November Newsletter

I am thankful for you and the confidence you have in us, trusting that your clients will receive the highest standards of service.  

I am thankful for our 20 volunteer Board of Directors comprised of attorneys, financial experts, a physician specializing in brain injury, a social worker who represents a community service board and the family members who have loved ones with special needs, all giving tirelessly of their time and expertise.

I am thankful for the staff that has the heart and passion for our mission to serve people who are vulnerable, injured or have special needs.  Our team’s desire and commitment to meet clients’ needs are reflected in the high praise we get on our annual Satisfaction Survey.

I hope that you are thankful for many things in your life and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

Disbursement Decision-Making

Written by Ben Tiefenback Esq., Counsel and Client Services Director

CCT’s pooled trusts have served over 2,000 beneficiaries. Their assets are all “pooled” for investment purposes, but each beneficiary fund is tracked and accounted for separately. Access is available through a confidential portal on the CCT website or statements are mailed quarterly. The website also allows for submission and tracking of payment requests.

CCT acts as the administrator of our trusts, with the power to direct distributions, and bearing the same fiduciary duty as a trustee under the Uniform Directed Trust Act.

Since the trusts we administer are for the benefit of people who are vulnerable, injured or have special needs, carrying out that duty requires careful attention to each beneficiary’s specific circumstances, needs, and benefits. So what does that look like in practice, and how do we ensure we fulfill our duty?

National Presentation Opportunity

CCT’s Counsel and New Client Services Director, Rachel Baer, had the honor of presenting Using Pooled Special Needs Trusts As a Safety Net at the annual American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Conference in San Diego, CA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Will my client have a dedicated person to work with at CCT?

Answer: Yes, absolutely. CCT has a dedicated team of Client Services Coordinators (CSCs) who bring a client-centered approach to each beneficiary that we serve. Each beneficiary is assigned a specific CSC, who will work with the beneficiary or the beneficiary’s advocate to understand and respond to the beneficiary’s needs. Our CSC staff are professional, caring, and highly qualified – all CSCs have master’s degrees in either social work or education.

Our Client Services Staff Who Set Us Apart

Written by

Jessica Morris, LCSW

Client Services Clinical Manager

As Thanksgiving rolls around, we are again presented with the opportunity to recognize the positive connections in our lives. We at CCT pride ourselves on making and deepening personal relationships with clients and each other. We value these above purely transactional exchanges and are thankful year-round for the opportunity to build and strengthen bonds between our company and the people and community we serve.

In this same vein of gratitude, when asked what they are thankful for, our staff had the following sentiments to share.

I am thankful to work with staff who truly care about our clients and each other. That’s not something you can expect in every workplace, but it makes all the difference. – Whitney K.

I am thankful to work for a nonprofit that provides the opportunity to work directly with and improve the lives of our beneficiaries.  Positively impacting the lives of others is a very fulfilling experience. – Jessica R.

I am thankful for working at a company that gives us the opportunity to help people with special needs, help them maintain their benefits and serve as a friendly voice over the phone. I also have the additional blessing of being able to work with a group of people that are kind, intelligent and funny. CCT treats its employees as individuals and is considerate of our overall well-being and happiness. This doesn’t come by easily. – Susie H.

I am thankful to be part of an organization that helps people with special needs by administering their trust funds and gives back to the community with our Charitable Fund Award program. – Kaylan H.

Though the seasons change, CCT’s dedication to our community and staff remains steadfast. We are reminded that time and the people in our lives are precious. Therefore, we gratefullytake this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for those who support our mission, both internally and externally. CCT will continue to put our relationships and collaboration to the forefront of our day-to-day work.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. –John F. Kennedy

Conferences & Presentations

CCT proudly sponsored the 2023 Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Sources of Coverage Seminar. 

Pictured above are:

Craig Davis, Esq - CCT Board Member

Joanne Marcus, MSW - CCT President & CEO

Stephanie Grana, Esq - CCT Board Chair

Liz Reid - CCT Business Manager

Testimonials - Ben’s Story

Ben Tiefenback, CCT’s Counsel and Client Services Director, shares his testimonial about his journey to work at CCT. Pictured with Ben is  Shayna Parker, Client Services Manager.

In a word, I’d describe my journey to working with Commonwealth Community Trust as serendipitous. I am a trust and estate attorney by training and occupation.  A large part of my work involved helping people plan for the futures of their family. Frequently, that centered around loved ones – children, siblings, nieces and nephews – with special needs. 

I have a lot of personal experience with special needs as I have a sibling with a developmental disorder. When I was a teenager, I assisted in caregiving for a young man with severe cerebral palsy, and through much of my childhood my family was caring for my grandmother, who had suffered a severe stroke. 

Again and again in my work I found myself dealing with issues like this that emotionally resonated with me. I had clients whose children were dealing with substance abuse, which has claimed the lives of two of my friends and affected my own family. I had clients whose children struggled in other ways that people I love struggle with every day. 

All of this left special needs planning very much front and center in my mind. It is a field that is important to me personally, professionally, and spiritually. 

The course of my career took me from a boutique Hampton Roads estate planning firm, to a larger firm in Richmond with a broader practice. I learned a lot and retain close relationships with each firm I’ve worked at. I love the challenges and rewards of estate planning, I love getting to know families and helping them accomplish their goals, and I love the puzzle-like aspect of finding exactly the right legal tools for a specific client. 

What I found myself wanting was an opportunity to put my talents to work in a way that directly helped people with needs like those I saw first-hand in my own family. 

With that in mind, I reached out to Commonwealth Community Trust. My mentor in estate planning always spoke highly of CCT, and I wanted an opportunity to provide some assistance, whether that be pro bono legal work or something else. 

To my surprise, when I spoke to president and CEO Joanne Marcus, she told me that they happened to be looking for an attorney to serve as in-house counsel and lead their Client Services team. 

It was an opportunity I couldn’t overlook. Coming unexpectedly as it did, it felt like something that was meant to be. 

At CCT, as Counsel and Director of Client Services I work to provide answers to the numerous legal questions that present themselves while providing direction to our caring and professional staff who interact with our clients. 

It’s a pleasure and an honor to be able to apply the talents I was given towards a charitable cause that I support with all my heart, and I’m grateful to have been given the chance. 

Contact CCT

trustCCT.org

804-740-6930

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