Seminar for Families of Adults with Disabilities

Join the Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Services (I/DDS) of JF&CS Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM for a morning of great information from experts in the financial, healthcare and advocacy arenas. 

We will have three presentations: two presenters in Finance, two presenters in Health and Wellness and one in Advocacy.

About our Presenters

Finance (Scott Jeffries and Laura Akins)

Scott Jeffries is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and a Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC) with Northwestern Mutual Goodwin,Wright. He specializes in comprehensive financial planning with a particular focus working with families that have children with special needs. Scott lives in Roswell with his wife and 3 children, one of which happens to have Down Syndrome. Scott has served various roles on the Boards of the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta, GiGi’s Playhouse, and InCommunity (Formerly GCSS of Georgia). Through his professional experience and practical experience as a father, he works to make sure families feel secure in their financial future and that of their children generationally.

Laura Akins practices in the areas of elder law, probate, and estate planning with Nadler Biernath. Laura assists her clients in planning for family emergencies, finding solutions for complicated mixed family circumstances, and for the end of life. After a loved one has experienced a catastrophe or passed away, Laura also helps clients navigate through the probate procedure and legalities.

As a native Atlantan, Laura appreciates the opportunity to serve her hometown community. With patience and empathy, she guides her clients through the often overwhelming estate planning or probate processes. Laura finds it incredibly rewarding to connect with her clients and make difficult circumstances easier.

Laura received a B.A. in History from the University of Georgia and a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University. She is an active member of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers and the Atlanta Bar Association. Laura serves on the board for the Elder Law Section of the Atlanta Bar and for the Threshold Community Program.

Health and Wellness (Kathryn Kopp and Keryn Benasuly)

Kathryn Kopp, LCSW is a Clinician with Aviv Older Adult Services. She offers encouragement, support, and guidance to older adults and their family members who may be struggling with various issues, including the aging process, chronic and acute illnesses, caregiving, role identity, grief, and loss. As a Social Worker, her experience also includes working in Hospice and Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, where she provided support and education to caregivers who were taking care of loved ones of all ages. The roles and responsibilities of caregiving are complex and challenging. No one should have to travel this road alone.

Keryn Benasuly, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who utilizes a strengths-based approach to help clients through various challenges including caregiving and aging. Before JF&CS, Keryn spent five years working with chronic and terminally ill and disabled adults and children. Keryn also provided counseling, support, and education to families and caregivers.

Advocacy (Heidi Moore)

Heidi J. Moore is a Parent Advocate for individuals with disabilities & childhood cancer research. She is proud mother to Jacob, who is 20 years old with Down syndrome, Autism & Leukemia Survivor. She is equally proud of Jared, who is 18 years old and plans to become a psychiatrist and help families of children with disabilities. 

Heidi’s format for advocacy is “Unite Our Voices”. She is one of Georgia’s most well known parent advocates for disabilities for over 17 years. She is on the executive committee for Georgia Council for Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council, and various non-profit boards across the State. She also runs a Facebook page with over 1,000 active members. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.