GGAT 2015

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Basic Housing Law with Rachel Allen -In this session we will discuss the wild world of rental agreements, tenant remedies, the eviction process, and resources for tenants in Vermont.

Long Term Care Benefits with Jackie Majoros -This session will review the continuum of long term care services in Vermont and identify the services, clinical criteria and financing for each long term care option. It will also explore some of the challenges that individuals, family members, and advocates should be aware of when they access long term care services for themselves, a loved one or a client.

Renewing Health Coverage on VHC: Top 10 Tips with Christine Speidel & Marjorie Stinchcombe-The Vermont Health Connect (VHC) rollout in 2013 was bumpy to say the least, and problems have persisted through 2015. As a result of the confusion, Vermont postponed Medicaid  reviews for VHC populations. Vermonters above the Medicaid income limit struggled with plan selection, billing, terminations, and renewals, and with reconciling their premium subsidies with the IRS. This session will give you tools to help clients with renewals and reviews of health insurance obtained through VHC, including Medicaid for Children and Families and Qualified Health Plans.

Changing Perspectives with Sam Drazin-This training challenges participants to change their perspectives on people with differences and gain an understanding on the difference between empathy vs sympathy. We will explore topics such as perspective taking, building meaningful connections and working with diverse populations. This course will be discussion-based with many opportunities for participation.

Estate Planning Myths and Traps with Jacob Speidel - This session will describe common myths about estate planning that can harm seniors.

Harassing, Bullying and the Law with Jean Murray - What can you do if you don’t feel safe in school? What if you have been accused of threatening others’ safety at school? This session will explore these questions and provide resources to help you discuss the options with your clients.

Basic Debt Collection Defense with Laura Bierley & Angele Court-This session will cover what debt collectors and creditors can and cannot do to collect money from you, legal protections for assets and income, and the basics of bankruptcy.

Stump the Attorney with Rachel Allen & Stacey Francese - Bring your questions to a panel of Vermont attorneys. We'll do the best we can to answer them.

Subsidized Housing with Jessica Radbord-This training provides a comprehensive overview of federal housing programs, including public housing and Section 8 rental assistance. Topics will include how to identify types of housing subsidies, admission criteria, adverse agency actions, evictions and subsidy terminations, and notice and appeal rights. We’ll also cover special protections available for victims of domestic violence and accommodations for persons with disabilities.

Going to Court- Helping Self Represented Litigants with Laura Bierley-It can be very intimidating to go to court without an attorney, and yet most people in civil and family cases represent themselves. This session aims to explain some of jargon, rules and procedures in the Civil and Family divisions of the Vermont Superior Court.

Maximizing 3SquaresVT Benefits and Advocating for you Client with Drake Turner -Learn about under-used deductions that can increase 3SquaresVT benefits for your clients, with an emphasis on seniors and people with disabilities. This training will also have an interactive component where you will learn techniques to advocate for your clients throughout the benefits eligibility process.

Advocating for Individuals with PTSD with Barb Hermann -The session will provide an overview of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and co-occurring issues. Tools and resources for individuals impacted by PTSD and lay advocates working to assist them will be presented.