ChSNC study plan
ChSNC · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Introduction to Disability and Lifetime Planning (HS 375)
Define disability using the major conceptual models (medical, social, biopsychosocial) and explain how each model changes planning priorities
Distinguish the eligibility logic of SSDI versus SSI, including work history, income and resource limits, and the five-month waiting period
Map the sequence of SSA disability determination steps from initial application through reconsideration, ALJ hearing, and Appeals Council
Build a personal glossary of at least 30 terms spanning disability definitions, benefits, and lifetime planning vocabulary
Your checkpoint
A one-page comparison chart of SSDI vs SSI (eligibility, funding, waiting periods, Medicare/Medicaid linkage) plus a 30-term glossary
Introduction to Disability and Lifetime Planning (HS 375)
Explain how lifelong support needs drive the shift from crisis planning to proactive lifetime planning
Identify the roles of family, school transition teams, vocational services, and government benefits in a lifetime support plan
Describe how special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and guardianship or supported decision-making interact in a lifetime plan
Summarize the purpose and structure of a letter of intent
Your checkpoint
A written 10-year timeline for a hypothetical family, marking key transition points and the planning action required at each
Legal and Financial Issues for Special Needs Families (HS 376)
Compare guardianship, limited guardianship, conservatorship, and supported decision-making alternatives on rights retained and court involvement
Explain the purpose, parties, and funding mechanics of a special needs trust, including first-party versus third-party trusts
Apply the SSI resource rules to determine whether a given trust or account is countable
Outline the estate planning documents a special needs family should have in place
Your checkpoint
A case analysis of two contrasting family scenarios, recommending an appropriate trust type and decision-making structure with justification
Introduction to Disability and Lifetime Planning (HS 375) & Legal and Financial Issues for Special Needs Families (HS 376)
Integrate benefit eligibility rules with legal planning tools by solving multi-step scenarios that combine SSI, trusts, and guardianship
Explain the ABLE account rules on contributions, qualified expenses, and interaction with SSI and Medicaid
Identify the tax treatment of special needs trust distributions and ABLE account earnings
Diagnose common planning errors such as commingling assets or naming a beneficiary outright
Your checkpoint
A 20-question self-written practice set covering Domains 1 and 2, with answer rationales, scored at 80 percent or better
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain, without notes, how the disability model chosen shapes the lifetime plan and name the four core planning tools
Week 4: Score 80 percent or higher on the self-written Domain 1 and 2 practice set and correctly classify five trust scenarios as countable or non-countable