ABOUT US | Meet Our Executive Director Deborah Dorfman & Her Staff

MEET OUR STAFF

Welcome to the staff information page of Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT). We hope that you will take a few minutes to learn about the disability and civil rights experience that staff bring to the organization. There may also be a few other interesting details, too!

*photo of DEborah Dorfman, executive director*

Deborah A. Dorfman, Executive Director/Attorney

860-469-4463 | Deborah.Dorfman@DisRightsCT.org

Deborah Dorfman is the Executive Director of Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT). Deborah began work at DRCT on February 1, 2021.

Deborah brings almost thirty years of disability rights legal advocacy to her new role as Executive Director at Disability Rights Connecticut. Immediately prior to coming to Connecticut, she served as a managing attorney at the Northwest Justice Project, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, where she and her colleagues established a statewide, free special education legal clinic for low-income families with students with disabilities. There she also provided legal representation to individuals with disabilities on issues concerning housing discrimination and access to Medicaid-covered services. Before working at NJP she was a senior attorney at the Center for Public Representation (CPR) in Northampton, Massachusetts. There she provided technical legal assistance to the national Protection and Advocacy network. Along with her colleagues at CPR, she also co-counseled class action litigation with Disability Rights Texas and a private firm in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice to advocate for community services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in, or at risk of admission to, Texas’ nursing facilities. She also co-counseled with the CPR’s Legal Director, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, and a private firm to successfully advocate for the development of home-based services for children with mental health disabilities and autism. In her positions as the managing attorney for the Los Angeles regional office of Disability Rights California, deputy director of the Disability Rights Legal Center, and legal director for Disability Rights Washington, she participated in numerous successful class action and other systemic reform litigation for children with intellectual disabilities in the juvenile justice system, for individuals with co-occurring intellectual and mental illness inappropriately detained in state psychiatric hospitals, for individuals with mental illnesses in forensic mental health facilities, jails, and prison, and for individuals with I/DD receiving community-based Medicaid services.

Since beginning her career at the Mental Health Advocacy Project in 1992 in San Jose, California, Deborah has remained a passionate and committed advocate for individuals with disabilities, teaching mental health law at St. John’s University School of Law and New York Law School, and publishing articles on legal issues pertaining to forensic mental health services, involuntary medication, and civil commitment in several scholarly journals. Deborah is a graduate of New York Law School, New York University, and the University of California at Berkeley. She now looks forward to bringing this same level of passion and commitment to her new role as DRCT’s Executive Director.

Santina Sciaba-Douglas, JD*, Deputy Executive Director

860-469-4467 | Santina.Sciaba-Douglas@DisRightsCT.org

Santina Sciaba-Douglas, the Deputy Executive Director, has 20 years of experience in disability rights advocacy. Prior to becoming an attorney, she, a native Spanish speaker, was a Spanish teacher, translator, and interpreter. After graduating from Western New England University School of law, she began her legal career as a law clerk to the Judges of the Western Massachusetts Superior Court. She served as a Special Attorney General for the Massachusetts Department of Health’s Lead Program. Contemporaneously, she also represented individuals with disabilities facing involuntary treatment hearings, monitoring court-approved treatment programs, and serving as Guardian ad Litem through the Committee of Public Council Services in Massachusetts. Before joining DRCT, she was an attorney at the Center for Public Representation (CPR) where she represented close to 1,000 individuals appealing the denial of social security benefits at all levels of the administrative appeal process including Federal Court. While at CPR, she also represented students with disabilities at special education meetings as well as suspension and/or expulsion hearings. She is delighted to join DRCT and its work on behalf of people with disabilities.

*(Admitted in Massachusetts)

DARBY CASTIGLIEGO, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

860-297-4300 | Darby.Castigliego@DisRightsCT.org

Darby Castigliego joined DRCT in March 2020 as Director of Finance & Administration. Darby’s responsibilities include fiscal management and grant monitoring for the agency. Now in her eleventh year in the P&A network, Darby previously served in a similar capacity at Disability Rights Rhode Island.

Darby has primarily worked in finance and administration throughout her career which began in banking. She has spent the last 25 years in nonprofit finance and administration. Darby graduated summa cum laude from Bryant University with a BS in Business Administration, with concentrations in Accounting and Information Systems.

STEPHEN M. BYERS, ESQ., STAFF ATTORNEY

860-856-4164 | Stephen.Byers@DisRightsCT.org

For the past 38 years, Steve has been a public interest lawyer devoting his career to representing the most vulnerable among us. He has practiced in Wisconsin, Indiana, & Bridgeport, Connecticut. Repeatedly recognized for excellence in providing legal services to those in most need, he joins DRCT to use his advocacy skills and knowledge for the benefit of disabled residents of Connecticut. As of recent, Steve is a member of our Full Participation Team and has been providing legal assistance in creating Supported Decision-Making Plans for people with disabilities.

KASEY CONSIDINE, ESQ., Supervisory ATTORNEY

860-469-4470 | Kasey.Considine@DisRightsCT.org

Kasey Considine joined Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) in February 2018. She has been a part of the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) network since July 2016, when she joined Disability Rights Kansas (DRC KS). While at DRC KS she worked to protect the rights of students in special education, employees facing disability discrimination, and on behalf of clients facing systemic issues within Kansas’s mental health systems.

tom Cosker, Advocate

860-856-4159 | Tom.Cosker@DisRightsCT.org

Tom Cosker joined Disability Rights CT as an advocate in December, 2019. As a parent of two children, one who has multiple disabilities, he has been advocating for many years within the education system and for inclusion of all in his community. He has focused some of his effort on inclusive recreation opportunities in CT. Tom is the founder of a parent group as well as a special education advisory council in his hometown of Rocky Hill. He is also working to establish a Rocky Hill Committee for People with Disabilities in 2020. He is a graduate of the Partners in Policymaking class of 2017 and the Leadership in Education of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program in 2019. These programs together with his life experiences and his 8 years as a high school teacher propel his passion to advocate for people with disabilities and their inclusion in all facets of community life.

Sarah hernandez, self-advocacy and referral advocate

860-297-4300 | Sarah.Hernandez@DisRightsCT.org

Sarah Hernandez (she/they) is the Self Advocacy and Referral Advocate for Disability Rights Connecticut. In 2017, Sarah also crashed on political shores with the Women's Wave to become the first Deaf Autistic person elected to government in the United States. Sarah has over two decades of experience in supporting authentic development and engagement across the lifespan as a professional and occupational therapist. Sarah is an unrelenting advocate for neurodiversity, radical inclusion, and #STOPTHESHOCK.

Todd Jediny, Representative Payee Reviewer

860-469-6028 | Todd.Jediny@DisRightsCT.org

Todd Jediny worked as a Hartford Police Officer for 17 years. He enjoys hiking and spending time at lakes and the ocean with his family. He is very excited to join the DRCT team as part of the Representative Payee Program. His past investigative skills will go hand in hand with the work he will be doing under this program.

Jennifer Jenkins, senior Advocate

860-310-1633 | Jennifer.Jenkins@DisRightsCT.org

Jennifer Jenkins originally joined Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) as an advocate in January of 2018. Her background in special education along with her personal experience raising a child with a disability gave her a unique perspective to bring to DRCT. She is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking and LEND; experiences that taught her she has a powerful voice and a responsibility to use it to help improve the lives of people with disabilities. Jennifer later took on the role of Lead Advocate overseeing the intake and advocacy units until July of 2021. She returns to DRCT after a year serving as a family liaison at our partner organization, the UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Jennifer is looking forward to continuing her work to improve outcomes for CT residents with disabilities especially in the areas of competitive, integrated employment, inclusive education, and voting access.

photo of mary jane Keane, office manager — *photo of mary jane Keane, office Assistant*

Mary Jane Keane, Office Assistant

860-469-4405 | MaryJane.Keane@DisRightsCT.org

Mary Jane Keane is the Office Assistant at the Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT). Mary Jane has worked as a secretary, executive assistant and business manager in many different settings. For 20 years she worked for the State of Connecticut, including seven years as a secretary in the Legal Unit for the State of Connecticut’s Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (P&A). Mary Jane recently retired from the State of Connecticut and is ready to put her administrative and managerial skills to work at Disability Rights, CT.

SYLVIA MCGRATH, Representative Payee Program Manager

860-469-4459 | Sylvia.Mcgrath@DisRightsCT.org

Sylvia McGrath joined Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) in January 2019 as an Investigator. She comes to our agency with a Law Enforcement background. In 2001, she was hired by the Hartford Police Department. After graduating from the Academy she served as a Patrol Officer and held several positions within the Department to include: Field Training Officer, Street Crime Unit and Operation Safe City 2008 Initiative. In 2008, she was promoted to the Rank of Detective and was assigned to The Special Investigative Division. In 2013, she was assigned to Major Crimes Division, Burglary Unit. She was also a member of the Hispanic Officer Association for 14 years and most recently, held the position of Sergeant at Arms. She retired from the Hartford Police Department in 2018, and she is eager to put her Investigative skills to work at Disability Rights, CT.

Rachel Mirsky, Supervisory Attorney

860-297-4300 | Rachel.Mirsky@DisRightsCT.org

Rachel Mirsky joined DRCT in July 2021. She started her legal career in public interest law and brings this passionate and varied litigation experience to DRCT. Prior to DRCT, Rachel owned a law firm in New Haven where she represented clients with intellectual disabilities and who have mental health disabilities in need of improved access to housing, vocational services, and social security benefits. She also defended clients in complex criminal litigation. Her litigation experience includes being a public defender in two states as well as a family/domestic violence attorney for Connecticut Legal Services. She has successfully won state and federal trials, and hearings defending clients where mental health issues were a barrier to their success.

As an individual born with cerebral palsy, her personal experiences inform her continued drive to help others with disabilities. A native of Maryland, Rachel has also defended clients in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Kentucky in addition to Connecticut.

Priscilla russo, administrative assistant

860-297-4300 | Priscilla.Russo@DisRightsCT.org

Priscilla joined Disability Rights Connecticut in May 2022. As Administrative Assistant, Priscilla offers internal support for all members of the DRCT team. Prior to joining our staff, she worked in marketing and photography.

Outside of work, Priscilla enjoys hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities with her family.

Gina Teixeira, Esq., staff attorney

860-297-4300 | Gina.Teixeira@DisRightsCT.org

Gina joined Disability Rights Connecticut, Inc. (DRCT) in February 2024. She has over 20 years of experience representing people with mental health conditions in the community, on inpatient units, and at other institutions. She was a paralegal advocate for 8 years before she was admitted to practice in Connecticut in 2011. Gina has litigated cases in Connecticut in both state and federal courts, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and the Social Security Administration. She has represented clients in housing matters including requests for reasonable accommodation, lawful source of income discrimination, and eviction defense. Gina has advised many clients on probate matters including conservatorship, probable cause and commitment, forced treatment (medication and ECT) and successfully appealed a commitment decision, an ECT decision, and several conservatorship decisions.

Gina was an ESL teacher at New Haven Adult Education before she pursued a legal career. She speaks conversational Spanish and is fluent in Portuguese. Gina is excited to bring her experience to DRCT and to expand her work to the greater disability movement.

DIANE Thelwell, representative payee reviewer

860-469-4468 | Diane.Thelwell@DisRightsCT.org

As a Representative Payee Reviewer at DRCT, Diane is committed to promoting positive change. She analyzes and assesses cases involving vulnerable populations to ensure that beneficiary funds are managed properly. She approaches every case with a critical, nuanced perspective and with a deep sense of empathy.

Sheldon Toubman, Litigation Attorney

475-345-3169 | Sheldon.Toubman@DisRightsCT.org

Sheldon Toubman, a graduate of the UConn School of Engineering and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, comes to DRCT with 33 years of experience working for legal services programs in Pennsylvania and Connecticut (the latter for the last 31 years). Before that, he worked for a private law firm in Philadelphia, pursuing class action litigation seeking relief for consumers and individuals alleging exposure to environmental contaminants.

Throughout his career in legal services, Sheldon developed expertise in representing individuals seeking eligibility or specific services under the Medicaid program (called “HUSKY” in Connecticut), becoming knowledgeable about the state and federal laws governing this complex program. He also was lead or co-lead counsel in several federal court class actions against the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) under the Medicaid program, resulting in statewide court judgements or settlements benefiting tens of thousands of low-income individuals, including many people with severe disabilities.

He also developed expertise in using multi-forum strategies to advance clients’ access to health care:

Representation before state and federal courts
Lobbying before committees of the state legislature and state legislative leaders, state and federal administrative agencies, and members of Congress
Coalition building and development of consumer voices to support advocacy
Coordination of electronic and print media coverage

One such federal court case, DeSario v. Thomas, a class action challenge to DSS’s use of an exclusive list for determining coverage of durable medical equipment under Medicaid, resulted in the federal Medicaid agency issuing guidance, later codified in formal regulations, to all state Medicaid directors nationwide invalidating the use of such exclusive lists.

Sheldon also co-led a multi-faceted campaign over many years to replace risk-based insurers running the Medicaid program with non-risk administrative service organizations lacking any financial incentive to deny needed healthcare coupled with the broad use of “patient-centered medical homes” paid extra for coordinating healthcare, in a way promised but rarely provided under the old insurance company-run system. This changeover, implemented in 2012, has been to the benefit of hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees as the program has grown dramatically, especially since the Medicaid expansion authorized under the Affordable Care Act.

Sheldon is very excited to come to work at DRCT, both applying his expertise in Medicaid and developing new areas of expertise in anti-discrimination law, to serve individuals with disabilities throughout the state.

*Photo of Mike Whilby,* Strategic Partnerships Manager

Michael Whilby, Strategic Partnerships Manager

860-856-4158 | Michael.Whilby@DisRightsCT.org

Michael Whilby comes to Disability Rights Connecticut with more than 15 years of experience working in the Business/Finance, Legal, and Insurance fields. Over the past few years, Michael has worked to pursue his true passion of continued promotion of equal rights for people with disabilities. Michael continues to pursue his goal of cultivating, building, and maintaining positive & constructive relationships with individuals, their families, and community partners through outreach and training across the whole state of CT. Michael is the Chairperson for Disability Rights Connecticut’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.

Michael is a State Certified Recovery Support Specialist which qualifies him to advocate for individuals with mental health disabilities and substance abuse issues. He is also a Certified Recovery Coach Professional through the CT Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) organization and a Certified Mindfulness Facilitator through Copper Beech Institute of West Hartford.

He is also a graduate of the Partners in Policymaking class of 2019; a nationally recognized advocacy program, which developed his leadership skills in disability issues and a 2020 graduate of the CT LEND – Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program through the University of CT Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD).

Michael is a member of the Board of Directors at FAVOR Inc., a non-profit statewide family organization serving families, children, and youth dealing with a broad spectrum of behavioral and mental health needs. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for The Taste of the Caribbean Arts & Culture CT, Inc., and Copper Beech Institute.

Michael graduated with a B.A. in Legal Studies and a minor in African American studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and holds a M.S. Degree in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Meet Our Staff

WHO WE ARE