Come meet our Superintendent and learn about:

Julio Nieves, is Latino American, with roots in Puerto Rico. He has worked many years for the Latino Community in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. He has worked for the Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care (PCHC) which is the Health Care Quality Unit (HCQU) for the southeast region as an Individual, Family and Community Outreach Specialist for 10 years.  Previously, Julio worked as a support coordinator for persons with disabilities for 6 years through Asociacion de Puertorriqueños en Marcha in Philadelphia, and as a direct support professional as well.

As a bilingual trainer, Julio became one of the trainers for the PA Training Partnership for People with Disabilities and Families. Julio’s work and experience in PCHC enhances the life and knowledge of individuals and families.  His presentation "Family HIRS" (Health Information Recording System), helps families to organize and better understand and communicate the health information of individuals with special health care needs. Julio is also very knowledgeable about emergency preparedness and other health-related topics.   Learn more about Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care at http://pchc.org/.

(Spanish)

For over ten years Dr. Lewis has trained educational advocates and lectured nationally for disability groups, school districts, parent support groups and continuing medical and legal education programs. She has testified before the US Department of Education and has served as a consultant to special educational law programs in multiple states. She is on the advisory board and board of national and regional disability related organizations and schools. Dr. Lewis has journeyed the special education maze personally with a son who has autism and a daughter who was medically challenged.

Attendees will learn:

• The purpose of developing an IEP and how to define its components
• The five stages of IEP preparation and the role each IEP member has 
• What an evaluation is and the importance it plays in the success of developing an IEP
• How to draft and monitor the progress of an IEP in a collaborative manner that facilitates success
• What related services can include and how they fit into an IEP
• How to proactively plan for high school transitioning through IEP goals in elementary grades

Gabe Labella is a staff attorney at the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN), where she directs the Special Education Help Line.

She provides legal advice to families and professionals about the educational rights of children with disabilities and, when appropriate, represents families in special education cases.

Labellla also conducts training sessions on special education law for parents and professionals.

La reunión será conducida en español.

Discuterimos:

• Inglés como Segundo Lenguaje

• Año Escolar Extendido

• Transportación

• Comunicación

• Comportamiento Positivo

• Inclusión en  Educación General

• Ausentismo Escolar

Dr. Steve Jacobson is a founding member and current Managing Partner of Connolly, Jacobson & John, LLP. Originally from Loveland, Colorado, Dr. Jacobson graduated cum laude from Colorado State University with a degree in Psychology in 1991.

In 1998, Dr. Jacobson earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology cum laude from Widener University, and concurrently earned a law degree cum laude from the Widener University School of Law. Immediately following law school, Dr. Jacobson was employed by the United States District Attorneys’ Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and by the Center for Psychotherapy Research at the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to representing students with special needs throughout Pennsylvania, Dr. Jacobson was a partner in a Bucks County law firm that focused exclusively on education law, where he represented school districts in a multitude of special education matters for nearly a decade.

Dr. Jacobson has presented extensively on both special and general education topics across Pennsylvania to educators, parents, attorneys and hearing officers. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association as well as its Legal Services Exceptional Children’s Committee.

This presentation will cover:

• General Disciplinary Rules
• Suspensions and Expulsions
• Manifestation Determinations
• Federal Offense Exceptions
• Functional Behavior Assessments/Positive Behavior Support Plans

Obtuve mi licenciatura en derecho de la Universidad de Rutgers en Newark, NJ cuando fui elegido para el académico de honor Law Review. Después de trabajar durante ocho años en dos grandes empresas, comencé mi propia práctica en 1990. Practiqué empleo y discriminación y luego familiar y de bienestar infantil derecho; Era el abogado de los padres en el complejo custodia de los hijos casos que participan expertos en los campos de psicología y medicina; estos casos veces participan organismos de bienestar infantil como DYFS en Nueva Jersey o a los niños y jóvenes Servicios en Pennsylvania. Me ayudó padres defender contra las falsas acusaciones de abuso y abandono.

Un día, un padre me contrató para rescatar a su hijo, que había sido suspendida de la escuela únicamente porque de lo que dijo a otro estudiante. Esta implicado la Primera Enmienda derecho a la libre expresión de estudiantes de secundaria. Me demandó al distrito escolar en el tribunal federal y ganó una solución que incluía el pago de todos mis clientes, honorarios de abogados más reincorporación del estudiante y expungment del estudiante, acta. A partir de ese día, mi ley de educación comenzó su carrera, y desde entonces he dedicado la mayor parte de mi práctica a la ley de educación.

Aprenderá:

• Cómo cada niño individualmente puede tener una participación significativa en todas las actividades
• Cómo cada niño puede acceder al contenido de la enseñanza general en todas las áreas
• Cómo la escuela puede asegurar que los padres estén informados utilizando el lenguaje que ellos entienden de la mejor forma para los padres (por escrito, correo electrónico, teléfono)
• Cómo las familias y la escuela pueden trabajar juntos y tienen altas expectativas de los estudiantes
• Cómo convertir las debilidades de un niño en oportunidades para el crecimiento
• Cómo entender y seguir las garantías procesales para garantizar los derechos del niño están protegidos

Patrick Bergmaier is a Special Needs Financial Planner and Financial Services Representative with Brumbaugh Wealth Management Group, an office of MetLife.  He has expertise to assist families plan for the future of their dependents with special needs in the areas of:

•  Special Needs Estate & Financial Planning

•  Wealth Management Services

•  Business Planning Strategies

•  Estate Conservation Strategies

•  Charitable Giving Strategies

•  Investment & Retirement Planning

•  Insurance Planning

•  Education Funding Strategies

as well as other financial products such as stocks and bonds, mutual funds, annuities and life insurance.

He is specially trained to address critical areas of concern for families who have dependents with special needs such as government benefit eligibility for SSI and Medicaid and reviewing guardian, client self-determination and advocacy issues.

Patrick graduated from Albright College, in Reading, PA, magna cum laude with a B.S. in Finance.  He is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), Variety – The Children’s Charity, The Arc of Montgomery, Berks & Bucks Counties, the Autism Society of America, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and other financial and disability-related organizations.

Families with dependents with special needs, no matter what the age or disability, face many serious questions about how to best prepare for their future well-being.  This workshop addresses such critical issues as protecting government benefit eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), creating Special Needs Trusts and the importance of a will. Taking steps now can help arrange for a loved one’s well-being today and tomorrow. 

Mr. Gates has been representing families and adult consumers regarding issues involving Medical Assistance and other forms of health insurance since 1976.  He has worked for the Bucks County Welfare Rights Organization, Bucks County Legal Aid, State Sen. Roxanne Jones, and the National Health Law Program in Washington DC.  Since 1991 he has worked for the Pennsylvania Health Law Project representing persons with developmental and behavioral disabilities and their families under a grant from the PA Developmental Disabilities Council. He is currently the Policy Director for the PA Health Law Project.

He has won the Rose Rosa Advocacy Award from the Montgomery Co. ARC in 1996 and the Striving for Excellence Award from PA Legal Services in 1999 and 2009. Also in 1999, he received the Advocacy Award from the Philadelphia Alliance of Mental Health & Mental Retardation Providers and the Advocacy Award from the PA Initiative on Assistive Technology.  He is a member of DPW’s Home & Community Based Services Stakeholder Planning Team, the Bureau of Autism Services’ Advisory Board and the Long Term Living Housing Advisory Committee of the PA Housing Finance Agency.

Medical Assistance and Waivers are the most common funding sources for non-educational services and supports for children and adolescents with special health care needs and disabilities. Learn who can qualify, what’s covered and what to do if coverage is denied.

Mr. Gates will discuss:

•   Eligibility rules for Medical Assistance and “Loophole”
•   How to apply
•   Services and supports under Medical Assistance (MA) including EPSDT program
•   What are “Waivers”
•   Eligibility rules for Waivers and how to apply
•   Services and supports under Waivers
•  Appeal rights under Medical Assistance and Waivers

Michael McSheehan, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and project coordinator with the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire.

He has worked on a variety of state and federally funded initiatives to advance research, policy, and practice in inclusive education, alternate assessment, augmentative communication, autism spectrum disorders, collaborative teaming, and Response to Intervention (RtI).

Michael is a coordinator of the National Inclusive Education Initiative for Students with Autism and Related Disabilities. Within that National Initiative, Michael coordinates an effort to create 20 model demonstration schools in the U.S. that are successfully promoting membership in general education classrooms, participation in general education instruction, and learning of general education curriculum by students with significant disabilities.

In partnership with the NH Department of Education, Michael coordinated a 4 year project to revise the NH Alternate Assessment (which goes to full administration Spring 2011) and to develop and scale up a Response to Intervention model that blends academic and behavioral supports.

As a researcher and professional developer, Michael has published peer-reviewed articles, book chapter, and a book in the areas of autism, AAC, and access to and learning of general curriculum. He consults with various state departments of education and presents internationally. Currently, he is working with several states to replicate components of the Beyond Access Model to improve student and team outcomes in general education settings by assisting districts, schools, and teams to build their capacity to educate children with significant disabilities in general education classrooms. Michael shares exceptional skills in working with teams to solve challenging problems within school-wide improvement and reform efforts, and is nationally recognized for his presentations.

All children really CAN learn academics in a general education classroom, even your child!
Michael McSheehan will discuss how Pennsylvania is educating students with significant disabilities and how reading, math, writing and science can be taught using individualized instruction based on a student’s strengths and not his/her weaknesses.

The following and other questions will be answered during this presentation using case studies, video clips, planning tools, and interactive participation:

• What does research say about including children with significant disabilities (i.e., autism, blind, deaf, developmental delays, emotional, intellectual and physical disabilities) in general education classrooms?
• How can children with complex support needs be included in general education classes?  What could it look like?
• How can the membership, participation and learning of these students be supported and realized in general education classrooms?
• What role can parents play in supporting their child(ren) in inclusive classrooms?