Your free guide to EFMP services, entertainment and educational opportunities on Joint Base Lewis-McChord
EFMP News
Exceptional Family Member Program
February 2018
Special Olympics of WA on JBLM Page 5
Upcoming Events
Family Fun Ideas
Pages 2-3
FR
EE
Page 4
2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400
253-967-7166
1
In this issue: Upcoming Events, pg. 2-3 Family Fun, pg. 4 Special Olympics on JBLM, pg. 5 Birth-to-Three Services, pg. 6 Community Support Groups, pg. 6 EFMP Enrollment Process, pg. 6 Resources, pg. 7 EFMP Spotlight, pg. 8
February
IEP/504 Clinics
Will be held on Thu., Feb. 8. Registration is thru https://jblmefmp-iep-504-clinics.eventbrite. com. These will be one-on-one sessions with Families with either EFMP or PAVE. Available times are 0900, 1000, 1100, and 1200.
Hands on Children’s Museum
Directorate of Personnel & Family Readiness
Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) (253) 967-7166 2140 Liggett Ave., Waller Hall, Rm. 400 JBLM-Lewis Main usarmy.jblm.imcom.list.dfmwr-acsexceptional-Family-member@mail.mil
EFMP Staff Members:
Nancy Dozier: Lynn Shick: Carol Watrous: Megan O’Day: Terry Giles: Anthony Buggage:
253-967-3464 253-967-9837 253-967-9705 253-968-7913 253-968-7923 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 • February 2018
(Free) on Fri., Feb. 2, 5-9 p.m. February is Dental Health Month. Learn about the importance of dental hygiene through fun & interactive exhibits and activities, get a free dental screening, meet Wonder Women (5:30-8 p.m.), and explore the Puget Sound Dental Office Exhibit. Located at 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia. Call (360) 956-0818 or go to www. hocm.org for details.
Parenting with Candyce Bollinger - Sibling Relationships
Special Morning of Play at Hands on Children’s Museum
Sun., Feb. 11, 9-11 a.m. A morning that provides special needs children a time to enjoy the museum. $7/person (2+ years). 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia. No registration required. (360) 956-0818 or go to www.hocm.org for details.
PowerParenting – Emotional Intelligence: Who’s Got it, How to Develop it, and Why You Want it
Tues., Feb. 13, 6-8 p.m., Hands on Children’s Museum, Olympia. To find out more go to www.hocm. org or to register call (360) 9560818 ext. 103. Pre-registration is required. No fee.
Tue., Feb. 6, 6-8 p.m., Hands on Children’s Museum in Olympia. To find out more go to www. hocm.org or to register call (360) 956-0818 ext. 103. Preregistration is required. $25 per Family/per session (up to 2 adults and 4 children). Day-of cost: $30.
EFMP Parent’s Connect
STAR Center Indoor Movie
Social Group, Fri., Feb. 23, 6:307:30 p.m., Young Men’s and Young Ladies Bowling Night @ Narrows Plaza Bowl. Bring money for game, shoe rental and food. For ages 14-18 on the Autism Spectrum. RSVP required at (253) 722-9679 or Sjackson@wapave.org.
Fri., Feb. 9, 7-9 p.m., STAR Center on 3873 S. 66th St., Tacoma. Bring blankets, pillows or low chairs to relax on. Movie will be shown on a big screen. Admission is free. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Call (253) 404-3939 for information.
Social Group. Join us Wed., Feb. 21, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at JBLM CARES, 6993 Jackson Ave. Open to all EFMP Families. No reservations necessary. Free CYS hourly child care vouchers.
PURPAS Social Group
Events.. Club Pierce
A program for young adults ages 20-30 who have special needs, meets on Fri. in Lakewood and on Wed. in Puyallup. Includes crafts, sports, cooking & other activities. Cost is $25-30/day. Call Jen at (253) 798-2997 to pre-register (must preregister to attend.)
Tuesday Play Days for Children with Special Needs
Pierce County Companionship
“Designed to provide fully inclusive recreation and leisure opportunities for individuals with special needs and their families. Their goal is to assist the participants in finding and maintaining strong friendships while playing and trying new activities”. Please visit http:// www.piercecountywa.org/1460/ Companionship-Program or call (253) 798-4148 for more information.
SAVE the DATE: EFMP Unbirthday Party
Mar. 9. Join us for a very merry unbirthday to you! Registration will be required thru jblm-efmpunbirthday-2018.eventbrite.com and opens on Feb. 26.
10-11:30 a.m. (Closed after 11:30 a.m.), Children’s Museum of Tacoma, 1501 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma. Call (253) 627-6031 or go to www.playtacoma.org/ for details.
Dads Move - Tacoma Dads Meeting 2nd Wed. monthly, 6-8 p.m. at TACID (Tacoma). For details contact nrascon@dadsmove.org, www.dadsmove.org, 253-5659000 or visit www.tacid.org.
EFMP News is an authorized unofficial community information source published for members of the Joint Base LewisMcChord 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 Directorate of Personnel & Family Readiness 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: 4000. Send submissions to: usarmy.jblm.imcom.list.dfmwr-acsexceptional-Family-member@mail.mil
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.
Play to Learn (Free)
Collaborative playgroups for Families and children to age 5. Parents must stay at the center with their children. Two locations: Escape Zone, 841 Fairway Rd., (McChord Field), Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (253982-8590/2695) and Raindrops & Rainbows, 8197 American Lake Ave. (Lewis North), Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. (253-966-4802).
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
253-967-7166
3
Family Fun & Travel 1
Kids ‘n’ Critters at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Eatonville, Feb. 17-19 from 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., free admission for up to 4 children with each paying adult on President’s Day Weekend. For more information go to www. nwtrek.org. Ride a tram through their 435-acre Free-Roaming Area to spy moose and bison. All tram rides are only 30 minutes long this weekend – the ideal kidfriendly length! Armed Forces Vacation Club, www.afvc.com, offers all eligible members of the U.S. military vacations at an affordable
2
4
EFMP News • February 2018
price. This is a “space available” program that offers military and other DoD-affiliated personnel the opportunity to visit some great locations at a fraction of the price ($369 USD per unit, per week). Our installation code is 212. FREE Annual Pass for U.S. Military: Active Duty Service members can get a free annual pass to all national parks and monuments if a military ID card is presented. Go to https://www.nps.gov/ planyourvisit/passes.htm for more information. This is an $80 value and is good for more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. The cost of a single vehicle fee to Mount Rainier National Park is $25.
3
4
Planning on traveling? Check out www.dodlodging.com and www.navygetaways.com to see if military lodging is available. There are several Navy Lodges in Washington (Everett and Whidbey Island for example) that make for a good home base to explore the surrounding areas. There is also lodging in California and Hawaii. Another resource is www. navylifepnw.com which provides information on Pacific Beach. There are fully furnished three, four and five-bedroom cottages not to mention a hotel with affordable suites. They also have RV sites and tent camping sites.
5
Special Olympics of Washington -SOWA- on JBLM Aquatics
Track & Field
SOWA Aquatics (not swim lessons): Registration is from Feb. 1 – Mar. 5. A Parent Meeting will be held on Mar. 9. Practices begin Mar. 13 and end Apr. 21. Practice location is Soldier’s Field House Pool.
Soccer Skills
SOWA Soccer Skills (no team, skills only): Registration is Feb. 1 – Mar. 19. A Parent Meeting will be held on Mar. 23. Practices begin Mar. 27 and end May 6. Practice location is Cowan Stadium.
SOWA Athletics (Track & Field): Registration is Feb. 1 – Mar. 12. A Parent Meeting will be held on Mar. 16. Practices begin Mar. 20 and end Apr. 28. Practice location is Cowan Stadium.
All sports are for ages 8-18 and cost $50. For more information or if you have questions please contact Ms. Genia Stewart, JBLM CYS Youth Sports Program Associate, at 253-967-2405.
2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400
253-967-7166
5
Birth To Three Early Intervention Programs
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 various support groups, events and clubs in Olympia and Pierce County for Families with special needs. For details or to RSVP visit www.exceptionalFamilies.org/ events.html. Text EFN to 22828 to join mailing list. Events include: Coffee & Chat, Held in Puyallup, Lakewood, Gig Harbor, Federal Way and Sumner/Bonney Lake. Special Families of Puget Sound (SFPS) Groups: Gig Harbor, Olympia, Renton, Seattle, & Tacoma. Curiosity Club, 3rd Sun., 1 p.m. Kids (ages 2-8) will make a creation & receive a book of the month. Getting Loopy Yarn Club, 3rd Sun., 2 p.m. – Learn how to knit/ crochet. Supplies available, and all ages welcome. Registration required. Beading Club, 3rd Sun., 3 p.m. B.B.C. Sci-Fi Appreciation Club, 3rd Sun., 3 p.m. Bowties, Browncoats & Changelings! Discuss Doctor Who and all things geektastic. Parent Advisory Council, 4th Tue., 6:30 p.m. – Lend your voice, ideas and input about the EFN nonprofit’s services, events & more. Words & Whine Book Club, last Fri. at 6 p.m. Discuss the EFN current book selection and chat with other parents. 6
EFMP News • February 2018
EFMP Enrollment Process 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), 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.
PAVE (Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment) PAVE has various support groups meetings and activities throughout Army — Submit your completed enrollthe month (see below). Visit www. ment forms to the EFMP office located in wapave.org for more information. the Madigan Nursing Tower, on the first Contact Susan Jackson at 800-572- floor, left side, just past the chapel, room 7368 or sjackson@wapave.org for 1-28-17. For questions regarding enrollment or overseas screenings, please call PURPAS. 253-968-1370/4355. PURPAS, Support group for young adults with high functioning Air Force — Submit your completed enrollment forms to the SNC office 62nd autism and their Families. Medical Clinic, first floor of Airman’s Meetings several times a month. Clinic Bioenvironmental hallway, second/ Contact Doreen VanderVort at 800- third office on left. For a PCS screen572-7368, dvandervort@wapave.org ing or for questions call TSgt Katherine for the groups listed below: Cummins at 253-982-3350. Lois Fisher CIP, Community Inclusion is the Special Needs Coordinator at Program of Pierce County, Three 253-982-5568. Open Monday, Tuesday, monthly meetings in various Pierce Friday 0800-1530; Wednesday 0800-1100. County locations. Closed 2nd Tuesday 1200 – 1530; Closed on Thursday. For Air Force Respite Care, CIE, Community Inclusion for contact AFCS-McChord at 253-982-2695. Everyone, Meetings in Thurston, Kitsap and more counties. EFMP Family Support Services Parent to Parent Support Groups: 2140 Liggett Ave., Waller Hall, Room 400, JBLM-Lewis Main; Coffee or Tea with P2P 552 Barnes Blvd., AFCS-McChord, JBLMMeets in Puyallup, Gig Harbor, McChord Field. and Tacoma; for parents of children with disabilities or special Installation & local resources & services, healthcare needs. Housing & school issues, IEP/504 Mom’s Night Out Down plans, Advocacy, Support groups, Syndrome Support Group Monthly newsletter, Special Needs 2nd Fri. of the month, 6:30 p.m. Accommodation Process and Systems (Dads welcome!) Navigation (case management) are available for all Service members and their Families.
for military members and their Families
ONLINE TOOLS
Individuals with Disabilities Acommonvoice.org (Classes, Parent Support Groups) Addresources.org (ADD/ADHD) Autismnow.org www.autismsocietyofwa.org www.autismspeaks.org www.dsb.wa.gov/ (WA State Dept. of Services for the Blind) Downsyndromecommunity.org Exceptional-families.org www.featwa.org (Families for Effective Autism Treatment) www.gluten.org/ (Gluten Intolerance Group) Hsdc.org (Hearing, Speech and Deaf Center) www.informingfamilies.org www.lupus.org/pacificnorthwest www.nwsicklecell.org (Northwest Sickle Cell Collaborative) www.operationautismonline.org/ (A Resource Guide for Military Families) www.Pc2online.org (PC2 for Developmental Disabilities) Piercecountywa.org/companionship (Pierce County Parks & Recreation) TACID.org (Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities) Thecpnetwork.org (Cerebral Palsy) Wapave.org (Support Groups & Advocacy) www.washington.edu/doit/ (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Wrightslaw.com (Special Education & Advocacy)
Children’s Services Usa.childcareaware.org (ChildCare Aware of America) Nmfa.org (National Military Family Association) Psesd.org (Puget Sound Educational Service District) Ssp2p.org (South Sound Parent to Parent) Family Assistance Cdc.gov/ncbddd/index.html (National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities) Efoodnet.org (Pierce County Food Banks) Metroparkstacoma.org/specialized MilitaryOneSource.mil MyTricare.com www.sos.wa.gov/library/livingwell/ (Living Well in WA Resource Guide) Ssa.gov (Social Security) www.tricare.mil
2140 Liggett Ave., Room 400
253-967-7166
7
Resources
EFMP SPOTLIGHT Friends & Family Fun at JBLM MWR Facilities
S
amuel Adams Brewhouse at Eagles Pride Golf Course, located
off I-5, Exit 116, (253) 9642789. They serve Breakfast, Photo credit: JBLM MWR, Patti Jeffrey Lunch and Dinner on Thurs.Mon. They are closed on Tues. and Wed. This is a great place to meet your friends off post. ttp://www.jblmmwr.com/eagles_ pride/sam_adams/index.html
h
S
ounders Lane Family Fun Center, 737 Jackson Blvd.,
McChord Field, (253) 982-5954. There is an Indoor Playground, Lazer Maze (fee) and of course, 12 lanes of bowling. The Strike Zone offers a menu full of favorites. ttp://www.jblmmwr.com/ bowling_m.html
h
Photo credit: JBLM PAO
Facebook.com/EFMPJBLM Facebook.com/JBLMAFCS We’d appreciate your feedback! https://ice.disa.mil/index.cfm?fa=card&sp=1 03877&s=957&dep=*DoD&sc=6
8
EFMP News • February 2018
Facebook.com/JBLMMWR Facebook.com/JBLMcys