Heather Graveline is a Family Advocacy Consultant and co-founder for Connecticut Advocacy for Resources and Education, Inc. She is a mother of two sons that have different disabilities and she is very passionate about empowering and educating other parents to be their child’s best advocate.

 

Heather believes in collaboration and communication between families, schools and service providers, to provide successful educational experiences. She has taken numerous workshops, advocacy & special education law trainings and she has been volunteering her time locally over the past five years.

 

Heather mentors families through phone, email, face to face consults and presentations for Eastern, CT families. She specializes in 504 Plan & IEP/PPT prepping and attending meetings, Special Education document organization, record review and local medical/mental health resources. 

 

Currently, Heather is a member of the PACT (Parent Advocacy Collaboration Team) in Plainfield, CT, an Admin for Sensory Friendly Movies at the Digiplex in Lisbon Landing, an Admin on “Special Kids of the Northeast” Facebook Group and also works for CT Family Support Network as the NE Region Support Group Coordinator and runs local support groups each month.

Jen Lussier is a Family Advocacy Consultant and co-founder of Connecticut Advocacy for Resources and Education, Inc. She discovered her passion for advocacy while advocating for her own two children with disabilities and special health care needs.

 

She is one of the founding members of the Plainfield Parent Advocacy Collaboration Team (PACT) where she began her advocacy training. Jen has attended numerous trainings, workshops and conferences pertaining to special education law, disabilities, mental health and advocacy. She also works on the mental health committee for the Northeast Early Childhood Council that serves Plainfield, Sterling, Killingly and Putnam. She is currently studying Psychology at Bay Path University.

 

Jen has supported families in 504 meetings and Planning and Placement Team meetings in all school levels (preschool – high school). She is committed to helping families create and maintain positive relationships with their school teams, and to empower them to effectively advocate for their child. 

Lisa Wickham is a Foster & Adopted Family Advocacy Consultant and co-founder for Connecticut Advocacy for Resources and Education, Inc. She has four children, two biological and two adopted. One of her children has disabilities. 

 

Lisa offers 18 years of successful, Verifiable Experience in Diversified Environments. She worked as a key contact for Department of Children & Families and provided 16 years of foster care through DCF and two years through Waterford Country School. Then she adopted her son that has special needs. 

 

Lisa managed and coordinated the schedules of over 100 foster children over 14 years and worked full-time. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise with child placement, child protection services, mentoring, court hearings and adoption and (TPR) Terminating Parental Rights. 

 

Lisa will be providing local support groups and phone support for families that are in the adoption and foster systems. Lisa also has experience in special education outplacement, PPT and 504 plan meetings, hospitalizations and local mental health resources such as: 211- EMPS (Emergency Mobile Services) and CHR (Community Health Resources) Care Management programs.