MCEPC Annual Seminar: "Blending and Braiding Legal, Financial and Government Services to Sustain Access to Services, Community and Work for a Lifetime" followed by reception 4:30-5:30pm
We hope you can join us for this exciting presentation! Our annual seminar will be from 1pm to 4:30pm followed by a reception from 4:30 to 5:30pm.
This presentation is centered on how to blend and braid legal, financial and government services to sustain access to services, community and work for a lifetime.
Helping families understand how they can utilize SSI/SSDI/Medicare/Medicaid and be able to work to create a full life. The importance of applying for benefits between 18 -22 years old. How Power of Attorney and Guardianship are seen by employers, health professionals and government entities (Police & Fire). The pitfalls of having funds in the person's name. When people with disabilities work and take advantage of Employer Sponsor Programs with assets can negatively impact approval for benefits, particularly services within the Commonwealth.
Understanding how to utilize a special needs trust. Create holistic and implement Person Centered Planning prior to death. It's about the importance of creating support by creating a budget for now and later. So many are just thinking of Life Insurance as the band aid and not thinking of accessing housing and other things that are needed for services that are only available based on diagnosis being prior to age 22 including SSDI Childhood Disability Benefits and waivers. Parents often overlook their own retirement income stream and how that will impact the financial security of themselves and their adult children with disabilities especially when parents’ health is declining and need caretaking or nursing home care. The assumption of siblings taken over care is not always realistic or fair.
We will cover real life examples of the impact of living through adulthood with a disability and how planning and putting that plan in action can give real relief while vastly improving the family’s overall quality of life.
Speaker Bios:
Randy Hope Steen has been practicing Trust, Estate, Special Needs, Business and Tax Law for nearly three decades. She has vast experience in private practice in complex estate and tax planning issues, and has served as a corporate trustee for PNC Advisors, as well as In-House Legal Counsel for AXA-Advisors, one of the largest insurance companies in the world. Mrs. Steen is well versed in all aspects of estate planning, special needs planning, business succession planning, charitable planning, retirement planning issues, insurance strategies, and litigation before the Internal Revenue Service.
Mrs. Steen is a certified Mediator, and has served in that capacity for the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. She is also licensed to practice in United States Tax Court, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Federal Court, and is licensed to practice before the Veterans Administration.
Mrs. Steen has trained many insurance professionals and financial advisors on all aspects of tax law including Roth IRA conversions, Special Needs Trust Planning, Business Succession Planning, Retirement Planning, Assets Protection Planning, and Insurance and Annuity Strategies. Mrs. Steen is also a frequent lecturer in the Special Needs Community assisting parents and caregivers to make sure their estate planning for their disabled loved one is taken care of properly to insure the best quality of life possible.
Mrs. Steen has served on the Board of the Jewish Federations Exploratory Council for Autism, she was the Vice President of the Brandywine Valley YMCA in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and the Recruitment Chair on the Board of Directors for the Timothy School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Steen is serving in on a Legal Advisory Committee to the PLAN of Pennsylvania in a Pro Bono capacity regarding special needs trust issues and planning. She lectures at Cabrini College on all aspects of Estate, Financial and Business Planning for their Faculty and Staff.
Mrs. Steen is the proud parent of a beautiful daughter with rare special needs who is the love of her life, and Mrs. Steen is an expert on Special Needs Trust and Tax Planning. This unique combined perspective blends together and helps Mrs. Steen create a compassionate comfortable environment for families to address the sensitive issues facing planning for the future of their loved ones with disabilities. Clients understand that at our Firm we are truly "in it" together.
Ryan joins GVA Wealth after more than 15 years of experience with three prominent area financial advisory firms. His specialties include delivering comprehensive financial planning services for individuals and businesses, retirement planning, insurance, and special needs planning.
Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Ryan graduated from LaSalle University, enjoys the occasional round of golf, and currently lives in Malvern with his family.
Ms. Leahy is the founder and CEO of Leahy Life Plan, a firm dedicated to life planning for those with disabilities as well as their families. She understands disability challenges from both a professional and personal perspective. Her continuing success is helping families create a roadmap to meaningful government, community and short, mid and long term financial adult supports. Assisting with strategies for funding special needs trusts. In 2009, Michele started her journey by obtaining her Certification in Work Incentive Planning & Assistance Program (WIPA) through an approved Social Security Administration (SSA) program established through the SSA Ticket To Work Program. Ms. Leahy has an M.S. in Non-Profit Management from Eastern University and an B.A. in Communications, Division of Humanities, from Penn State. She has 15+ years of varied professional work experience before she established her own company 10 years ago.
Most recently appointed by Governor Shapiro for the PA Employment First Oversight Committee. She also serves on the PA Rehabilitation Council (PaRC), an advisory board for vocational service and employment. Ms. Leahy was the first non-veteran Executive Board Member of the United Spinal Association, a national disability rights organization, where she served for over 8 years. She has been a key player in organizations such as AHEDD, the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern PA, assisted in the establishment of the Bucks County Center for Independent Living and has served on many advisory boards advocating for individuals with disabilities.
In 2018, she spoke on disability issues at the Philadelphia Women’s March on the steps of the Art Museum. Ms. Leahy’s commitment to cross disability has led her to being involved with physically and intellectually disability, disability veteran, autism and mental illness organizations. She has spoken both nationally and locally on disability at the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention, PBI’s Special Education and Exceptional Children Conference, PaTTAN, NAMI, Spina Bifida National Conference, FemCity, Local and Statewide Estate Planning Councils, VoiceAmerica and on the floor of the Pennsylvania Senate. As Ms. Wheelchair PA 2004 travelled across Pennsylvania advocating for people with disabilities with her slogan, “Say Yes To Access” which was adopted by the Philadelphia’s Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities in 1991.
When not working, Michele enjoys traveling, finding wheelchair friendly hotspots, crocheting, going to the theatre, spending time with family, friends and her zoom screen companion Padfoot.
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
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