Calhoun Hosts Seminar for Parents of Special Needs Students

Editor's Note: This article was written by representatives of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District (BMCHSD) Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) and the Community Parent Center will host a “How to Protect your Child Legally and Financially” seminar for parents of special needs students on Thursday at 8 p.m. at Calhoun High School.

“In light of the recent deep cuts made to special needs funding at state and federal levels, parents cannot rely on government aid alone to provide for their children’s well-being,” said BMCHSD Transition Coordinator Cheryl Gitlitz, LCSW. “This seminar will provide the kind of expert advice that has become increasingly crucial to safeguarding assets and benefits for parents of special needs children.”

The workshop, offered by Andrew Cohen, Esq. and Mitch Weisbrot, CLU, ChSNC, addresses eligibility for government benefits, guardianship, estate planning and supplemental needs trusts.

Mr. Cohen and Mr. Weisbrot are fathers of Bellmore-Merrick children with disabilities who frequently lecture together on this subject matter.

In addition to being a member of the New York State Bar Association, Mr. Cohen is a charter member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners and a member of the Long Island Board of Easter Seals New York. Mr. Weisbrot, a special care planner at the Center for Wealth Preservation, is one of only eighty Chartered Special Needs Consultants in the country and a member of Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center’s Special Needs Advisory Committee.

For additional information, please contact Cheryl Gitlitz at 516-992-1349.