Meet Colonel DJ Reyes, Springbrook’s Military Consultant
As a TRICARE certified EMF, we are happy to announce that Springbrook Residential Autism Program has a new resource for military families who are navigating the TRICARE approval process and seeking residential treatment for a child with autism.
In his role as the military consultant to Springbrook, Colonel Reyes will help our team make sure that we are doing everything we can to address the needs of military families who have a child with autism—from meeting the requirements to remain a TRICARE certified EMF to partnering with local organizations like the Ronald McDonald House to help military parents find cost-effective ways to visit their child during treatment. Through Colonel Reyes empathetic advice, the Springbrook team is better able to understand the unique needs of military families and do more to serve them.
Colonel Reyes Military Career and Family Background
Colonel Reyes joins the Springbrook team after a military career that spans over 33 years and includes tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo. Throughout his distinguished service in the military, Colonel Reyes was honored to work alongside and listen to the needs of the young men and women who serve in the U.S. Military.
In 2008, while he was deployed in Iraq, Colonel Reyes got word through his wife, Julie, that one of their triplets had been diagnosed with autism. After retiring from the military, Colonel Reyes and Julie felt led to help other military families who were struggling with similar situations. In 2013, the Reyes family founded Cuspis Vir, LLC., a firm providing military consulting and analysis to help TRICARE medical service companies better understand Department of Defense procedures and to support military families that receive specific support services.
“Julie and I chose the name Cuspis Vir for our consulting firm because it’s Latin for Point Man,” Reyes said. “On a combat patrol, the point man is the one out front, navigating, the first one to take a bullet. Ultimately, that’s our goal. We want to be point men in the fight to manage autism, making the path easier for military families by leading the way—by walking alongside these families as people who understand them, who understand the military, who have been there before.”
Consulting for Springbrook’s Autism Behavioral Health Program
As part of his consulting services through Cuspis Vir, Colonel Reyes helps Springbrook make sure that we are meeting all of the requirements necessary to remain a TRICARE certified EMF. Additionally, Colonel Reyes serves as the liaison between TRICARE representatives, the Springbrook residential autism treatment program, and military families who need services, making sure that the family’s needs are met as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.
“For a lot of companies, wading through Department of Defense procedures feels like landing on Mars, or at least like landing in a foreign country,” Reyes said. “Meanwhile, these military families are just beginning to process the strange world that comes along with an autism diagnosis; they’re out of their comfort zone. We approach this as citizens of both worlds and form an important bridge between the military requirements and the medical requirements of families with a special needs child.”
Colonel and Julie Reyes remain active in the Autism and special needs communities in their regular life as well as providing consulting services to TRICARE certified EMFs. Julie writes for Autism Speaks, is a frequent conference speaker, and serves as the Volunteer Logistics Chair of Walk Now for Autism Speaks, Tampa Bay.
In addition to supporting his wife in her efforts, Colonel Reyes works directly with the McGill Air Force Base in Tampa, supporting active duty military personnel by coordinating and co-facilitating their Exceptional Family Member Program (EMFP).
We are excited about both the wealth of knowledge and the passion that Colonel Reyes brings to his position as military consultant to Springbrook Behavioral Health.
If you are a military family seeking help with TRICARE for residential treatment for autism, call us at 864.834.8013. We are more than happy to walk you through the approval process and to make sure that your family has all the support you need during this critical time.