Bridging the Gaps of Education - A Webinar with Merrill Lynch

Branden R. Sacks

Vice President - Merrill Lynch

Branden is a Wealth Management Advisor with GSL & Associates. He joined Merrill in 2011. Branden, in addition to providing traditional advice and guidance, oversees special needs planning for the team, working with special needs families to help them coordinate the appropriate supports and services for their loved one into their estate and retirement planning goals. This includes the coordination of care, benefits planning, funding options, corporate trustee selection, employment and independent living.

He holds the following designations: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc; the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM℠, CRPC®; and the Chartered Special Needs Consultant™ (ChSNC™).

After graduating from The Hill School, Branden earned dual bachelor’s degrees in International Business and Spanish at Virginia Tech. Branden is involved with various charities and nonprofits that focus on helping adults and children with disabilities. He and his wife Amy live in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with their four children, Marilyn, Andrew and twin girls Elizabeth and Evelyn.

Brittney Yanchek 

Assistant Vice President - Merrill Lynch

Brittney joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2014. She works exclusively with the team’s special needs clients, drawing on her experience as a support coordinator. Brittney has experience helping families and individuals with disabilities to locate, coordinate and monitor services to see that all health, safety and individual needs are being met in order to support them appropriately. This includes the coordination of care, benefits planning, funding options, corporate trustee selection, employment, and independent living. She holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®) designation, awarded by the College for Financial Planning. Brittney dedicates part of her time to advocate and assist special needs families less fortunate than others. She is also involved with various charities and nonprofits that focus on helping adults and children with disabilities. She received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from West Chester University. She resides in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. 

Maria Vetter 

Education Consultant and Advocate - MyKidsLawyer

A versatile and devoted education consultant and child advocate, Maria Vetter has dedicated her career to children and their educational needs. She possesses a wealth of experience working with children who are challenged by special needs, with a primary focus on children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and language-based learning differences.  Maria also has considerable expertise in addressing a wide range of other needs and disabilities, including gifted support, traumatic brain injury, Fragile X Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Down Syndrome, Seizure Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Physical Disabilities and various behavioral issues.

She is accomplished in developing programs to accommodate the needs of children in private, public and parochial schools, camps, colleges and home settings, including training staff and family members. Maria has developed countless IEP and ESY programs and created innovative social outlets for children with special needs. As a provider of autistic support services for Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania, she helped design and implement the first full Asperger’s classroom program for the district’s elementary schools.

As an advocate, Maria works with families of students with special needs, from diagnosis and early intervention, to school age and transitioning out of school into independent living. She helps families understand the educational process and aids them in securing the specialized services their children require. She also supports parents and students by attending IEP meetings, conferences, mediations and team meetings to advocate for the students’ rights.

As an independent consultant, Maria assists with the implementation of programs in homes, schools, colleges and camps. She coordinates with families, home team members, school and camp staff to provide youth with an environment conducive to learning and supporting each child’s individual needs. Maria places a large focus on educational diversity in schools with inclusion. She has provided inclusion support to many students over the years and has trained paraprofessionals on the inclusion model and in the execution of that training. 

Alyssa Hernandez

Assistant Director of Programs - Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support

Alyssa Hernandez has been involved in the behavioral health industry for over a decade. She is no stranger to hard work, dedication, and business development projects for children with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Her background is extensive in the social service profession where she is rooted in working with individuals across the lifespan. Alyssa’s management style is hands on and supportive. She is known for her expertise in crisis management and behavior modification. She has had the opportunity to not serve youth directly, she also has immense experience of managing teams within in-home and residential settings.

Alyssa has an Associates of Arts and Bachelors of Science in Psychology. She has completed her post bachelor’s coursework at Florida Institute of Technology in Applied Psychology in order to complete her Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification. Alyssa obtained her Master's in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis and more recently obtained her BCBA certification. Collectively, her education and career have always focused on her passion for working with children and families. 

Alyssa prides herself on being a strong advocate for individuals who cannot speak for themselves. She strives to provide the ultimate individualized care for individuals of a variety of ages. Alyssa is excited to join the Kinney team to assist in moving the center forward with innovative and cutting-edge training, services, and residential and vocational programming.