Maternity Leave FAQs
Allison Bartlett, Esq., the Senior Manager of Disability programs, will be on maternity leave from November 2023 – Mid–February 2024. This is the last blog post of 2023.
What does this mean for the disability program?
The disability program is not going anywhere! The disability chat webinar series will take a short hiatus, but all the previous disability chats are posted online and can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLQmMRDsNEY1R6kYm2Q7xKuBJYb1pEjz0.
The weekly disability blog will also be on hiatus, but all past posts can be found here: https://hdsa.org/disability-tips/
All disability resources, guides, general information, and helpful links will still be available on the website: https://hdsa.org/find-help/healthcare-and-future-planning/disability-benefits-and-hd-2/.
What does this mean for families?
Families will still have access to all the disability program resources, but they will not have access to direct email or phone consultations with Allison until she returns from maternity leave. This means assistance will be limited, and families may not have all of their questions answered.
What kinds of questions do the disability resources answer?
There is a wealth of disability planning and Social Security disability application information included in the online resources and disability chat webinars, including:
- Information about life, disability, and other insurance;
- Information on insurance planning;
- Timeline for disability planning;
- What to include in disability planning;
- Information about when to stop working;
- Information about work accommodations and disability rights;
- Social Security disability basics;
- How to collect evidence for your Social Security disability application;
- What information to include in the Social Security disability application;
- How to complete the online Social Security disability application;
- How to complete the online Social Security disability appeal; and
- Sample medical letters and support letters from friends and family.
Who can families contact with disability questions?
Families should contact their Center of Excellence social workers or their chapter/affiliate social workers. You can find your closest social worker, lawyer referrals, and other resources here.
