Compassion. Knowledge. Tenacity. These are words used to describe Colleen’s work in advocating for individuals with disabilities.
Having a loved one with disabilities (or having disabilities yourself) can be incredibly challenging in ways that only you know. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. Colleen understands - she has spent years working with and advocating for people who are challenged with disabilities.
Within five minutes of meeting her, you’ll know you’re in great hands. Her calm, kind, and understanding demeanor will assure you that you’re working with the right person to make plans for your future.
Colleen can show you how to use a Special Needs Trust to maintain and improve your quality of life, and to protect your money so you can afford the care you need for the long run. She knows public benefits inside and out and can guide you through the eligibility process in a way that won’t jeopardize your eligibility for government benefits.
Before joining us, Colleen was with PLAN of CT where she worked with families and their attorneys to determine the appropriate trust type for the families’ given situation. She also worked with the Connecticut State Department of Education where she represented students in the care of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF). In this role, she advocated for children with special education needs - filing complaints, performing record reviews, and communicating with various agencies and providers.
In her spare time, Colleen enjoys the outdoors and often hikes and camps. She’s an avid reader and has been spending years trying to teach herself the French language.
What She Does:
-Special needs planning
-Medicaid applications
-Public Benefits assessment and counsel - including Medicaid, state and federal Medicaid waiver programs, Money Follows the Person, and Community First Choice
- Estate Planning
- Elder Law
- Probate
- Special Needs Planning
- Medicaid & Public Benefits
- Disability Planning
- Connecticut
- English: Spoken, Written
- Associate
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC
- - Current
- Trust Coordinator
- PLAN of Connecticut
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- Surrogate Parent
- CT State Department of Education: Special Educational Law and Advocacy
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- Attorney
- Law Office of Gerry McMahon, LLC
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- Pro Bono Attorney
- Lawyers for Children America
- -
- University of Connecticut School of Law
- J.D. (1995)
- Bates College
- B.A. (1992)
- CT National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
- Board Member
- - Current
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- North Central Area Agency on Aging (NCAAA)
- Secretary
- - Current
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- Connecticut Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Elder Law Section
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- SPEdConnecticut
- Vice President/Parent Advisor
- -
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- Dyslexia Society of CT
- Former Secretary
- -
- Activities: Conference Co-Chir
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- Special Needs Planning During the COVID Era
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Stop Cleaning Your Closet! Do These 5 Steps First
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Special Needs Planning: Choose a Trustee with a Network
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- 5 Things to Think About When Your Child With Special Needs Turns 18
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Budget Changes to Affect Medicare Savings Programs
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Pooled Trusts , CT Community Care presentation , Bristol, CT
- CCCI
- Pooled Trusts , Agency on Aging Professional Update , New Haven, CT
- Agency on Aging of South Central CT
- Special Needs Planning and ABLE Accounts , Brookfield SETPA Meeting , Brookfield, CT
- Special Education PTA
- Maximizing Recovery: A Litigator's Guide to Basic Tax Issues , CT Bar Association CLE , Hartford, CT
- CT Bar Association
- Website
- Colleen E. Masse's Website Profile
- Website
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC
- Blog
- Connecticut Estate Planning Attorneys Blog
- 5 Tips for Successfully Riding the Pandemic’s Rollercoaster
15 September 2020 - 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
10 September 2020 - Downsizing: 6 Easy Steps to Success
3 September 2020
