Mana Consulting, LLC

An Educational Advocacy & Consulting Firm

Meet the Advocacy Team

  • Samantha Boutin

    Licensed Professional Counselor and School Psychologist

    Samantha has worked in school systems throughout Connecticut and in private practice providing crisis intervention, clinical-based counseling, mindfulness, yoga practice, peer mediation, and de-escalation to children and adolescents. Specializing in trauma/PTSD in children and adolescents, Samantha hopes to bring this knowledge to help train, consult, and evaluate; working closely with interested school districts throughout the state and help provide academic and special education-based recommendations, while connecting students and families to outside resources.

  • Laura Abbatemarco

    Licensed Clinical Social Worker

    Laura is a clinical social worker who has worked with children and young adults in hospitals managing psychiatric crises, worked in sexual assault clinics, domestic violence agencies and therapeutic schools, and maintains a clinical private practice. Laura is adept at at-risk assessments, case consultations, and working with school districts to help train school staff with her expertise and experience, and provide a trauma-focused clinical lens to help support and connect students and families in need to resources.

  • Christen Papallo, Ed.D

    Christen is a special education professional and university professor who has served as a special education teacher, department chair, district special education coordinator, and Director of Pupil Services in Connecticut. With extensive experience developing IEPs, chairing PPT meetings, overseeing special education programs, and supporting district compliance, Christen brings a unique understanding of how school systems operate. Her work in higher education and research focuses on inclusive practices and the least restrictive environment. She is passionate about helping families navigate the special education process, advocate for appropriate services, and build collaborative relationships with school teams to support student success.

  • Amy Swabby

    Description goes here

Services Offered for Parents

  • File Review & Parent Coaching

    Review of current files, IFSP/504/IEP and recent progress reports; strengths, gaps, compliance, concerns, questions to ask the district.

  • PPT Meeting Prep

    Build your list of requests for the PPT, and ensure the programming for your child is comprehensive and appropriate for the student’s needs.

  • PPT Meeting Support & Attendance

    We attend the PPT meeting in-person or virtually, and send a follow up summary to the parent.

  • Evaluation Reviews and Recommendations

    An advocate will review both educational, or outside/clinical evaluations of your child, and provide recommendations and next steps from the results, including referrals for diagnostic/treatment/therapeutic services.

  • Assistance Drafting School Communications

    Review your drafted correspondence or draft it for your review.

  • Private SPED School Placement Consulting

    Review outplacements with the parent and attend school tours to find the best fit for the child’s presenting needs.

  • Transition Planning for Post-Secondary/College

    Assist families with post-secondary transition planning, including the child’s accommodations and needs.

Services Offered for School Districts

  • Professional Development

    Laura and Samantha can provide all school staff with training in understanding trauma and PTSD, behaviors associated with PTSD, potential comorbidities of additional psychiatric diagnoses, and provide strategies and interventions that are trauma-informed and within scope of practice. We also provide trainings on a wide variety of topics that can be tailored to district needs. We can provide training in a professional development, school or district wide training, or provide it in a more intimate and casual setting with individual or small groups of staff within schools.

  • Case Consultation

    Laura and Samantha can meet with administration and staff to perform case consultations regarding individual students who are in need of extra help and support. We can provide feedback, alternative interventions and strategies, working with parents, provide psychoeducation, or offer outside resource recommendations.

  • Comprehensive Evaluations

    Via our evaluation, we work to uncover the etiology of a child’s behaviors, and possible social, emotional, medical and economic factors impacting a child’s functioning, to understanding the true needs of a child or family system. This in turn helps drive the potential diagnoses and drives our recommendations for interventions and support services. Our recommendations are not done in isolation, but in conjunction with school personnel and family to ensure that whatever is recommended is agreed upon and sustainable for the school, student, and their family.

 

Get in touch

If interested in our educational advocacy & consultation services, please fill the form out below and we will reach out to you to get started.