OUR WORKSHOPS
We are proud to offer complimentary presentations to parents, professionals and organizations. Please contact us to schedule a talk for your group!
Special Needs Planning: Key Tools and Strategies Every Parent Should Know
This presentation will begin with a brief overview of The Special Needs Planning Timeline and the Five Factors of Special Needs Planning. It will be customized to focus upon the most appropriate tools and strategies for the timeline stage of the audience.
- How each family’s unique circumstances drive their planning decisions and determining your family's financial framework.
- Protecting eligibility for and maximizing government benefits.
- Key financial planning tools, including:
- savings tools (including ABLE)
- medical savings accounts
- insurance products
- Tax and estate planning strategies:
- gifting options and strategies
- special needs trusts.
This presentation is based upon principles found in our new book, The Special Needs Planning Guide, Second Edition.
Planning for TWO Generations
Planning for TWO Generations is our signature presentation and provides an overview of the key elements and actions involved in Special Needs Financial Planning. Included are an introduction to:
- The Special Needs Planning Timeline. The Timeline highlights the key planning pressure points (times when your child's services, supports and/or benefits will change) and helps to keep your priorities and actions focused on the most important decisions at the time.
- The Five Factors of Special Needs Planning -Family and support, emotional, financial , legal and government benefits.
- Determining the financial framework of personal resources and government benefits you will use to build your plan.
- Key tools and strategies including the ABLE account, special needs trusts, retirement accounts and insurance.
- Tips about housing - the negotiables and non-negotiables.
Specialized presentations
If there is a specific area of planning you would like to focus upon, we often customize our presentations.
While there are eligibility requirements and restrictions on the account, the ABLE account offers a tax-advantaged way to save money without impacting eligibility for means-tested government benefits (e.g. SSI, Medicaid).
A parent is irreplaceable but you can build a team of family, friends, professionals and community to support your child when you are gone or can no longer do all you do.
The Housing Workshop is a step by step guide to planning for your child when it is time to move out. It will focus upon combining personal resources and government benefits to create a home for your loved one.
Our experts
We love sharing all we have learned with families.Our commitment to organizations
Amongst our proudest accomplishments is our decades long commitment to educational outreach and advocacy on behalf of the disability community. Listed below are organizations to whom we have presented.
Academy of Special Needs Planners (New Orleans, LA)
ALS Talk for National Family Caregiver Month
Americans with Disabilities Act 20th Anniversary Celebration
Arc of South Shore
Arc's 60th Anniversary Nation Convention
Association for Community Living
Belmont Special Education Advisory Council (BSEAC)
Belmont SPED PAC
Boston Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Day 200
Building A Home (Brandeis University)
Cape Cod Hospital (Hyannis)
Childrens Hospital Waltham
Converge Worship Center (Trinity Baptist Church Brockton)
Cooperative Human Services
Dana-Farber Cancer institute
Department of Developmental Services(DDS)
Direct Support Conference (DSP)
Exploring Residential Planning Options: What's out there?
Family Leadership Series MFOFC (2)
Federal Bar Association Boston
Federation for Children with Special Needs (2)
Financial Planning for Families
Financial Spring Cleaning Made Easy
Greater Waltham ARC
Groton Dunstable Regional School District
Groton Dunstable SEPAC
Harvard University Work/Life Resources
Harvard-Affiliated Hospitals
Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston
John C. Corrigan Mental Health Center (Fall River)
LABBB Collaborative
Lawler Library (New Bedford)
Life After Diagnosis Conference
Lifelinks Family Support Center
Massachusetts Bar Association/ MBA CLE (2)
Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE
Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (3)
Massachusetts Early Intervention Consortium
Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change
Massachusetts Sibling Support Network
Melmark
National Down Syndrome Congress
National Parents of Galactosemic Children (PGC Inc.)
Needham PAC
Northbridge PAC
Northeast ARC
Northshore ARC
Perkins School for the Blind (Watertown)
Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce (Plymouth)
Residential Planning - Guardianship and Advocacy
Riverside Community Care
Sage Crossing Foundation Fundraiser (National Heritage Museum)
Society of Financial Service Professionals, Boston Chapter
Special Needs Planning for Families
Special Needs Planning Guide Book Signing Event
Specialized Housing
Stone Soup Conference
TASH Conference
Taunton Library (Taunton)
Tewksbury Public Library Lifelinks Presentation
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network
Wilmington SEPAC
Entities listed above are not affiliated with Affinia Financial, and inclusion does not represent an endorsement or favorable experience with any advisor.