Anita Saltzman contacted the Long Island Advocacy Center (LIAC) in 2001 as a parent/client who was seeking assistance with her son’s education. She worked with a LIAC advocate and together they obtained the appropriate accommodations to ensure her son’s access to the learning environment and academic success. In 2005, Anita landed a job at LIAC! With a new law in place, and the implementation of the Alternatives for Youth (AFY) Program, she began working as an education advocate for AFY. She believed in its mission from the outset; diverting youth from the juvenile justice system and working to improve family functioning by providing home-based crisis intervention and community resources. She provides educational advocacy services which include information, advice, representation at school related meetings, and interfacing with other agencies in the program to ensure a holistic approach to working with the families. Her goal is to empower the parents with information so that they can advocate effectively on behalf of their children's education, thereby improving the quality of life for their child. She prides herself on the relationships she has built over the years which ultimately benefit her clients. A lifelong learner, she returned to college to further her education, earning a paralegal certificate. In addition , she continues to strive to remain up to date on laws, practices and social issues that impact education. During these most difficult times, she is committed to provide parents with the educational advocacy support they need. You can contact Anita at: 631-988-6329 or at asaltzman@theliac.org
| Donna Hemphill holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Childhood Education and joined the LIAC team in 2010 as an educational advocate, working on several programs in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties. In Suffolk County, Donna was an advocate on the Person In Need of Supervision (PINS) Diversion Program and worked with students who had been referred to Probation by their school districts for truancy and/or incorrigible behaviors. She also worked on the Juvenile Delinquent (JD) Program, assisting youth who were arrested and charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses. She has also worked on the Client Assistance Program (CAP), in both Nassau and Suffolk County, assisting individuals with disabilities to receive Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services in order to maintain or obtain competitive employment. Currently, Donna works with students in Nassau County on programs through the Office of Youth Services and PINS Diversion, both of which involve advocating for students who are at-risk. Many of the youth she works with have experienced truancy, gang involvement, mental illness, substance abuse problems, and/or difficult behaviors. Donna has a specific interest in working with at-risk students and those with emotional disabilities as she first started to navigate the Special Education system on behalf of her daughter, to make sure she received the appropriate services in school. “My daughter has Bipolar Disorder so I have seen firsthand the impact mental illness has on a child’s education. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to assist other families as a LIAC advocate.” You can contact Donna at: dhemphill@theliac.org
|