthony Newlander who won a silver in individual skills. This team went to the state tournament for

Special Olympics Basketball, representing the JBLM Tigers.

Competing against Renton’s own team, the Tigers took home the gold!

The night upon arriving in

s State Basketball Tournament

by Bailey Crow

Wenatchee, the kids were entertained by a parade and catered dinner at the opening ceremony. Seahawks cheerleaders and band members attended and showed

support. A red carpet was even rolled out and kids from all over the state of Washington were interviewed while walking it.

Some were in Wenatchee for skiing, others for basketball. The

opening ceremony came to a close when a special child was selected to light the torch of the Games.

The excitement was apparent on each child’s face. After an exhilarating opening ceremony the night before, the kids had been ready for this moment.

Each pass was concentration at its finest, and each shot was carefully focused. The Special Olympics does a wonderful job of ensuring the kids are rewarded no matter what. Not making a shot was okay, because a point is always awarded for simply hitting the rim. A child would cheerily shout, “That’s a point!”, whenever the basket wasn’t quite made.

Following their big win on the same day, the kids had an Olympic Village full of games, another catered dinner and a dance. There is hardly a place that separates and highlights the abilities of people more than athletic competition; but, in the Special Olympics there is an appreciation of differences and an air of acceptance. Such success and happiness in others is extremely powerful and can have a monumental impact on how a person may view the world and other people.

2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400

253-967-9704/9705

5

Autism 200 Series

A series of 90 minute classes for parents and caregivers of children with autism is offered through Seattle Children’s. They are held the third Thursday of each month at Seattle Children’s Hospital from 7-8:30 p.m. in Wright Auditorium.

They are also available through

the Seattle Children’s video and teleconferencing outreach program for viewing at various locations throughout the region. Classes that have already occurred can be viewed on the following website: http://www.seattlechildrens.org/ classes-community/classes-events/

autism-200-series/ The class for Feb. 18 is “Addressing Challenging Behavior Part 1 of 2: Use of Applied Behavior Analysis to Assess and Treat Disruptive Behavior” with Eric Boelter PhD, BCBA-D as the instructor.

ABLE Act Update

The ABLE National Resource Center (ANRC) is newly launched. For a quick snapshot to view how the ABLE act is implemented in each state and how this benefits families, please go to http://ablenrc.org/

Background: The ABLE Act

provides 529A tax-free financial

growth plans for children and adults with disabilities (You may be older than 26 but must have had a disability prior to your 26th birthday.) For the first time, eligible individuals and families will be allowed to establish ABLE savings accounts that will not affect their

eligibility for SSI, Medicaid and other public benefits. This is specific to disabilities not military service connected and should not be confused with the Disabled Military Protection Act. Implementation across all states is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.

Tricare ABA Changes

Recently, military families’ out of pocket cost shares were reduced and caps for ABA were increased. There have also been recent changes with TRICARE reimbursements to ABA providers who serve your families. This is expected to go into effect by April 2016.

How rates were determined: Current ABA

reimbursement rates were established 8 years ago based on scant analytical data. The TRICARE Autism Care

6

EFMP News • April 2016

Demonstration Project conducted four Roundtable discussions chaired by the Assistant Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for ABA providers, military pediatric physicians, ABA certification organizations, DHA personnel, and autism advocacy groups.

Then, two independent research groups thoroughly evaluated the amounts paid by commercial and government payers for ABA services. They delivered reports based on both Medicaid and commercial insurers’ ABA

reimbursement rates. TRICARE rates are primarily based on Medicare reimbursement rates. Since Medicare does not cover ABA services, a further analysis was conducted to determine the average difference between Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for a number of high-volume TRICARE mental health service codes.

The Medicaid rates were then adjusted so that the resulting rates approximate what Medicare would have paid for ABA services.

Birth To Three Early Intervention Programs

EFMP Enrollment Process

Contact the Lead Agency for your county for a referral for services.

Community Connections Early Intervention Service/Pierce Co.: 253-798-3790

South Sound Parent To Parent/Thurston County: 360-352-1126 Holly Ridge Center/Kitsap and Mason Counties: 360-373-2536 Community Health Access Program (CHAP)/King County: 206-284-0331

Community Support Groups Exceptional Families Network has two support groups and various events and clubs in Olympia and Pierce County. For information or to RSVP contact www.exceptionalfamilies.org/ events.html. Text EFN to 22828 to join mailing list. Events include: SFPS Tacoma for families with special needs, 2nd Thur., 6-8 p.m., Children’s Museum of Tacoma, 1501 Pacific Ave., Tacoma.

SFPS Olympia for families with special needs, 1st Tue., 6-8 p.m., Olympia Timberland Library.

Coffee & Chat, 2nd Mon., 10 a.m.

Family Movie and Game Night, 3rd Fri., 6:30 p.m. Games for everyone, kid-friendly movie, and popcorn by donation.

Curiosity Club with Stacy, 2nd Sat., 1 p.m. Kids (ages 2-8) will make a creation and receive a book of the month.

Park Play Date, 3rd Sat., 10 a.m. Weather permitting, let’s get outside and have some fun! RSVP required.

Getting Loopy Yarn Club, 3rd Sun., 2 p.m. Learn how to knit/ crochet or to improve. Supplies available; all ages welcome.

B.B.C. Sci-Fi Appreciation Club, 3rd Sun., 3 p.m. Bowties, Browncoats & Changelings!

Discuss Doctor Who & all things geektastic.

Parent Advisory Council, 4th Tue., 6:30 p.m. Lend your voice, ideas & input about our nonprofit’s services, events & more.

Words & Whine Book Club, Last Fri., 7 p.m. Discuss our current book selection and chat with other parents.

If 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, he or she must 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 located in the Madigan Nursing Tower, on the first floor, left side, just past the chapel, room 1-28-17. For questions regarding enrollment or overseas screenings, please call 253-968-0254/1370/4355. This office is closed on Thursdays.

PAVE (Partnerships for Action.

Voices for Empowerment.), PAVE has various support groups meetAir Force — Submit your completed ings and activities throughout the enrollment forms to the SNC office 62nd month (see below). Contact Susan Medical Clinic, first floor of Airman’s Jackson at 253-565-2266 or sjackClinic Bioenvironmental hallway, second/ son@wapave.org for information. third office on left. For a PCS screening or www.wapave.org. for questions call TSGT Michelle Sutton at 253-982-3350. Lois Fisher is the Special CIP, Community Inclusion Program of Pierce County, Three Needs Coordinator at 253-982-5568. Open monthly meetings in various Pierce Monday, Tuesday, Friday 0800-1530; Wednesday 0800-1100. Closed 2nd TuesCounty locations. day 1200 – 1530; Closed on Thursday. For Down Syndrome Moms Night Air Force Respite Care, contact AFCSOut Support Group, 2nd Fri. of McChord at 253-982-2695. the month, 6:30 p.m.

EFMP Family Support Services Pierce County Parent to Parent 2140 Liggett Ave., Waller Hall, Room 400, Spanish Speaking Support JBLM-Lewis Main; Group, 1st Tue. of the month, 6-8 552 Barnes Blvd., AFCS-McChord, JBLMp.m.

McChord Field.

PURPAS, Support group for young adults with high functioning Installation & local resources & services, autism and their families. Meetings Housing & school issues, IEP/504 plans, Advocacy, Support groups, Monthly several times a month. newsletter, Special Needs AccommodaSOS, Siblings Outside the tion Process and Systems Navigation Spectrum, Support group for (case management) are available for all teens who have a brother or sister service members and their families. with Autism, meets monthly.

2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400

253-967-9704/9705

7

ONLINE TOOLS

for military members and their Families

Individuals with Disabilities

8

EFMP News • April 2016

Informing Families www.informingfamilies.org Put together by a collaboration from Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, Developmental Disabilities Administration and others.

Includes special needs news, topics about special needs for all ages plus a language selection feature for nonEnglish speakers.

A Common Voice http://acommonvoice.org Parent education classes, support groups, counseling, 24-hour hotline for families with child/youth with behavioral and mental health care needs ADD Resources http://addresources.org ADHD support groups, directory of ADHD-friendly services & resources The Arc Autism Now/Autism Society of Washington (ASW) http://autismnow.org/local/autism-society-of-washington/ Offers news, information and resources regarding autism spectrum. Lists events, support groups and trainings Autism Speaks https://www.autimspeaks.org Funds autism research for causes and prevention, advocates for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families FEAT of Washington www.featwa.org/ Provides support & resources for families with someone on the autism spectrum; includes ABA therapy through Rising Star Academy, financial support through Ben’s Fund, social/recreational programming through Experience Learning Project and guidance and support through Family Services BioRx www.biorxhemophilia.com/company/ Provides supplies and customer service for individuals with bleeding disorders, provides advocacy and education, specialized nursing

Exceptional Families Network www.exceptionalfamilies.org Works with, supports and educates families with children who have special needs; a majority of the children have some form of autism, but all diagnoses/ disabilities are welcome Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center (HSDC) http://hsdc.org/ Western Washington service hub for clients who are deaf, hard of hearing or have communication disorders; services include preschool, American Sign Language (ASL) classes, audiology services, speech therapy, advocacy, ASL interpreting & an assistive technology store The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America www.gluten.org Includes gluten-free (GF) support groups, finding GF products/restaurants/recipes, monthly newsletter The Cerebral Palsy Network http://thecpnetwork.org/ Cerebral palsy (CP) support network, offers advocacy, mentoring and education about CP Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) www.dsb.wa.gov Job counseling and adaptive skills for individuals who are blind or have low vision, services for children and youth aged birth through high school who are blind or have low vision Washington State Resources for Parents of Children and Youth with Disabilities www.washington.edu/doit/washingtonstate-resources-parents-children-andyouth-disabilities listing of organizations and resources that are supportive of children and youth with special needs

Resources Wrights Law www.wrightslaw.com Up-to-date information on education and special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities, excellent resource for parents Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment (PAVE) http://wapave.org/ Support, training, information and advocacy for individuals with disabilities, parents & professionals Washington State Traumatic Brain Injury Council http://tbiwashington.org/ Offers information and resources related to traumatic brain injury South Sound Parent to Parent http://ssp2p.org/ Birth to Three early intervention service coordination in Thurston, South Mason & Grays Harbor counties, matches parents with volunteer mentors, offers equipment & toy loan program, recreational events, support groups, information & referral Pierce County Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (PC2) http://pc2online.org/ Parent-driven organization that provides information for families and individuals with developmental disabilities in Pierce County, WA Pierce County Companionship Program http://piercecountywa.org/companionship Through Pierce County Parks and Recreation, a recreation program for individuals with special needs and their families Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities (TACID) www.tacid.org Promotes independence of individuals with disabilities through peer support, advocacy and self-sufficiency programs; site posts events and support groups

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCVDDD) www.cdc.gov/ncbddd Provides information on research, prevention & treatment of birth defects and developmental disabilities Other Child Care Aware of America, ARMY Child Care in Your Neighborhood http://usa.childcareaware.org www.ChildCareNet.org/families/ your-search NACCRRA accredited child care that is affordable Puget Sound Educational Service District www.psesd.org One of nine regional educational agencies serving school districts and state-approved private schools in Washington; offers centralized services, pooled resources, links schools with regional, state and national educational resources, builds networks and partnerships among districts and other agencies

Military OneSource www.militaryonesource.mil Answers for military life questions including deployment, spouse employment, counseling, financial, retirement and more TRICARE West Region/United Healthcare www.uhcmilitarywest.com Verify eligibility, find claims status and information, check referral and authorization status, find forms, online enrollment available Madigan Army Medical Center, www.mamc.amedd.army.mil Clinic information, appointments, emergency & urgent care, routine/ wellness/specialty care, patient advocacy

2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400

253-967-9704/9705

9

Resources

EFMP SPOTLIGHT

Since summer camps fill up early, now is the time to start inquiring with agencies and registering for programs you are interested in.

Summer Camp Opportunities JBLM Child Youth & School Services http://jblmmwr.com/cyss_ parent_central.html Weekly summer camps are available for those who have graduated kindergarten on up.

Fees are subsidized based on household income with further discounts for multiple children.

Call 253-966-2977 to be placed on the wait list. Then go to https://webtrac.mwr.army.mil/ webtrac103/wbwsc/lewiscyms. wsc/wbsplash.html?wbp=1# and click tab right “forms”. A Special Needs Accommodation Process (SNAP) may be required.

Registration must be complete prior to enrollment.

Summer Camps and Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs Washington State Edition www.cshcn.org/ resources-contacts/ summer-campdirectory This is a searchable website that becomes available during the first week of March and may include additional camps that were submitted after the deadline for the printed directory. Or, contact the AFCS EFMP office and our staff can e-mail you a copy.

Facebook.com/EFMPJBLM Facebook.com/JBLMAFCS Facebook.com/JBLMFamilyMWR Facebook.com/JBLMcyss

W SE LE IS-McC BA H

10

EFMP News • April 2016

IC

IC

R

V

R

SE

A

JO I

RD O

T N

E

M

EM

BERS

DEFEN D

IN G

AM

E

®