MAKING CONNECTIONS CENTRAL TARRANT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 9:00 A.M. - 1 P.M.
M.G. Ellis Elementary School ♦ 215 NE 14th St., Ft. Worth, 76164
Making Connections Resource Fairs bring together the disability resources in our community to one, easily accessed location for families and caregivers to collect information and learn about benefits and services each provide.
Attend Breakout Sessions and Visit with organizations providing services for:
Medicaid Waivers, Social Security, Guardianship/Supported Decision-Making, Behavioral Health, Transition & Employment Services, Homelessness, College Programs, Assistive & Adaptive Technology, Special Needs Trusts / Wills, Assisted Living / Housing, Financial Planning, Recreation & Leisure, Therapy & Camp Providers, Respite/Day Habilitation, and more
Special Thanks to All of Our Sponsors:
Aging & Disability Resources Center Tarrantwww.unitedwaytarrant.org/aging-disability-resource-center
Be An Angel
Caregiver, Inc.
Cook Children's Health Plan
Lone Star Dental and Braces
lone-star-dental.edan.io/
Small Hands Big Hearts Pediatric Therapy
Soundly Speaking Therapy Services
www.soundlyspeakingtherapyservices.com
Star Medical Specialties
The Self Determination Group
email: thesdg@thearcofdfw.org
Urban Village Family Services
facebook.com/Urbanvillagefamilyservices
The IDD Council is proud to partner with Fort Worth ISD to host “MAKING CONNECTIONS” CENTRAL TARRANT
To All Presenters, Exhibitors,
Sponsors, and Donors:
WE THANK YOU!
Together we are Making Connections to disability resources in our great community. Thank you for your support!
Making Connections Central Tarrant Highlight Sponsor
Schedule (Subject to change)
9 A.M.
Visit with a variety of Exhibitors providing services and resources for people with disabilities and their families
9:45 - 10:30
Choose to attend a breakout session on:
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Homeless Education Linking Partners
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Special Needs Trusts, Wills, and ABLE Accounts
11:00 - 11:45
Choose to attend a breakout session on:
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The ARD Process
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Sexual Health Education and Puberty
12:00 - 1:00
Choose to attend a breakout session on:
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Guardianship: Rush to the Courthouse or Last Result? (most useful for caregivers with children 17 or older)
-
Achieving a Better Life Experience (Texas ABLE) - How to Save Money While Protecting Your Loved Ones Benefits
12:30
Exhibitor Hall Closes
Session Descriptions:
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Homeless Education Linking Partners
Description forthcoming. By Itzia Oscos and Alysia Castillo
Special Needs Trusts, Wills, and ABLE Accounts: Saving for your Loved Ones Future
These essential tools help securing the financial future of individuals with disabilities. Learn how these tools can work together to preserve benefits, promote independence, and ensure peace of mind for families and caregivers. Whether you're just beginning to plan or looking to update your strategy, this presentation will provide practical guidance and expert insights to help you make informed decisions. By Jason Amon, P.C, The Law Office of Jason Amon.
11:00 - 11:45 a.m.
The ARD Process
This session will provide an overview of the ARD process so that parents will be prepared to participate at every stage of the process. Participants will gain an understanding of the ARD meeting agenda, as well as their procedural rights and responsibilities. By Christy Balraj, Partners Resource Network
Sexual Health Education and Puberty
This session will help parents and youth strengthen their bonds during puberty by exploring emotional and physical changes, encouraging open communication, and promoting sexual health, safety, hygiene, and preventative care. Participants will leave with practical tools to support healthy development and well-being. By Dr. Michael J Parker, PhD, James Turnage, LPCS, and Laura Golden, OTR, ODT.
Noon - 1 p.m.
Guardianship and Alternatives: What is Best for My Child?
An overview of the laws applicable to guardianship in Texas, the evidence and standard of proof needed to obtain a guardianship and the many alternatives to guardianship. By Judge Brooke Allen, Tarrant County Probate 2 Court
Achieving a Better Life Experience (Texas ABLE) - How to Save Money While Protecting Your Loved Ones Benefits
The Texas ABLE Program allows eligible individuals with disabilities and their families to save for long-term goals and disability-related expenses without affecting their eligibility for essential benefits like SSI and Medicaid. ABLE Accounts offers tax-advantaged growth and flexibility for qualified disability expenses, including housing, food, transportation, education, and personal support services. By Vanessa Goodson, Texas Comptroller’s Office.
About our Presenters
Judge Brooke Allen
Tarrant County Probate Court #2
Judge Brooke Allen serves the citizens of Tarrant County, Texas, as judge of Probate Court No. 2. The Court hears estate, guardianship, and civil mental health matters in addition to any civil matters ancillary to an estate or guardianship. Appointed in 2016, and re-elected in 2018 and 2022, Judge Allen has streamlined the docket, reduced the Court’s budget by more than 5%, and been a voice for ensuring litigants Constitutional rights. In addition, she has tried numerous jury trials in both probate and ancillary matters such as wrongful death, medical malpractice, and breach of fiduciary duty. With her team of 13, Judge Allen has reached numerous citizens throughout Texas educating them on the importance of estate planning, the Texas guardianship laws, and civil litigation in general. When not in court, you might find Judge Allen on the court playing tennis or coaching the “Killer Puppies,” her daughter’s basketball team. She’s married to Cameron Allen, a sergeant with the Dallas Police Department. To learn more about Probate Court No. 2, please go to: Probate Court No. 2 (tarrantcounty.com). To learn more about Judge Allen, please go to www.JudgeAllen.com
Jason Amon, M.Ed., J.D.
The Law Office of Jason Amon, P.C.
Jason Amon is Owner and Principal Attorney at The Law Office of Jason Amon, P.C., a firm focused on comprehensive Estate Planning, Probate and Limited Liability Company formation.
Mr. Amon earned a Juris Doctorate from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, now Texas A&M University School of Law, graduating in the top 10 of his class. While there, he participated in Client Interviewing & Counseling, and Moot Court competitions and was a member of Phi Delta Phi academic fraternity. He earned a master’s degree in Secondary Education from The University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Texas Christian University. Prior to opening his law office, Mr. Amon was a teacher of Advanced Placement Macroeconomics at Haltom High School. He has a broad range of business and technical experience including financial software design and project planning. Mr. Amon was voted 2023 Best Lawyer by the readers of FW Weekly. He is a 2019-2020 Leadership ISD Civic Voices Fellow, and he has served several volunteer roles including the Near Southside Development Committee, Cook Children’s Hospital Parent Advisory Council, and the Fairmount Neighborhood Association Director of Infrastructure. He is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a board member of the Tarrant County Probate Bar Association. The Law Office of Jason Amon, P.C. was founded in 2011 in the Near Southside of Fort Worth. Owning a small firm allows Jason and his team provide personalized service and practice law in a way that is consistent with their values. Call to schedule a no cost, no obligation consultation with an attorney.
Vanessa Goodson, MBA
Texas Comptrollers Office
Vanessa Goodson has worked for the Texas Comptroller’s Office for 6 years and currently serves as the Outreach Specialist for the state’s new Texas ABLE Program. She earned a master’s degree in business from Grantham University. She has 9 years of service with the State of Texas including serving as Business Specialist for the Office of the Governor. Previously, she managed several large-scale Central Texas businesses and served six years in the United States Air Force.
Itzia Oscos-Wilson
Coordinator | Special Programs Department, Fort Worth ISD
Bio
Allysia Castillo
Coordinator | Special Programs Department, Fort Worth ISD
Bio
Dr. Michael Parker, Ph.D.
.
Michael J. Parker, PhD is a licensed Psychologist and Specialist in School Psychology with 44 years of experience in both clinical and educational settings. He served as Director of Psychological Services for Fort Worth ISD and as Senior Clinical Director for MHMR Tarrant Disability Services. A past President of the Texas Association of School Psychologists (2006), Dr. Parker was honored in 2014 with the association’s award for Outstanding Services to the Profession. His career is distinguished by a long list of presentations, interviews, and leadership in advancing psychological services in Texas.
James Turnage
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County
James Turnage, M.A., LPC-Supervisor, serves as the LIDDA Network Director of Intake and Eligibility Services at MHMR of Tarrant County. He brings extensive experience in counseling and administration across diverse settings, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and offender treatment programs, substance use outpatient services, crisis centers, community mental health facilities, and disability support programs.
A graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, James holds a Master’s degree in Community Counseling. He has been with MHMR of Tarrant County for over 20 years and is a published author, contributing to the book "Humanistic Sandtray Therapy: The Definitive Guide to Philosophy, Therapeutic Conditions, and Real Relationships" by Dr. Ryan Foster.
James also serves as the clinic liaison for the Purple Wellness and Counseling Clinic, a collaborative initiative between MHMR Tarrant and Tarleton State University. Since 2017, he has mentored counseling interns from Tarleton State, sharing his passion for working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
He is trained in a wide range of therapeutic approaches, including: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), Trauma-Informed Motivational Interviewing, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). James is also a proud member of the North Central Texas Counseling Association.
Dr. Laura Golden
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County
Laura Golden is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist in the state of Texas. She is the System Director of Transition and Teaming at MHMR of Tarrant County, which provides services and support to people of all ages with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Tarrant County. She is a member of the Transition Support Team, which supports Betty Hardwick Center, Center for Life Resources, Helen Farabee Centers, and Pecan Valley Centers. Areas of expertise include intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, trauma, and dementia.
Christy Balraj
Partners Resource Network