Disability Planning Webinars & Educational Workshops

The most common reason families arrive at Leahy Life Plan in crisis is not that they did not care — it is that no one gave them the right information at the right time.

School systems focus on education. Pediatricians focus on diagnosis and treatment. Even well-meaning professionals often lack the specific expertise to explain how federal benefits work, what Medicaid waivers actually fund, or what happens to an individual with a disability when their parents can no longer provide support.

That information gap is what Leahy Life Plan’s educational webinars and workshops are designed to close — before families reach a point where options have narrowed, and planning has become damage control.

Michele A. Leahy, MS, CPWIC, brings decades of professional experience and deep subject-matter expertise to every educational session. Webinars and workshops are designed for families, caregivers, professionals working in disability services, educators, school transition teams, and employers — anyone who needs to understand how disability benefit systems work and what planning steps make the most meaningful difference.

Sessions are available virtually for individuals and families nationwide and in person for organizations, schools, and employers in Pennsylvania and the greater New York City metro area.

SSI & SSDI Eligibility — What Families Need to Know

One of the most frequently misunderstood areas in disability planning is the difference between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) — and what it actually takes to qualify for either.

This webinar covers:

The fundamental difference between SSI (needs-based) and SSDI (work-based)
How the Social Security Administration evaluates disability — functional limitations, not diagnosis
Asset and income limits for SSI and how they affect eligibility
How SSDI work credits are calculated and when adult child benefits apply
The relationship between SSI and Medicaid, and between SSDI and Medicare
Common reasons applications are denied — and how to avoid them
What concurrent benefits are, and when an individual may qualify for both SSI and SSDI

Ideal for: Families of transition-age youth, parents of adults with disabilities, school transition teams, Support Coordinators, and disability service professionals.

Approximately 67% of initial SSDI applications are denied at the first level of review, according to SSA data. Many of these denials are due to insufficient medical documentation of functional limitations — not because the applicant was ineligible.

Working While Receiving Benefits — What You Need to Know Before You Start

Employment is a goal for many individuals with disabilities — and the fear of losing benefits is one of the most significant barriers preventing people from pursuing it. That fear is often based on incomplete information.

This webinar addresses the most common questions and misconceptions about working while receiving SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and waiver services:

How earned income affects SSI payment amounts — and what exclusions apply
The SSI earned income exclusion and student earned income exclusion
SSDI Trial Work Period, Extended Period of Eligibility, and Expedited Reinstatement
Ticket to Work — what it is, who it applies to, and how it provides employment protections
How employment affects Medicaid eligibility and waiver enrollment
Pennsylvania’s Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities (MWD) program
Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) — an underutilized SSI work incentive
What to do — and what not to do — before accepting a job offer

Ideal for: Individuals with disabilities considering employment, families supporting a working family member with a disability, employment support providers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and supported employment specialists.

The Ticket to Work program, established under the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, is one of the most underutilized SSA programs available. Participation is free and voluntary, and it provides significant employment protections for SSI and SSDI recipients — yet awareness of the program remains limited even among disability professionals.

Power of Attorney vs. Guardianship — Protecting Rights While Planning for the Future

As individuals with disabilities approach adulthood, families face urgent and often misunderstood decisions about legal decision-making authority. This webinar provides a clear, balanced examination of the options available — and emphasizes the importance of choosing the least restrictive approach that genuinely meets the individual’s needs.

Topics covered include:

What legal capacity means and how it is evaluated
The difference between Power of Attorney and Guardianship
Types of guardianship — limited vs. plenary, guardian of the person vs. guardian of the estate
Supported Decision-Making — what it is, how it works, and why it matters
Pennsylvania’s supported decision-making framework and how it has evolved
The role of Representative Payee for SSA benefits
Why guardianship should not be the default — and what alternatives exist
How decision-making structures affect SSI, Medicaid, and waiver administration

Ideal for: Families of transition-age youth approaching 18, disability attorneys, school transition teams, Support Coordinators, and self-advocates.

In a landmark 2017 case, Supported Decision-Making Agreement Act, Delaware became one of the first states to formally codify supported decision-making into law — a model that Pennsylvania and other states have increasingly moved toward as an alternative to plenary guardianship.

Special Needs Trust Funding — Building Financial Security Without Losing Benefits

Special Needs Trusts are among the most powerful tools in disability financial planning — and among the most frequently misunderstood. This webinar goes beyond the basics to address how trusts are funded, how they interact with SSI and Medicaid, and what families need to coordinate before and after establishing a trust.

Topics covered include:

First-party vs. third-party Special Needs Trusts — key differences and when each applies
How life insurance, retirement accounts, inheritance, and legal settlements interact with SNTs
The Medicaid payback provision — what it means and how it affects planning
Common funding mistakes and how to avoid them
How SNTs and ABLE accounts work together
The role of the trustee — responsibilities, risks, and options
What happens to trust assets when the beneficiary passes away
Coordinating SNT funding with estate planning across the entire family

Ideal for: Parents and grandparents of individuals with disabilities, estate planning and special needs attorneys, financial advisors, and anyone involved in disability-related estate planning.

Blending State & Federal Funding Programs — How Benefits Work Together

No single program covers everything an individual with a disability needs. SSI provides a cash foundation. Medicaid covers healthcare. Waivers fund home and community-based supports. County programs fill additional gaps. Employment income supplements all of the above — if managed carefully.

The challenge is that these programs interact in ways that are not always intuitive, and decisions made in one area frequently have unintended consequences in another. This webinar provides a systems-level view of how state and federal disability funding programs work together — and where the conflicts and gaps lie.

Topics covered include:

How SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and waivers interact as an integrated system
The role of county-funded services and how they vary by location
How housing arrangements affect SSI payment calculations
How employment income flows through the benefits system
What triggers benefit reductions, suspensions, or terminations — and how to avoid them
Planning for benefit changes during major life transitions
How to identify and close coordination gaps in a family’s current benefits picture

Ideal for: Families managing multiple benefit programs, Support Coordinators, disability service agencies, financial advisors, and transition planning professionals.

Medicaid vs. Medicare — Understanding the Differences That Matter

Medicaid and Medicare are both government health programs — but they operate differently, cover different services, and serve different populations. For individuals with disabilities, understanding which program applies, when each begins, and how they interact is essential to maintaining continuous healthcare coverage and accessing long-term supports.

Topics covered include:

How Medicaid and Medicare eligibility are determined for individuals with disabilities
The 24-month Medicare waiting period for SSDI recipients — and what it means in practice
Dual eligibility — what it means to be enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare simultaneously
What each program covers — and the critical gaps where long-term supports are funded by Medicaid, not Medicare
How Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D interact with disability planning
Low Income Subsidy (Extra Help) for Medicare Part D prescription coverage
What happens to Medicaid coverage if SSDI increases income above the Medicaid threshold
Medicare Savings Programs that help low-income Medicare beneficiaries with premiums and cost-sharing

Ideal for: Families of individuals approaching SSDI eligibility, aging caregivers, individuals transitioning off parents’ insurance at 26, Support Coordinators, and healthcare navigators.

Medicare’s 24-month waiting period for SSDI recipients was established in 1972 when SSDI was first extended to non-elderly individuals with disabilities. Despite decades of advocacy, this waiting period — which leaves newly approved SSDI recipients without federal health coverage for two years — remains in place today.

Planning for Different Life Phases — A Disability Life Planning Roadmap

Disability life planning is not a single event — it is an ongoing process that must adapt as the individual grows, circumstances change, and new transitions emerge. This webinar provides a comprehensive roadmap of the planning priorities at each major life phase — from early childhood through aging caregivers.

Early Childhood & School Years

Establishing documentation of functional limitations early
Understanding the IEP process and its relationship to future benefits
Beginning the conversation about long-term planning before the transition age

Transition Age (14–22)

The “disability cliff” — what happens when school services end
SSI eligibility at 18 — the redetermination process and what changes
Transition planning, vocational rehabilitation, and employment supports
Beginning the waiver application process before the waiting list becomes urgent

Early Adulthood (22–35)

Establishing benefits, waiver enrollment, and employment supports
Housing planning and residential options
Special Needs Trust and ABLE account coordination
Supported decision-making and legal planning

Mid-Life Planning (35–55)

Reassessing benefits as circumstances change
Planning for aging caregivers — what happens when parents can no longer provide support
Updating legal documents, trusts, and beneficiary designations
Microboarding and person-centered housing models

Aging Caregivers & Long-Term Future Planning

Letter of intent — documenting the individual’s life, preferences, and support needs
Successor caregiver planning
Trust administration and professional trustee considerations
End-of-life planning and benefit implications

Ideal for: Families at any stage of the disability planning journey, school transition teams, Support Coordinators, estate planning professionals, and disability service agencies.

Understanding the ABLE Act — Savings, Independence & Benefits Protection

The ABLE Act created one of the most significant expansions of financial opportunity for individuals with disabilities in decades. Yet awareness and utilization of ABLE accounts remain far below their potential — largely because families and professionals simply do not know enough about them.

This webinar provides a comprehensive, practical guide to ABLE accounts and how they fit into a broader disability financial plan.

Topics covered include:

ABLE eligibility criteria — diagnosis, age of onset, and the 2026 age expansion to 46
Annual contribution limits and the ABLE to Work provision for employed account holders
What counts as a qualified disability expense — and what does not
How ABLE account balances interact with SSI resource limits
The Medicaid payback provision for ABLE accounts — what it means and when it applies
How ABLE accounts and Special Needs Trusts complement each other
State ABLE programs — how to choose and how they differ
Common mistakes families make with ABLE accounts

Ideal for: Families of individuals with disabilities, financial advisors, Support Coordinators, employment support providers, and disability advocates.

As of 2024, there are over 170,000 ABLE accounts open nationwide with total assets exceeding $1.8 billion — a significant increase since the first accounts became available in 2016. However, estimates suggest that millions of eligible individuals have still not opened an account, representing a significant untapped planning opportunity.

Webinars for Professionals, Schools & Employers

Leahy Life Plan’s educational programming is not limited to families. Michele A. Leahy, MS, CPWIC, is an experienced presenter at professional conferences, school transition events, employer training sessions, and disability service agency staff development programs.

For Schools & Transition Teams, transition planning webinars and workshops are designed for special education staff, school counselors, and transition coordinators — covering benefits basics, the SSI redetermination process at 18, waiver applications, and how school documentation affects future benefits eligibility.

For Disability Service Agencies & Support Coordinators, staff training on benefits interactions, work incentives, ISP advocacy, and the practical implications of employment, housing, and life transitions on an individual’s full benefits package.

For Employers, Workplace disability benefits education for HR departments and managers — covering how employment affects SSI, SSDI, and Medicaid for employees with disabilities, reasonable accommodations, and how employer-sponsored benefits interact with government programs.

For Professional Conferences, Michele is available for keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and panel participation on disability life planning, benefits navigation, transition planning, and person-centered approaches to disability support.

To inquire about professional or organizational presentations, contact us directly.

Frequently Asked Questions: Disability Planning Webinars & Workshops

Are webinars available to individuals and families outside of Pennsylvania? Yes. All webinars are available virtually to individuals, families, and professionals nationwide. In-person presentations are available for organizations, schools, and employers in Pennsylvania and the greater New York City metro area.

How long are the webinars? Session length varies depending on the topic and format. Most individual webinars run between 60 and 90 minutes, including time for questions. Custom workshops for organizations can be designed for half-day or full-day formats, depending on the scope of content needed.

Are the webinars recorded? Availability of recorded sessions varies. Contact Leahy Life Plan directly for information on current recording availability and upcoming live session dates.

Can webinar topics be customized for our organization? Yes. Leahy Life Plan works with schools, disability service agencies, and employers to develop customized presentations that address the specific needs, populations, and questions most relevant to their staff or families.

Do webinars provide legal or financial investment advice? No. All educational content provided by Leahy Life Plan is informational and planning-oriented. Legal matters are referred to qualified special needs attorneys. Investment and insurance planning is referred to financial advisors with disability planning experience.

How do I register for an upcoming webinar? Contact Leahy Life Plan directly through the consultation request form to inquire about upcoming webinar dates, topics, and registration.

Ready to Get the Information You Need?

Whether you are a family navigating the disability benefits system for the first time, a professional looking to expand your expertise, or an organization seeking training for your staff — Leahy Life Plan’s educational webinars and workshops deliver accurate, practical, experience-based guidance that makes a real difference.

The earlier families access the right information, the more options remain available. Education is where planning begins.

[BUTTON: Inquire About Webinars & Workshops]

[BUTTON: Schedule a Consultation]

Serving families, professionals, and organizations in Pennsylvania, the greater Philadelphia area, the New York City metro area, New Jersey, and nationwide via remote consultation.