Children with special needs can encounter a variety of government systems as they grow up. These systems are required to work with children regardless of their abilities, but it can be a challenge to ensure that your child receives what they need. Hiring an attorney can help you obtain the results that you want for your child.
Conservatorship
A young person with a disability will often require care and oversight into adulthood. Many young people will be unable to make basic life decisions or live independently due to their specialized needs. As your child approaches eighteen years old, you may want to consult an attorney to ensure that you or another adult can continue to provide for his or her medical, educational and financial needs as an adult.
Conservatorships can be tailored to the specific circumstances of your child and can be partial or full, so that your child retains as much control as possible. Other options may also be appropriate depending upon your specific circumstances. Contact an attorney at least three months before your child’s eighteenth birthday to ensure that you are prepared for your child with special needs to become an adult and to have little to no interruption in your ability to provide that care.
Conservatorship of an adult child is complicated when the parents of the child are divorced, and must be approached with care. Julia Spannaus has handled many of these difficult circumstances efficiently.
Foster Care
Many children adopted from foster care have special needs. These needs can change as children grow up. Consult Julia Spannaus today if you feel your child’s adoption subsidy needs to be updated, or if your child has emerging symptoms that you believe relate back to the reasons they entered foster care. Julia can help you navigate the paths to make sure your child has what they need to obtain treatment.
TennCare/Medicaid
If you or your child qualify, TennCare/Medicaid is required to provide your child with certain baseline services. If you believe you have been wrongfully denied a medical service, by TennCare, contact Julia Spannaus to review appeal options. You must act quickly because appeal deadlines are very short. General information regarding TennCare, published by the State, can be found here. Be sure you are informed before you accept a denial of necessary health services as a “final” decision.
Department of Children’s Services (DCS)
Children with special needs encounter DCS for a variety of reasons. Working with DCS can be a confusing experience. They are a large state agency with many statutorily mandated services focused on keeping children in or returning children to their family home. The transfer of custody of a child to DCS through voluntary placement, delinquency, unruly petitions or the removal and placement of a child with DCS can have far-reaching legal ramifications for you and your family. Consulting an attorney who understands this system can protect your rights during your interactions with DCS.
If you adopted your child out of foster care and your child’s special needs are greater than you anticipated, or you suspect you did not receive all of the information regarding their conditions at the time of adoption, consult an attorney. The DCS Adoption Subsidy Manual covers some of this information, but consulting an attorney can help you confirm whether you have the information and resources you need to successfully raise a child adopted from foster care.
DCS RESOURCES AND LINKS
DCS has many responsibilities and very specific rules to follow. If DCS is involved in your life, consult the policies they publish so you know what is supposed to be happening. The terms they use are sometimes confusing and have very specific legal or technical meanings. Consult the DCS Glossary to make sure you understand what is happening. An attorney can assist you with ensuring that policies are followed and that all appropriate options are explored for your family.
Primary Counties of practice: Blount, Knox, Loudon and Monroe. This includes the cities of Knoxville, Farragut, Alcoa, Maryville, Rockford, Lenoir City, Loudon, Townsend, Madisonville, Sweetwater, and all other communities within those counties.
Additional Counties of practice: Julia will travel to any additional counties in East or Middle Tennessee as needed for your case.
Contact Julia Spannaus now, at (865) 984-1923, to set up a consultation.