Two Nationwide Resources to share with Military Families

University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs

Parent centers already refer families to UCEDDs and LEND programs or otherwise have relationships with them, serving on advisory boards and collaborating on partnerships. Here are three reasons for specifically informing military families about these programs and suggestions for outreach:

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Branch Resources with Handouts

Handouts can be branded with your Parent Center’s logo, contact information, edited for state specifics, etc.  Download the handouts directly from each article in the website.

Relocation for Military Families-PCS

Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)

Medicaid: Referring Families to Supports and Services

Help for Grandparents and Other Temporary Caregivers

Post-High School Transition Resource for Military Families

Scholarships Financial Resources for Military and Non Military Youth with Disabilities

16 Financial Resources for Military Families

Help Military Families Prepare Their Child’s School for Deployment

Resolve School Issues with the Interstate Compact

Help Decide the Course of Medical Research-Benefits for Your Center and Families You Serve

The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRPs) relies on medical consumers, their families, and caregivers to provide direction on which research is most likely to benefit people like themselves. Parent center staff and volunteers, military-connected family members and civilian family members may be eligible to join review panels that decide which research on their disease, injury or condition will get funding from Congress. According to previous participants, it’s an amazing way to help others in similar situations.

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Frequently Asked Questions-Answers from the Branch

Many parent center staff, even those who often work with military-connected families, contact the Branch team with questions about how things work in the military system.

Here are some examples of questions we’ve received—you may have similar questions. While you are  free to contact us, many answers can be found in the resources on our website, such as the resources listed below.  You can also find answers by going to branchta.org and entering the topic in the search area.

K-12 and Post-Secondary

  • “A military family I’m helping is having difficulty getting their child’s records transferred-who can they talk to?”
  • “The new school is insisting the student take an alternate exit exam due to her disability, which will prevent her from getting a regular diploma. The family is active duty military—is there anything to help?”
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Region A Military Installations and Contacts

The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included

Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state. 

  1.  To open the map, click on the open square icon, which is in the upper right corner of each mini-map on this page.
  2. In the open map you can click on a colored icon for contact information, or use the side list. You can also drag the map along on this page by placing the cursor on the map and moving the cursor when it becomes a hand.
  3. For just the list of installations and contacts, click on the list icon at the top left of the mini-map. If it says something like “and 55 more”, click on that phrase to open the entire list.
  4. When the list opens, select the installation or contact you want; information opens in a new box.
  5. The map and list use Google Maps for you to get directions.
screenshot of part of a map illustrating the text directions
Example mini-map

The map icons represent  military locations and the yellow stars are Parent Centers. The key above the maps shows how the icons are color coded by branch. Air Force is dark blue, Army is green, Marine Corps is red, Coast Guard is light blue and the Navy is battleship gray.

Map Key-dark blue is Air Force, green is Army, light blue is Coast Guard, Red is Marine Corps, gray is Navy
Map Icon Key

Download map information as a Word docx.:

Connecticut      Delaware      District of Columbia     Maine     Maryland     Massachusetts     New Hampshire

New Jersey     New York     Pennsylvania     Puerto Rico      Rhode Island     US Virgin Islands      Vermont  

Alex’s Education Journey: Reflections & Tips by a Military Connected Youth with Disabilities

Alex is a young man who considers himself a “military brat”; he grew up in an Air Force family. He’s also one of the Branch’s military-connected consultants who help us with research, writing, and their lived experiences in the military community. Alex is an individual living with a disability which did not significantly affect his education.

Here is Alex’s education journey:

Continue reading “Alex’s Education Journey: Reflections & Tips by a Military Connected Youth with Disabilities”

Scholarships! Financial Resources for Military and Non-military Youth with Disabilities

A college education can be extremely expensive, and debt from student loans can impact students and their families for years. Military parents may have financial challenges paying for college as military salaries and benefits don’t always stretch to cover today’s higher education costs. Earning scholarships is an excellent way to lower future monthly payments; some scholarship awards completely cover annual college expenses!

Below are two resources: scholarships for military-connected youth, and scholarships for youth with disabilities. The lists include awards for two- and four-year undergraduate degrees, graduate studies and vocational programs. All scholarships are national in scope; a few are international. Youth and their families may find scholarships that fit their needs or inspiration for a further search. Parent centers:  feel free to select and share the most relevant scholarships for the families you serve. These lists are great for youth outreach, email campaigns, social media, workshops, support groups, resource fairs and newsletters.

Region C Military Installations and Contacts

The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.

Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state. 

  1.  To open the map, click on the open square icon, which is in the upper right corner of each mini-map on this page.
  2. In the open map you can click on a colored icon for contact information, or use the side list. You can also drag the map along on this page by placing the cursor on the map and moving the cursor when it becomes a hand.
  3. For just the list of installations and contacts, click on the list icon at the top left of the mini-map. If it says something like “and 55 more”, click on that phrase to open the entire list.
  4. When the list opens, select the installation or contact you want; information opens in a new box.
  5. The map and list use Google Maps for you to get directions.
screenshot of part of a map illustrating the text directions
Example mini-map

Download map information as a Word .docx:

Illinois     Indiana     Iowa     Kansas     Kentucky     Michigan     Minnesota     Missouri     Montana     Nebraska     North Dakota     Ohio     South Dakota     Wisconsin     West Virginia     Wyoming

 

Region D Military Installations and Contacts

The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.

Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state. 

  1.  To open the map, click on the open square icon, which is in the upper right corner of each mini-map on this page.
  2. In the open map you can click on a colored icon for contact information, or use the side list. You can also drag the map along on this page by placing the cursor on the map and moving the cursor when it becomes a hand.
  3. For just the list of installations and contacts, click on the list icon at the top left of the mini-map. If it says something like “and 55 more”, click on that phrase to open the entire list.
  4. When the list opens, select the installation or contact you want; information opens in a new box.
  5. The map and list use Google Maps for you to get directions.
screenshot of part of a map illustrating the text directions
Example mini-map

Download map information as a Word .docx:

Arizona     Alaska     California     Colorado          Hawaii     Idaho       New Mexico     Nevada     Oregon     PACIFIC BASIN     Utah     Washington

 

 

 

 

Region B Military Installations and Contacts

The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.

Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state. 

  1.  To open the map, click on the open square icon, which is in the upper right corner of each mini-map on this page.
  2. In the open map you can click on a colored icon for contact information, or use the side list. You can also drag the map along on this page by placing the cursor on the map and moving the cursor when it becomes a hand.
  3. For just the list of installations and contacts, click on the list icon at the top left of the mini-map. If it says something like “and 55 more”, click on that phrase to open the entire list.
  4. When the list opens, select the installation or contact you want; information opens in a new box.
  5. The map and list use Google Maps for you to get directions.
screenshot of part of a map illustrating the text directions
Example mini-map

Download map information as a Word .docx:

Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas