Long Island Campus
Protecting What Matters: Wellness & Future Planning for Special Needs Families October 21, 2026 | 6pm-8pm REGISTER HERE
Parents and caregivers of children with special needs are often managing two challenges at once: the emotional weight of daily uncertainty and the practical urgency of long-term planning. In this insightful session, you’ll learn how combining practical mindfulness with expert special needs estate planning can create a holistic roadmap for your family’s well-being and lifelong security. Please see the Expert & Event Schedule details Long Island Campus 30 Deforest Road, Dix Hills, NY 11746
MEET THE EXPERTS Mitchell Weisbrot, CLU, ChSNC Mitchell joined MassMutual in 2011 after 16 years with Northwestern Mutual, where he helped develop its Special Steps program. A father of three sons on the autism spectrum, he is a Special Care Planner and currently one of only 906 Chartered Special Needs Consultants in the country. In 2013, he was presented with the “NY Mets Spirit Award” in recognition of his efforts to enrich the lives of individuals with disabilities, and in 2015 he received the Douglas R. Carroll Award honoring his professionalism and service. Andrew M. Cohen, Esq. (J.D., LL.M.) Andrew is the principal of the Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen, and has a daughter with special needs. He is a member of the NYS Bar Association and has been Part 36 certified as a Supplemental Needs Trustee, Guardian, and Court Evaluator. In 2006, he became a charter member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners. Andrew has served on the Long Island Board of Directors of Easter Seals New York, and he was named a 2022 Top Lawyer of Long Island and selected to Super Lawyers in 2023. Nishant Patel, LMHC Nishant is a licensed clinical psychotherapist and speaker based in Roslyn Heights, NY, with over a decade of experience helping adults move through anxiety, depression, anger, and fear. His practice centers on four pillars — honesty, meditation, inquiry, and biology — that guide clients toward greater self-awareness and freedom from reactive thinking. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, Nishant helps people question the thoughts and beliefs that drive their suffering, restoring a sense of presence and inner peace.
EVENT SCHEDULE PART ONE Key Legal and Financial Planning Strategies for Special Needs Families
PART TWO Finding Peace in Uncertainty: Practical Meditation Strategies for Mindful Living
KEY TOPICS INCLUDE: Government Benefits & Guardianship Navigating essential public support, critical deadlines, and legal decision-making options.
KEY TOPICS INCLUDE: Tools for Presence How to distinguish between simply noticing a thought and spiraling into overthinking.
Preserving Family Assets Understanding Supplemental Needs Trusts and ABLE Act provisions to safeguard financial resources without risking benefit eligibility.
Finding Your Center Uncovering the steady part of yourself that remains calm even when circumstances change.
Essential Estate Planning How to choose the right trustees, draft comprehensive wills, and write detailed Letters of Intent to guide future caregivers.
Reducing Reactivity Practical meditation techniques to meet the unknown with grounded peace—without needing to have all the answers right now.