Navigating the Exceptional Family Member Program: A Spouse’s Journey to Advocate for Her Daughter and Other Navy Families

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) can often be overwhelming and challenging to navigate. Join us for today’s episode as we chat with Michelle Norman, mother of a 19-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy and 21 other disabilities. After years of successfully advocating and winning multiple legal cases to ensure her daughter receives the minimum education required by law, she was contacted by military families across the country dealing with similar problems in public schools. Out of her passion for advocating, she launched Partners in PROMISE to ensure no other military family had to experience what they did so that their family could receive the support it needed.

Show Links:

• www.thepromiseact.org
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/partners-in-promise/
• https://www.facebook.com/PartnersinPROMISE
• https://www.instagram.com/partnersinpromise/
• https://www.facebook.com/MichelleNormanMSOY/
• https://twitter.com/PartnersinPROM1

Show Takeaways:

• There is no bigger advocate for your family than you.
• The Exceptional Family Member Program can be a challenging system that many Navy families struggle to understand.
• Partners in PROMISE can help you navigate the system and advocate for the best resources for you and your family.
• Supporting EFMP families can simply be showing up with a listening ear, a nonjudgmental attitude, and a willingness to help where needed.