Webinars

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Past Webinar Recordings Available

A graphic with the words "Webinar: Championing Inclusion: Special Olympics Pennsylvania" with a photo of a girl in goggles and a swim cap swimming in a pool.
Discover how inclusive sports and community leadership can transform lives. Join Achieva Family Trust for a community-centered webinar with Special Olympics Pennsylvania to learn how their free, year-round sports training, health programs, leadership opportunities, and inclusive school initiatives are bringing people together across our region.

Presenters: Andrea Patton, Three Rivers Regional Executive Director, Special Olympics PA Katherine Reim, Regional Executive Director, Northwest Region, Special Olympics PA

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A graphic with the words "Webinar: Smart Money Strategies for People with Disabilities" in teal text, featuring a photograph of cash.
Achieva Family Trust hosts Amber Book, MSW, Financial Empowerment Center Program Director in this hour-long webinar. Learn the foundation of all financial empowerment work: tracking your income and expenses in order to build a spending plan and stick to it. Designed with people with disabilities in mind, the session uses accessible, plain?language explanations and flexible budgeting tools that can be adapted to a wide range of needs and support systems.

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A graphic with the words "2025 Future Planning Conference: Future Planning in Uncertain Times". The graphic is underneath the text and is a collage of arrows pointing in different directions.
November 5, 2025

This year’s conference focused on future planning in uncertain times. Topics include maintaining government benefits while working, special needs trusts and ABLE Accounts, and Medicaid Waivers. A keynote presentation was delivered by David Goldfarb, Senior Director of the Strategic Health Resource Center, Jewish Federations of North America. 

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A computer with different icons representing a video, a book, and an image
August 12th, 2025

This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of services and resources available for people with physical disabilities, focusing on the enrollment process, waiver programs, and the importance of self-advocacy. The discussion highlights the role of service coordinators, the application process for community health choices, and real-life examples of how these services impact individuals' lives.

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June 5th, 2025

This webinar explores Pennsylvania’s Aging Our Way initiative and the PA Care Kit, a tool designed to support caregivers with practical, accessible resources. Speakers discuss caregiver needs, survey insights, and the importance of community engagement, individualized care, and agency collaboration to strengthen support across the state.

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An American flag with tiles placed that spell out social security
October 28, 2024

This webinar on Social Security will include an overview of the programs and services including retirement, disability, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income.  In addition, you will learn about recent program updates and how to conduct business with the Social Security Administration.

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A stack of medicare health insurance cards with the name John Smith
October 23, 2024

This presentation covers announced and hidden changes, exploring their impact on Medicare beneficiaries, providers, and programs serving enrolled individuals.

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A family with a young child looks at a laptop computer
October 9, 2024

This day-long conference was dedicated to future planning for people with disabilities. The purpose of the conference is to educate and inform families, professionals, and self-advocates about the importance of Future Planning for Individuals with Disabilities.

Topics included: Planning for the Future with Special Needs Trusts and ABLE Accounts, Government Benefits, and the differences between Guardianship vs Power of Attorney.

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A girl hugs her sister in a power wheelchair
September 24, 2024

This presentation introduces individuals and families to Performance Based Contracting and how it will be used to elevate the quality of the ODP service system.  We’ll identify which services will be impacted, review some example performance measures, and discuss individual and family empowerment to make informed decisions when choosing service providers.

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A woman sits on her couch holding her head in distress
September 17th, 2024

This webinar covers the importance of Mental Health Advanced Directives (MHADs) and the 988 Crisis Hotline, discussing individual rights, agent responsibilities, NAMI’s role, and efforts to improve crisis response nationwide.

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Understanding the Basics of SSI and SSDI
Join Elaine Cole from the Social Security Administration as she dives into the complexities of Social SSI and SSDI. From demystifying the application process to decoding benefit determinations, Elaine provides invaluable insights into Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility requirements, including income, resources, and special considerations for non-citizens.

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Understanding Home and Community-Based Waivers. A wooden cut-out of a house and a heart
This webinar delves into Medicaid home and community-based waivers for Pennsylvania residents with disabilities. Janice Meinert of PA Health Law Project explains program options, eligibility, and services, as well as information on waiver eligibility, income/resource limits, exemptions, and challenges in the application process.

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The City of Pittsburgh as a view from the point.
Presenters: 
  • Chuck Keenan, Administrator, Homelessness and Housing, Allegheny County Department of Human Services
  • Remy Harris, Senior Manager, Services for Families Experiencing Housing Crises, Allegheny County Department of Human Services  
  • Sally Ellwein, Director of Meeting Basic Needs, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania
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Hand holding a jar of money with text that says fund my future pittsburgh and p a able
The Pennsylvania ABLE Savings Program is a state offered program that gives individuals with qualifying disabilities a tax-advantaged way to invest without impacting their government benefits. 

Fund My Future PGH helps Allegheny County families save for their children’s futures by offering reminders to save and chances to win up to $1,000 each month!

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A view of the city of Pittsburgh from the Ohio river, Text overlay says Understanding the services of allegheny county department of human services
March 28th, 2023

Office of Developmental Services staff look forward to sharing how you can be supported through:
  • Learning about Allegheny County Department of Human Services
  • Community Resources
  • Utilizing Charting the LifeCourse Principals and Tools
  • Registration with Office of Development Services
  • Building a relationship and planning with a Supports Coordinator
  • Developing a robust ISP
  • The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding for Respite and Family-Driven Support Services (FDSS)
  • Consolidated, Community Living and Person-Family Directed Support Waivers

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Background of a social security card and money with text that says SSI/SSDI Benefits and Working. How to Make it Work for you
March 23, 2023

Representatives from Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Achieva Family Trust's Benefits Counseling, and The Social Security Administration cover working and benefits rules, types of waivers, eligibility, and more.

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Saving For The Future with PA Able and Fund My Future Pittsburgh
February 21st, 2023

PA ABLE account gives individuals with qualified disabilities and their families and friends a tax-free way to save for disability-related expenses while maintaining government benefits. Since 2013, Fund My Future PGH has been helping families start their savings journey.

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A woman shows a woman with down syndrome information on a tablet on the job
January 18th, 2023

Are you a person with a disability who is interested in knowing more about college or working? Would you like to know how to tap into available resources from OVR? If so, this presentation is for you! Join Jill Seus Starr and her colleagues from OVR as they explain the OVR process. 

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A group of students sit and work on outdoor steps. Text says preparing transition students and young adults for the workforce and to be financially successful
This presentation covers different Medicaid categories including Healthy Horizons and Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD), CHIP, and Waiver. In addition, learn about when and how to apply for SSI and SSDI, and how earned income affects these benefits.

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A mom and daughter sit close together on the couch looking at a book. The text says Focus on the future.
October 25, 2022

This day-long conference was dedicated to future planning for people with disabilities. The purpose of the conference is to educate and inform families, professionals, and self-advocates about the importance of Future Planning for Individuals with Disabilities.

Topics included: Planning for the Future with Special Needs Trusts and ABLE Accounts, Planning Transition from High School, Charting the Life Course, and Financial Empowerment.

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Arrows pointing in every direction. Text says Supported decision making for adults with disabilities
April 7th, 2022

Supported Decision-Making (SDM) allows people with disabilities to make choices about their own lives with support from a team of people they choose.

Attend this session and learn among other things:
  • What is Decision Making?
  • What is Supported Decision Making?
  • What is Decision Making Capacity?
  • Health Care and Financial Decision Making Supports
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A white background with a clipboard, keyboard, and stethoscope. Overlaid text says using medicare and medicaid, a primer for dual eligibles
March 30th, 2022

The impact of dual enrollment in Medicaid and Medicare is to significantly reduce or eliminate the costs of health care.

This presentation will:
  • Examine the characteristics of dual eligibility.
  • The benefits that each program (Medicare and Medicaid) provides.
  • How each program coordinates with the other.
  • The special problems that dual eligibility generates and how to effectively deal with those problems.

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Three Employees, one with Down Syndrome, stand shoulder to shoulder smiling. The text on the graphics says successful models of employment for people with disabilities
February 16th, 2022

A panel of experts from The University of Pittsburgh, Community College of Allegheny County, Goodwill of Southwestern PA, and Achieva Employment Supports & Business Services, will present the different strategies and models for employment. They will cover the steps and process to achieve employment, and various partnerships and collaborations in the community with a broad range of companies, including industrial, health, and the service sectors. They will also share examples of positive outcomes.

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A young girl with down syndrome hugs her mom. The text says Focus on the Future
November 10, 2021

The topics of this webinar are Planning for the Future with Special Needs Trusts and ABLE Accounts, Understanding Government Benefits, Decision Making, and Housing Options. Experts weigh in to give tips, advice, and resources benefiting families and people with disabilities in planning for the future.

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Gears that say support, mentoring, advice. Text box says Successful Strategies for self advocacy part 2
November 2, 2021

A panel of self-advocates discusses the importance of the involvement and support for self-advocates in advocacy efforts. They will review the principles of self-awareness, self-advocacy, and self-determination for optimal outcomes.

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Gears that say support, mentoring, advice. Text box says Successful Strategies for self advocacy part 1
October 5, 2021

The purpose of this webinar is to provide an overview of the basics for successful strategies when advocating for issues of importance for people with disabilities. The basic strategies relate to advocating across disability groups.

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three wooden figures, representing 2 parents and a child are in front of a judges gavel. The text reads understanding guardianship versus power of attorney
April 17, 2020

This webinar covers the legal distinctions between Guardianship and Power of Attorney.
Presenter: Nora Gieg Chatha, Esq.

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A colorful circle broken into wedges representing different parts of a person's life. The text Charting the lifecourse is in the center.
September 23, 2021

The intent of this webinar is to provide an overview of the human-centric, LifeCourse principles that are designed to reflect the strengths and needs of people. The webinar will provide examples of how LifeCourse principles are being utilized to drive person-centered change for people with disabilities, their families, and organizations. This will be the first of a series of learning opportunities to help people use the LifeCourse framework and tools.

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Planning for college for students with intellectual disabilities. A young man wears a cap and gown for his college graduation
May 4, 2021

Are you the parent of a child with an intellectual disability? Do you wonder what life will look like after high school? Students with intellectual disabilities attending inclusive college programs are a growing population. Five of Pennsylvania’s state universities now have programs for students with intellectual disabilities.

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Text Money Management Resources on a background of coins with plants growing out of them
April 16, 2021

This webinar will bring together information for financial professionals that includes disability etiquette and best practices for engagement with individuals with disabilities, as well as tools and methods that are available for budgeting, savings, and debt management.

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