Did you miss AANE's conference? No problem - you can view the conference recordings!
Our two live conference days have come to an end, but you can still access the in-depth information through the recorded presentations. In addition to the video content, you will have access to the slides and handouts for each presentation along with some bonus content.
COST: $25 - Financial assistance is available. Discounted and free promo codes are available on the AANE Vimeo page by clicking the "Rent the National Benefits Recordings" button below.
Please reach out to training@aane.org if you have any questions.
Day 1 - MARCH 25: NATIONAL SESSIONS
Click the titles below to learn more about each presentation.
PLEASE NOTE: The AANE webinar: 2023 Update: How to Find Public Benefits Programs to Support Autistic Adults in Any State is a free, must-watch introduction to public support programs and acts as a guide to the information shared throughout the conference.
Becca Lory Hector, Director of Training, AANE
Becca Lory Hector is the Director of Training at AANE. She is also an openly Autistic Professional on a mission to close the disability gap in leadership by working with companies to attract and retain disabled talent. Becca was diagnosed autistic as an adult and has since become a dedicated autism and neurodiversity advocate, researcher, consultant, speaker, and author. Her work includes neurodiversity and disability consulting, autistic quality of life research, and the creation of a personal development course called “Self Defined Living: A Path to a Quality Autistic Life”.
A Conceptual Roadmap for Understanding Benefit Programs for Autistic Adults
Michele Cantara, Neurodiversity Training Specialist, AANE
This session introduces you to the "roadmap" metaphor that is used throughout this conference to orient attendees to the different types of public benefit programs available to autistic adults who do not have a diagnosis of intellectual disability. This session helps attendees navigate through the other sessions in this conference as well as their benefits journey.
Michele Cantara, AANE Neurodiversity Training Specialist is the mother of an autistic young man who is an aspiring aeronautical engineer and currently works part-time. Michele spent 35 years in the high-tech industry, and she’s been at AANE since 2016. Previously at AANE, she was Co-Director of Adult Services. Now at AANE, she applies her consulting and change management skills to webinars, conferences, community training, parent coaching, and support groups at AANE. Michele works with adults over 22 and their families and often handles questions about public benefit programs, as well as civil and criminal legal issues.
Best Practices to Follow to Qualify for Disability Benefit Programs
Moderator: Michele Cantara, AANE Neurodiversity Training Specialist
Panelists: Kate Collins-Wooley, PhD and Kevin Liebkemann, Chief Counsel Legal Services New Jersey and Blaine Brockman, Attorney, Director of Darby Legal Assistance and Carly Ott, Self-Advocate, Board Member and Chair of the Autism Society of America’s Council of Autistic Advisors
Autistic adults that don’t also have a diagnosed intellectual disability have to work with their medical providers and other treaters to craft a compelling “disability story” to meet the eligibility requirements of most public benefits programs. That story must clearly convey how their disability significantly impairs their ability to function in daily life, school, work and/or in the community.
In this panel session, agency eligibility specialists, legal professionals, and advocates outline the “dos” and “don’ts” of building and coordinating an effective “disability’ story” with your medical providers and support network.
Kate Collins-Wooley, PhD is a psychologist in private practice in Hingham, MA. For the past 22 years, she has been a medical consultant to Disability Determination Services, a division of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), which evaluates medical and vocational eligibility on behalf of Social Security. Kate has spoken widely about benefits for adults with disabilities and has written several articles for AANE on this topic. Kate currently sits on the Program/Conference Committee as well as the Strategic Planning Committee at AANE. She is the parent of an adult with ASD.
Kevin Liebkemann is Chief Counsel for Disability Rights and Veterans’ Rights at Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ), a not-for-profit company providing free legal services to people who cannot afford representation. He has represented clients in Social Security Disability claims for 25 years and currently handles an active caseload of Social Security Disability cases at the ALJ hearing level through Federal District Court. He works with other advocates who identify needs for positive policy changes for people with disabilities, and then advocates for those changes. His practice area also includes advising clients concerning disability rights, work incentive programs, and veterans’ legal issues. Kevin gives presentations on how to properly and ethically document disability for groups of physicians and other clinicians at hospitals served by LSNJ’s Legal Assistance for Medical Patients program.
Blaine Brockman is an attorney and the Director of Darby Legal Assistance, a small Ohio not for profit corporation providing public benefits advice to people who cannot afford an attorney and advocating for vulnerable elders and people with disabilities. Previously, Blaine worked as a special needs and elder law attorney, for Brockman Legal Services and for Hickman & Lowder, Co. Blaine is active with community organizations that support the elderly and people with disabilities. He is the Chair of the Board of the ARC Ohio. He is Chair of the Board of APSI (Advocacy and Protective Services, Inc.), a non-profit corporation providing guardianship services to people with developmental disabilities. He is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He is on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Coalition for Adult Protective Services.
Carly Ott, Self-Advocate, Board Member and Chair of the Autism Society of America’s Council of Autistic Advisors also serves on several committees and task forces. She was the recipient of Autism Society of America’s Volunteer of the Year in 2018 and the Bob Beggan Award for Professional Mentorship in 2020. She was the first Autistic president of the Board of Directors of Autism Society Ventura County and served in that role for six years. Upon getting her Autism diagnosis and re-entering society after years on Social Security Disability, she worked her way up from paying bills to a Senior Vice President/Business Architect for a major national bank, serving as a leader in their Neurodiversity and Disability ERG efforts. Her advocacy passion relates to women and girls with Autism, as well as working with employers to shift the culture to enable a more diverse and inclusive workplace for employees with Autism.
Can I Work and Can I Save while Receiving Benefits?
Moderator: Michele Cantara, AANE Neurodiversity Training Specialist
Panelists: Raymond A. Cebula, III, Director of YTI Online, Cornell University and Cynthia Haddad, Managing Partner Affinia Financial Group and David Goldfarb, Arc of the United States Director of Long-Term Supports and Services Policy
You can work, have savings and still qualify for Social Security, Medicaid, and other means-tested public benefit programs. This session explains:
- how income, assets, living arrangements, and in-kind support from your family affect eligibility or benefit amounts.
- Social Security Work Incentive Programs (WIP) and protections for your health insurance benefits should you lose Social Security cash benefits.
- the pros and cons of SSI vs. SSDI for those who continue to work.
- how Medicaid “Unwinding” may affect your health insurance or Waiver Services.
- the basics about ABLE accounts, and special needs trusts and how these supplement public benefits in ensuring your future.
In this session, a national expert and Social Security Disability Advocate, Financial Planner, and Disability Advocate share facts and strategies for maximizing and retaining benefits
Raymond A. Cebula, III received his J.D. from the Franklin Pierce Law Center (now the UNH Law School) in 1982. He spent a total of 23 years working with legal services providing direct representation to individuals with disabilities having legal issues with the SSA. He became part of Cornell University’s Work Incentive Support Center in 2000, and in January of 2005, Ray was brought on staff at ILR's Yang-Tan Institute on Employment & Disability where he now serves as the Program Director of YTI Online (Cornell’s Work Incentive Practitioner credentialing program). While with YTI he has provided training and technical assistance to Youth Transition Demonstration projects across the country, served as Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the NYS Medicaid Infrastructure Grant and continues to serve as a team member for the Technical Assistance Team of the National Training Center of VCU providing technical assistance benefits planners in SSA Region 1. Ray is also the President of the Board of the National Association of Benefits and Work Incentive Specialists (NABWIS)
Cynthia Haddad is a Certified Financial Planner Professional and a Chartered Special Needs Consultant. She is a founding partner and wealth advisor at Affinia Financial Group in Burlington, MA. As a financial professional and sister and advocate for her brother Ron, who has developmental disabilities, Cindy has dedicated her career to serving families like her own. She is a nationally sought-after speaker on planning for families of individuals with disabilities and co-author of the groundbreaking book, The Special Needs Planning Guide, now in its 2nd edition.
David Goldfarb is the Director of Long-Term Supports and Services Policy at the Arc of the United States. Prior to joining the Arc, David spent nearly 8 years at the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), where he oversaw NAELA's advocacy initiatives. He currently co-chairs the Disability and Aging Collaborative and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Social Security and Financial Security Task Forces. He began his public policy career as the Economic Policy Fellow for Senator Bill Nelson of Florida.
Becca Lory Hector, Director of Training, AANE
DAY 2 - MARCH 26: MA & NY SESSIONS
Click the titles below to learn more about each presentation.
Massachusetts Sessions
Michele Cantara, Neurodiversity Training Specialist, AANE
Michele Cantara, AANE Neurodiversity Training Specialist is the mother of an autistic young man who is an aspiring aeronautical engineer and currently works part-time. Michele spent 35 years in the high-tech industry, and she’s been at AANE since 2016. Previously at AANE, she was Co-Director of Adult Services. Now at AANE, she applies her consulting and change management skills to webinars, conferences, community training, parent coaching, and support groups at AANE. Michele works with adults over 22 and their families and often handles questions about public benefit programs, as well as civil and criminal legal issues.
Housing 101 - Massachusetts
Cathy Boyle, President, Autism Housing Pathways
This presentation is “Housing 101.” It introduces families and individuals to the range of Massachusetts and federal funds available to pay for housing and supportive services. Some examples are given of how these can be combined with private funding to create housing opportunities.
Cathy Boyle is the president of Autism Housing Pathways, a non-profit organization that works with people with developmental disabilities and their families to identify housing options. A commissioner of the Winchester Housing Authority, and a member of the Winchester Housing Partnership Board, she has successfully completed 60 hours of HUD housing counseling training. Cathy holds a certificate of graduate studies from UMass Boston in adapting curriculum.
Health Insurance for Autistic Adults in Massachusetts
Amy Weinstock, Director of the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health at the UMass Chan Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center
This presentation discusses healthcare coverage for adults on the spectrum. It also includes information about private Insurance, keeping a dependent on a parent’s policy, public health insurance such as Medicaid and Medicare, and how Social Security affects health insurance coverage.
Amy Weinstock is the Director of the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health at the UMass Chan Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, and an instructor in the medical school’s Department of Psychiatry. She has an extensive background on insurance issues related to autism and has played a key role in passing several significant pieces of autism insurance legislation in Massachusetts, including the groundbreaking 2010 law requiring health insurance to cover medically necessary treatment for autism.
Legal Planning & Alternatives to Guardianship in Massachusetts
Barbara Jackins, Attorney Legal Planning for Special Needs and Meredith H. Greene, Attorney, Day Pitney, LLP
We will discuss special needs trusts, choosing trustees, and naming the correct beneficiaries for life insurance policies and retirement accounts. Housing benefits and the upcoming changes to Section 8 will be explained. We will discuss the alternatives to guardianship, including health care proxies, powers of attorney, education forms, and supported decision making.
Barbara Jackins is an attorney in Lexington, MA. For over 40 years, she has been assisting people with disabilities and their families with guardianship, housing, special needs trusts, and public benefits. She has written several books on disability-related topics, most recently Legal Planning for Special Needs in Massachusetts: A Family Guide to SSI, Guardianship, and Estate Planning (2017); Managing a Special Needs Trust: A Guide for Trustees (co-author with Ken W. Shulman and Richard S. Blank, 2020), and Moving Out: A Family Guide to Residential Planning for Adults with Disabilities (co-author with Dafna Krouk-Gordon, 2013). Barbara is the parent of an adult son with special needs.
Meredith Greene advises families on special needs estate planning, guardianship, conservatorship, adult services advocacy and government benefits advocacy. She represents clients in all aspects of estate and generational wealth planning, probate matters and estate administration. Meredith develops first-party and third-party supplemental needs trusts, life insurance trusts, marital deduction trusts, wills, health care proxies, durable powers of attorney and appointments of advocate. She also performs trust reviews and serves as a professional trustee on special needs trusts. Meredith has four children, including a son with special needs. She is a member of the Special Needs Alliance and serves on the board of directors of various disability organizations. Meredith is based in Boston, MA.
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM: What’s Next? The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission’s NextGen Careers Initiative
David C. Sykes, Director of Operations for MRC
At the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), we’re in the business of possibility, and MRC’s NextGen Careers is a new initiative to help young adults with disabilities (ages 18-30) explore the world of work. NextGeners will learn to advocate for themselves, gain self-confidence, and become self-sufficient on their career path. Whether you’re interested in a certificate program, on-the-job training, apprenticeship, or an internship in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM), NextGen will pair you with a team of dedicated experts in career and benefits counseling, job placement, peer and family support that will be behind you every step of the way.
David C. Sykes is the Director of Operations for MRC’s NextGen Careers program. Prior to joining NextGen Careers, David was an Area Director for several MRC field offices. He has also served young adults bproviding mental health related services, helping youth reach their employment goals, and through teaching. David also brings prior young adult centered project management experience to NextGen Careers. His work in human services spans 23 years in state and non-profit roles, in addition to academia. David attained a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and is certified advanced graduate study in mental health counseling.
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Vocational Rehabilitation Services from the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC)
Crystal Hodgkins, Unit Supervisor for MRC
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) is all about possibility. MRC provides a variety of programs aimed to help individuals with disabilities increase their independence. The Vocational Rehabilitation Program at MRC works with individuals from the age of 16 to infinity to help them prepare for and take steps toward meaningful employment. MRC provides a number of services to individuals with disabilities who can and want to work. Committed and caring Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors are available to help individuals create their vision and carry it out. Many of our services are free to everyone who is found eligible. Free services include: counseling and guidance, information and referral, job seeking skills, tuition waiver for community colleges and State schools, job placement services, Competitive Integrated Employment Services and Pre-Employment Transition Services. Other services may be based on financial need, such as the cost for training, adaptive equipment, and needed tools/supplies. Each person found eligible, will develop an Individual Plan for Employment with their MRC counselor which will outline the steps to reach a successful employment outcome.
Crystal Hodgkins has been with MRC for 13 years. She has her Master’s of Science in Vocational Rehabilitation and carries a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor credential. She has worked in the human services industry for 31 years in various capacities including academia. Additionally, Ms. Hodgkins has multiple years in the private industry, performing duties as a teacher and human resources representative. Ms. Hodgkins also runs a small consulting business serving as an expert witness as well as assisting attorneys who work on Social Security claims.
Michele Cantara, Neurodiversity Training Specialist, AANE
Adult Autism Services from the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS)
Recorded presentation:
- AJ Cullen- Autism Program Coordinator Northeast Region
- Pamela Ferguson – Autism Program Coordinator Central West Region
- Aaron Hubley – Autism Program Coordinator Southeast Region
- Maria Stefano-Autism Program Coordinator Metro Region
This session will discuss Department of Developmental Services (DDS) eligibility criteria as well as services available for adults with autism spectrum profiles through the DDS.
The Basics of SSI/SSDI for Autistic Adults in MA
Recorded Presentation: Kate Collins-Wooley, PhD
When competitive employment is not an option, most will turn to Social Security for disability benefits -- either supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). This session will summarize these benefits and cover the adult Social Security application process.
Kate Collins-Wooley, PhD is a psychologist in private practice in Hingham, MA. For the past 22 years, she has been a medical consultant to Disability Determination Services, a division of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), which evaluates medical and vocational eligibility on behalf of Social Security. Kate has spoken widely about benefits for adults with disabilities and has written several articles for AANE on this topic. Kate currently sits on the Program/Conference Committee as well as the Strategic Planning Committee at AANE. She is the parent of an adult with ASD.
New York Sessions
Becca Lory Hector, Director of Training, AANE
Becca Lory Hector is the Director of Training at AANE. She is also an openly Autistic Professional on a mission to close the disability gap in leadership by working with companies to attract and retain disabled talent. Becca was diagnosed autistic as an adult and has since become a dedicated autism and neurodiversity advocate, researcher, consultant, speaker, and author. Her work includes neurodiversity and disability consulting, autistic quality of life research, and the creation of a personal development course called “Self Defined Living: A Path to a Quality Autistic Life”.
Looking to the Future: Housing Options for People with Developmental Disabilities
John Maltby, Co-Director of New York Housing Resource Center
The session will address why the certified group home system is no longer desirable or sustainable. It will outline the steps that a person with a developmental disability and their family might take in order to create a long-lasting, fulfilling, safe and healthy home. The session will also highlight ways in which people with developmental disabilities and their families can advocate for improved systems and broader housing opportunities.
John Maltby spent 36 years on Wall Street before leaving the industry in 2007. He graduated with an MS from the Columbia University School of Social Work in May 2009. He served as the Director of Community Supports and Services at Westchester Institute for Human Development in Valhalla, NY and as Assistant Professor, Institute of Public Health at New York Medical College. He has taught as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University in both the Business school and the School of Social Work. John's particular focus for the last several years has been on providing housing options for people with developmental disabilities. He is the author of the Housing Resource Guide, the Report to the Housing Task Force and What Happens When I'm Gone. All three publications are designed to be accessible to people with developmental disabilities and their families, their advocates, professionals who provide support and to policymakers. John is the creator of the Housing Navigator training program and co-director of the newly created Housing Resource Center. John is an advocate for his son and for all people with disabilities and has served on local and national boards of provider and advocacy agencies for many years.
ABLE Accounts in New York
Jenna McClosky, Outreach Coordinator and Administrative Analyst, NY ABLE and 529 College Savings Program, Office of the State Comptroller
The NY ABLE Program is a tax-advantaged savings program for individuals with disabilities to save for their needs while maintaining their ability to benefit from federal programs such as SSI, and Medicaid. This program offers multiple investment options allowing individuals with disabilities to maintain their independence and have quick and easy access to their money.
Jenna McClosky, Outreach Coordinator for NY ABLE and has been with the program for two and a half years. Jenna started with NY State in 2015 and was working in the non-profit field for several years prior to that.
Applying for and Accessing Services from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)
Briana Stewart, LMSW/DDPS2, Eligibility Unit Leader, Finger Lakes & Western NY and Daniel R. Smith and Kathryn A. Donaghue
This presentation provides a brief overview of how to access services from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. We will discuss the Front Door Process, eligibility review steps, and supports/services.
Briana Stewart oversees the Eligibility Unit for OPWDD Region 1, with over 20 years of experience in the field of developmental disabilities. She started her career as a Service Coordinator with a voluntary agency and moved into a supervisory position when she started with OPWDD. Briana then moved into the role of an eligibility unit social worker, completing eligibility determinations, and also serving as the district’s fair hearing liaison and completing adaptive behavior assessments. She is now the Eligibility Unit regional lead. Briana received her BS in social work degree from Lock Haven University and her MSW from the Greater Rochester Collaborative.
Dan Smith serves as the Program Administrator for our Self- Direction and Service Access and Enrollment- Front Door/ Waiver Services teams. Dan has worked for OPWDD or OMH for over 15 years and has been in this field for almost 25 years. He started as Direct Support staff at a private agency, worked in State Operations in their Day Services programs and as a Treatment Team Leader. In the Regional Office, Dan has had several roles, including Family Support Services Liaison, Housing Unit Lead, and Waiver Unit Lead. Dan graduated in 1996 from Roberts Wesleyan College with a degree in History/Education.
Kathryn Donahue serves as the Care Coordination Support Liaison for OPWDD Region 1, as well as Front Door Supervisor for Intake and DOH Children’s Waiver. Kathryn has worked for OPWDD for over 5 years with specialties in housing, self-direction, and care coordination. Kathryn began her social work career as a Direct Support staff working in certified residences. Prior to returning to the field of developmental disabilities in 2017, Kathryn worked for ten years as an international social worker focused on violence against women. Kathryn received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work degree from George Mason University in 2007 and her MSW from Columbia University in 2009.
Health Care Coverage for Adults with Autism
Amy Weinstock, Director, Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health, UMassChan Medical School
This presentation discusses healthcare coverage for adults on the spectrum. It also includes information about private Insurance, keeping a dependent on a parent’s policy, public health insurance such as Medicaid and Medicare, and how Social Security affects health insurance coverage.
Amy Weinstock is the Director of the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health at the UMass Chan Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, and an instructor in the medical school’s Department of Psychiatry. She has an extensive background on insurance issues related to autism and has played a key role in passing several significant pieces of autism insurance legislation in Massachusetts, including the groundbreaking 2010 law requiring health insurance to cover medically necessary treatment for autism.
Becca Lory Hector, Director of Training, AANE
The Basics of SSI/SSDI for Autistic Adults in New York
Recorded Presentation: Kathryn Collins-Wooley, PhD
When competitive employment is not an option, most will turn to Social Security for disability benefits -- either supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). This session will summarize these benefits and cover the adult Social Security application process.
Kathryn Collins-Wooley, PhD is a psychologist in private practice in Hingham, MA. For the past 22 years, she has been a medical consultant to Disability Determination Services, a division of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), which evaluates medical and vocational eligibility on behalf of Social Security. Kate has spoken widely about benefits for adults with disabilities and has written several articles for AANE on this topic. Kate currently sits on the Program/Conference Committee as well as the Strategic Planning Committee at AANE. She is the parent of an adult with ASD.
ACCES-VR:
- Your Journey to Employment Begins Today - ACCES-VR is the New York state vocational rehabilitation services agency. This on-demand webinar from ACCES-VR describes the range of services the agency offers to disabled adults. https://vimeo.com/483375715
- How to Apply for ACCES-VR - ACCES-VR is the New York state vocational rehabilitation services agency. This on-demand webinar explains how to apply for vocational services in New York. https://vimeo.com/483376397