Genevieve Cornish

09/01/2026

🧩 Government benefits can be hard to absorb if you only hear about them once.

Like learning a new language, families are often thrown into a whole new world of acronyms, rules, laws, and terminology.

📚 Acronyms like SSDI, SSI, HCBS, DAC, and CDB

📝 Terminology like "self-settled," "third-party," "supplemental," and "pooled" in special needs trust planning

⚖️ Rules about what counts as income and concepts like "in-kind support and maintenance"

It's enough to make anyone's head spin 🤯 while trying to gather the knowledge needed to create an informed and meaningful plan for their loved one's future.

That's why we love partnering with organizations like the National Council on Severe Autism to support community education. 💙 Knowledge is power, and the more tools families have, the more confident they can be in planning for the future.

🗓️ Join us on Thursday, September 24th, and add valuable tools to your toolbox of support. Whether you're just getting started or looking to deepen your understanding, we'd love to have you there.

👉 Register today and take the next step toward building a stronger, more informed future for your loved one.

Pettinelli Financial Partners

Register for NCSA's free webinar on Government Benefits for Autism and Special Needs Families

This workshop is designed to help autism and special needs families reach a greater understanding of some of the different government benefits available. These benefits are discussed in detail in clear, concise language, including how to qualify for, and the differences between, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Medicare. As needed this webinar will be followed by others on benefits and special needs financial planning.

Sept 24, noon - 1 PM ET, includes live Q&A

Registration: NCSAutism.org/benefits

08/21/2026

We were honored to sponsor the Annual Doug Trangsrud Memorial Golf Tournament, helping support MAC’s amazing services and the families who rely on them. ⛳️💙

But honestly, the best part of the day wasn’t the golf—it was spending time with the people who make MAC so special, like Jen Diederich, MA, BCaBA, Sarah Monahan, Brittany Thompson, Christine Bent and the many other dedicated, heartfelt staff who show up with heart, compassion, and a shared commitment to creating a more inclusive world.

Here’s to 30 years of making a difference—and to many, many more! 🥂

Happy 30th, MAC Midwest! We’re so grateful to be part of the journey. 💙

Pettinelli Financial Partners

08/19/2026

Registrations are swiftly filling for The Autism Society of Minnesota’s 9th annual Jigsaw Puzzle Competition - register today to capture a spot in the most fun puzzling event of the fall.

On Saturday, October 3, they’re back, both in person in the iconic Huntington Bank Rotunda at Mall of America and virtually over Zoom. This exciting competition brings together puzzle lovers of all ages and skill levels for a day of teamwork, strategy, and spirited community connection.

Whether you’re a seasoned puzzler or just looking for a fun family activity, this event has something for everyone. Plus, teams can raise funds to support AuSM as another way to show off their puzzle pride, amplify their impact, and win prizes.

All teams will complete a 500-piece puzzle. Each division has a unique design.

🧩 4-Person Division (Beginner or Advanced) ⬅️ ALMOST SOLD OUT ⭐

8:30–10:30 a.m. | $60 per team

🧩 2-Person Division

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. | $60 per team

🧩 Free-For-All Division

1:30–3:30 p.m. | $60 per team

Any number of puzzlers—compete solo or as a team of two, three, or four.

We look forward to seeing you, so please stop by the Pettinelli Financial Partners information table to say hello!!!

REGISTER HERE: https://givebutter.com/ausms-9th-annual-jigsaw-puzzle-competition-2026-tnvomg

08/07/2026

For my Minnesota Families…FYI

07/29/2026

One of my favorite things in all the world is building community. Working for a firm that shares my passion of bringing clients together for fun and expanded relationships has been magical. Our bbq was inclusive of everyone, including those with disabilities and their support professionals. Take a peek…….

07/29/2026

Meaningful change happens when leading organizations come together to invest in new solutions that address real challenges faced by individuals and families affected by autism.

‼️The The BRAIN Foundation and Stanford Medicine are collaborating on an important initiative to address sudden behavioral changes in autism!

By combining research expertise, community insight, and a commitment to innovation, partnerships like this have the power to advance understanding, improve care, and create better outcomes for those living with autism.

💙 Together, collaboration and innovation can drive meaningful progress for the autism community.

For families who experience a sudden and severe neuropsychiatric deterioration in their autistic child, the journey can be heartbreaking. 💙 For too long, clinicians and researchers have lacked the shared standards and evidence needed to guide care.

Today, we're proud to announce the launch of the Aurora Research Network (ARN) in collaboration with Stanford Medicine. ✨

Backed by a $2 million commitment from The BRAIN Foundation, ARN will bring together clinicians, researchers, and families to build the evidence needed for better evaluation, care, and future clinical trials for autism-related neuropsychiatric deteriorations, PANS/PANDAS, and related conditions.

🧩 ARN will:

• Develop evidence-based consensus recommendations
• Build high-quality clinical datasets
• Identify meaningful patient subgroups
• Accelerate collaborative research across institutions

This isn't a promise of immediate answers—but it is a commitment to the rigorous, collaborative science that families deserve. 💙

👉👉Physicians & Researchers:
Aurora is inviting participation from physicians from medical centres and clinical research sites. To this date, twenty-one sites throughout the US have already joined the network. To visit our website for details on how to join https://brainfoundation.org/aurora-research-network-arn/

👉👉Parents & Supporters:
Your voice matters. We know how hard this journey can be. Together, we can build a future where no family faces these devastating changes without evidence to guide care. 🌟This initiative is about healthcare equity, clarity, direction and hope. If you are interested in supporting it, please contact us or consider making a donation. Your support will help advance research and improve care for individuals and families affected by autism and related conditions.

https://brainfoundation.org/aurora-research-network-arn/

07/22/2026

One thing I hear all the time is how isolating the journey can be when your child has unique medical or developmental challenges. As part of the subcommittee of the Peer-to-Peer Family Support Program, we are building community among parents to help break down the isolation and create meaningful connections that provide support, guidance, and that parent-to-parent referral network that is so important on our journey!

If you or someone you know is looking to meet more families, I hope you'll attend our information session to see if our group is right for you!

Family Achievement Foundation
Family Achievement Center

Are looking to connect with other families who are raising children with special needs or challenging medical diagnoses? Join our Peer-to-Peer Support Group to share experiences, get advice or simply build friendships and connections. Our next Peer-to-Peer Support Group is launching this fall.

Join us for our kickoff informational meeting on Wednesday, September 16th at 7 PM.

Register by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/UjcFHbAbMHHoNsGQ9 or emailing [email protected].

The peer-to-peer support program will then continue with pairs or small groups of families who share similar dynamics, challenges, and/or diagnoses, connected through the Family Achievement Foundation for those that continue to be interested. Sign up by September 4, 2026. To participate or get more information, email [email protected] or filling out this form: https://forms.gle/UjcFHbAbMHHoNsGQ9

06/26/2026

Back in Minnesota this week!

Our CEO Jon Pettinelli and I spent time supporting expanded resources for the special needs community—while also connecting with incredible organizations leading the way in inclusion.

From a Twins game to the Special Olympics USA Games Fan Zone, it was a week full of impact and inspiration.

👏 Shoutout to Lifeworks, Securian Financial, HealtheMed, Hope Filled Cafe, and the Joy Collaborative for driving meaningful change!

06/23/2026

⚖️ What’s happening with the Olmstead decision—and why it matters

For over 25 years, the Supreme Court’s Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) decision has been a cornerstone of disability rights.

✅ It says:

People with disabilities have the right to receive services in the most integrated (community-based) setting, not be unnecessarily confined to institutions. [hhs.gov]

🚨 What’s changing?

A new 2026 federal legal opinion argues that:

👉Olmstead does NOT create a broad requirement for states to provide community-based services

👉States may not be legally required to prioritize home and community care over institutional settings

Important:

👉 This does not overturn the Supreme Court decision

👉 But it signals a major shift in how the federal government may interpret and enforce the law

⚠️ Why disability advocates are concerned⚠️

This shift could lead to:

👉Less enforcement of the right to live in the community

👉More people being placed in institutions instead of homes

👉Reduced funding for home- and community-based services (this is where waivers and self-directed plans are funded)

👉Weakened civil rights protections in practice

Experts warn it could reverse decades of progress toward inclusion and independence.

💡 Bottom line

Courts still recognize Olmstead as protecting community integration

Federal stance is moving toward a narrower interpretation

Risk: Rights may exist—but become harder to access or enforce

✅ Disability rights are about more than services—they’re about freedom, dignity, and community belonging.

With the Special Olympics USA Games going on this week, it's a great opportunity to follow the stories of what inclusion really means and the value that all abilities provide our communities!

Pettinelli Financial Partners

Special Olympics

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05/21/2026

All it takes is one idea and the courage to take the first step without knowing the the whole staircase…..

That is what Tony Farah and Mark Ostrom did when buying a van and turning it into a sensory experience.

Their vision of support for families in any environment lead to accessible, mobile, sensory support. What started with one van has evolved into

❤️the larger Joy Zone,
❤️an opportunity to support the national Special Olympics games this June,
❤️and conversation to expand the impact in more communities.

One idea, that started with why, and was fueled by passion and personal conviction!

I’m so very proud of you both on this ribbon cutting!! Keep building the magic.





Mark Ostrom
Tony Farah
Joy Collaborative
Pettinelli Financial Partners