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How Special Education teachers assist students and families in accessing the funds and support they need and deserve to make their post school dreams attainable

 

Confused to Connected is a professional development that breaks down the puzzling world of government, state, and local benefits for special education teachers. 

 

This professional development empowers educators with what they need to know about benefits and funding so they can connect their students and families with the resources they need to be successful after they leave special education.

Start learning today!

As a high school or transition special education teacher you experience feelings of:

 

  • Overwhelm by your day-to-day teaching demands
  • Sadness watching students graduating from school without the proper supports to be successful
  • Confusion about federal, state, and local benefits and funding sources and all the unique acronyms and lingo
  • Frustration because adult agencies simply don’t have the manpower to adequately inform and work with families and students

 

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. 

 

Really, it doesn’t!

 

Real talk.  You learned about writing IEP Transition Plans in college, but how to properly shift families from school-provided supports to community-provided supports was NEVER mentioned.  

 

You know what it's like to have a family ask, ‘What am I going to do when they leave school?’   

 

You aren’t the educator to ignore the email, shrug your shoulders, or comment about how lucky the student has been these past 18+ years.  

 

  • You send them the contact information of the local adult agency, but you aren’t really sure how they will help or if the staff there even have time to support the family.  

 

  • You encourage the family to attend parent events so they can learn from other families, but you don’t know if any have successfully navigated ‘the system’ post exit.

 

  • You reach out to other educators with the hopes of getting more information, but everyone is just as lost and confused as you are.

 

A transition coordinator or a fully-staffed (and funded) adult agency is what you need to best support your students and families, but you have no control over either. 

So how can you simultaneously learn the lingo of benefits and support your students and families to be ready to exit from school services?

 

Easy!

 

Confused to Connected Professional Development

 

Confused to Connected PD is the federal and state-specific benefit training that makes the head-scratching world of supports so easy to understand that you'll find yourself confidently talking to students and families about the benefits they are eligible for and how to being the application process. 

Since you are a full time educator... 

...who never learned about benefits, funding, or supports available to your students after they graduate or exit… 

 

You need a detailed and focused training that isn’t going to demand weeks or months of your life to complete, like a traditional graduate-level college course.

 

You need a tailored training that starts with the basic information so you can build a strong foundation of knowledge.

 

You need resources specific to your state so you can quickly put your learning into action.

 

You deserve direct access to a presenter who’s already done the hard work, figured it out, and is sharing all the best information and tips with you. 

 

You deserve a training that you can access from your work desk, during your commute, or from the comfort of your couch.

 

You deserve life-long access to the resources and videos so your learning can continue to grow as your student population changes. 

 

You deserve a power-packed PD that you’ll actually use, as opposed to those required trainings that are completely irrelevant to your position.  

 

And…you deserve to feel confident seeing your students graduate and exit knowing they are set-up with the benefits and funding that will support them for years to come. 

You prefer to have answers to your family's questions. 

 

You don’t like relying on others, hoping they will give your students and families the time of day and information they need and deserve.

 

And you definitely don’t like crossing your fingers in hopes that your families will follow through on your referral and then trust another person with their sensitive information. 

Imagine this…

 

A parent reaches out to you asking for help.  They need financial support to cover the cost of much needed respite and future adult programming.  

You check the student’s IEP for testing information and see that they are eligible for both a federal financial benefit and a state-level waiver program.

You follow-up with the parent and offer them not one, but TWO benefits.  You explain both benefits, why their student is eligible for the benefits, the application processes, typical timelines, and answer their follow-up questions.. 

The parent is relieved to know they have options and want to get started right away.  

You know the parent prefers to talk on the phone and you have an expert who can walk them through the application processes via phone.  You set-up a conference call with the parent and expert and they begin working together.  

 

Did you notice…

 

…there was NO anxiety regarding what benefits are available or what the student would be eligible to receive. 

 

…there was NO fear in sharing the wrong information.

 

…there was NO dreadful feeling of having to single-handedly assist the family in applying for the benefits.

 

…and there was NO half-hearted adult agency office referral where the parent would be left to take the first step.

High school and transition special education teachers not only write meaningful IEP transition plans for their students, they also bear the burden of helping those very same students in accessing benefits and funding to be able to achieve their desired post-school goals.

 

There is no better time to learn so you can get your students and families the funding and benefits they need and deserve!

 

The Confused to Connected Professional Development

was developed for educators just like YOU!

________________________

 

Confused to Connected is a professional development designed to explain federal, state, and local benefits and funding sources and how to implement the best methods for increasing family follow-through and benefit approval.  This PD is ideal for high school and transition special education teachers who desire convenient training in understanding benefits and funding so they can support their students and families in achieving their long-term goals.   

________________________

 

If you have realized you need to increase your understanding of funding and benefits so your students can access these resources both now and in the future...

then you MUST register for the Confused to Connected PD!

When you enroll, you’ll get:

 

Confused to Connected Professional Development

 

4 Modules

Ten pre-recorded lessons spread out over four modules to absorb at your own pace and on your own schedule!

 

PDF Resources

-Digital Google-Sheets grid of benefits and supports to assist in identifying what your students and families are eligible for

-Clickable state-specific benefit and agency contact information

-Scripts to facilitate communication with families

-Pre-made Google Docs to organize progress towards benefits

-Tips for supporting families through different processes

 

More Resources

-Positive Postcards to praise parents and families for working through the process

-Fillable templates when learning about benefits and networking

-Tips for increasing efficiency and family follow through

-Fillable template when meeting families for the first time

 

Email communication

Weekly emails recapping the newest module and a detailed 'to-do list' for the week ahead

Frequently Asked Questions

Download a 1 Page PD Overview

By the end of this professional development, 

you will have…

 

LESS Confusion

You'll be able to clearly and confidently explain a benefit or waiver to a family and why you should help them through the application process

 

MORE connections with benefit experts

You'll have a network of go-to experts who can share the most up-to-date information about benefits, waivers, services, and supports with your families

 

MORE trust with families 

You'll have tried and true methods for establishing trust with families as you walk along side them during the benefit application journey

 

LESS worry when students graduate or exit

You will have supported your students and famlies in accessing the benefits, services, and waivers that will support them long-term, creating opportunities for them to practice all the skills they've learned in school far into adulthood

What makes this

professional development so great?

 

'This PD has changed how I support families who are completely overwhelmed by all the adult service decisions they are met with as their young adult/student quickly approaches graduation/ their 18th birthday. The best feeling I get is when I help families take their first step.  

I have been referencing the materials from this professional development often since completing the course. The way Heather laid out and prioritized each step has been very helpful.'  

-Melissa, Secondary Educator from Iowa

 

Professional Development Course Outline

Let’s talk about the best parts of each module. 

 

You get...

 

Module 1- Benefits

    1. An overview of what government and community benefits and waivers to consider for your students

    2. Direct links to benefits in your state

    3. A process for determining what students are appropriate for what benefits

 

Module 2- Research & Connections

    1. An approach to efficiently increase your understanding of benefits

    2. A method for creating connections with benefit experts

    3. A process for collecting information and tracking student benefits 

 

Module 3- Family Support

    1. Guidance on establishing trust when working with families

    2. Steps for educating families on the benefits that are best for them

    3. Tips for increasing family follow through during the benefit application process

 

Module 4- Dedicating Time

    1. Systems to increase efficiency

    2. The best times and ways to support families

    3. Opportunities to share the value of your efforts with your administration

A Professional Development that's cheaper and better than a Graduate Course

 

Not all degress or courses are applicable to your position. 

 

Less money than a single graduate-level course and a 'syllabus' that actually applies to your role.  Less time than a semester long class (and no annoying group projects).  

No more wondering what supports are available to your graduating/exiting students

 

Just like Special Ed, adult services has their own jargon-filled language.

 

Learn what federal and state acroynms mean, what benefits and funding are right for each student, and help your families make sense of it all using plain, easy to understand language.  

Stop crossing your fingers that families will follow through when you share contact information

 

If you've sent countless emails with no reply, you need to find another way.

 

Use my teacher-tested tips and methods for getting families on board with WANTING to access benefits and increase their follow-through as you go through the application process. 

Check out Lesson 1 for FREE!

It's like trying on the Professional Development before you buy!

*I have a hunch it will look good on you! 

If your undergrad and grad school classes never covered benefits, you're not alone

 

You CAN speak confidently about SSI, Medicaid, housing, ABLE Accounts, Special Needs Trust, Guardianship, Supported Decision Making, and more! 

 

I'll teach you how and help you get connected with local experts who can answer your questions and support your students and families through the application & approval process.

Give your students the opportunities to practice the skills you've taught them after they graduate/exit 

 

You have spent the past 4+ years teaching them so many valuable life and vocational skills, don't let them regress just because you don't know what adult services are appropriate!  

 

Securing the right benefits and services for your students and families will create opportunities for them to continue using and building on the skills you've taught them. 

Money Back Guarantee

Your hard-earned money is sacred and the last thing you want to do is spend it on another professional development that isn’t going to meet your needs.  I get it!

 

If after the 1st 7 days you don’t find the videos, resources, learning valuable and appropriate for your students and families needs, you can request a full refund by emailing [email protected].    

 

If you are ready to up your benefit-knowledge game so you can confidently assist students and families in securing benefits and funding, then click that registration button above!

 

Start learning today!

Check out Lesson 1 for FREE!

It's like trying on the Professional Development before you buy!

I can’t wait for you to join 

Confused to Connected!

 

Seeing and hearing the pure excitement and relief from families when they receive their award and approval letters, it’s truly heartwarming.  The experience of helping students and families in this way reignited my love for teaching and special education. 

I cherish every, ‘thank you,’ every ‘I so appreciate this,’ and every ‘thanks for taking the time to help us,’ on a whole new level. 

Heather