Preparing for a PCS move with special needs family members

At some point in their career, most servicemembers are likely to experience a permanent change of station (PCS) move, taking them and their families either to another part of the country or another part of the world.

The experience can turn life upside-down not only for the active military member, but especially for family members. The situation can result in even more concerns when a member of the family has special needs.

For servicemembers concerned that the military would not consider their family’s needs and requirements, they can rest assured that those concerns are not taken lightly when PCS assignments are declared.

“If you are assigned a place that is remote and doesn’t have the care required, the government or the military may exclude you from going to that because you’re not able to take care of the (family member),” says Michael J. Meese, president of the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA), a nonprofit financial solutions provider for military families, and a 32-year veteran of the United States Army who retired at the rank of Brigadier General.

When a servicemember is assigned a new post, two of the first steps he or she should take according to Meese is to let the military know of a potential situation involving a family member who needs special education needs, care or medical treatment during their time in the new location. They should also have their current healthcare provider check with peers at the new location to ensure that proper care is available for the spouse or child that needs it.

Family of servicemembers who require special needs can enroll in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) which helps provide the support for managing care and services.

“It’s really important to be upfront with the military to make the best decision overall, because the military doesn’t want you to go somewhere where you’re worried about your spouse or child needing appropriate care,” Meese said. “They’re far better off having you go to a place where you know your spouse or child is getting the appropriate care.”

According to the website MilitaryOneSource, EFMP provides family support with referrals and case-management, coordinates enrollment in the program and also coordinates assignments while ensuring that medical and educational needs are met.

“The exceptional family member policy ranges for everything from family members needing wheelchairs, who are dyslexic, needing an individualized educational program, any issues,” Meese said. “The support overseas for most departments is really good, but they may or may not have specialized capabilities to be able to take care of some particular needs.”

Making sure the family is comfortable making a PCS is important for servicemembers and it’s especially important that special needs family members are comfortable in their new surroundings.

As a veteran of about a dozen PCS moves during his military career, Meese encourages servicemembers to take leave to get family settled and comfortable before starting a new assignment.

“A huge advantage of the military is they get 30 days of leave every year,” Meese said. “Don’t shorten yourself or your family with leave. I left Germany (on a PCS) on a Thursday and started working my next job the following Monday. That’s not the way you should do it. I should have taken time to make sure that my family was settled in.”

One more important step when making a PCS with special needs family members is to confirm that all insurance needs are met. Investing in a modest term-life insurance policy is worth considering in case of an emergency, Meese said.

“They may need additional insurance (to what’s offered from the military),” Meese said. “If the spouse doesn’t have their own insurance, they may need some additional insurance if something were to happen to them, because being able to take care of special needs children is obviously a very expensive thing to do.”