Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income

Please join us on as we welcome two experts in the field of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provide an overview of these public benefits for Mito patients.  Topics to be covered in this conference call include:

• Overview of SSI and SSDI programs;
• The differences between SSI and SSDI;
• Social Security’s definition of disability as it pertains to mitochondrial disease;
• How SSDI is designed to work, eligibility criteria, and the full range of SSDI benefitts;
• The application and appeals processes for SSI and SSDI;
• Resources available to support SSI and SSDI applications and appeals processes;
• Information on SSI and SSDI benefits for adult disabled children;
• Returning to work after obtaining social security benefits (the “Ticket to Work Program”);
• Specific challenges for individuals with mitochondrial disease in applying for SSDI and how to address them; and
• The benefits of professional representation and how to evaluate representation options.

About the Speakers:

Annette Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law and Estate Planning for over fifteen years. She received her JD from Howard University School of Law, her MBA from Suffolk University and her BA from the University of Vermont. Her clients include individuals and families of children with special needs, the elderly and others in the community.

Ms. Hines is the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from mitochondrial disease in November of 2013.  Her personal experience as the mother of a child with special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her special understanding and dedication to her practice.

Prior to practicing law, she founded and directed the nonprofit home care company, Special Families-Special Care, Incorporated which created a new standard for caregiving and a greater pay scale for caregivers. After leading the company to $1.5 million in revenue and 50 employees, she merged it with Shriver Clinical Services Corporation of Natick, Massachusetts and shifted her focus to her law practice.

In addition to her membership in the Massachusetts Bar Association, she is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the National Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP) and the Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers (MAWL), serving most recently as President. Recognized as a Distinguished Citizen by ARC Massachusetts and cited for public service by both the Massachusetts State Senate and House of Representatives, Ms. Hines works tirelessly on behalf of people with disabilities. Ms. Hines served as President of the Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers for 2008-2009 and serves on the Board of Directors for a number of local non-profit organizations.

Tai Venuti has more than 20 years of health education, marketing, sales, community and public relations experience in nonprofit, government and corporate arenas. As Allsup’s manager of strategic alliances, she develops and grows relationships with organizations that share the company’s commitment to empowering people with disabilities to live lives as financially secure and healthy as possible.

Ms. Venuti is a former journalist and public relations executive. She previously managed national public health campaigns for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She holds a master’s degree in public health from St. Louis University, a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University, and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America.

Date: 08/07/2015
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