About Us
The Special Needs Guidance Group (SNGG) is a team of professionals with years of experience in the special needs community. Our roles are both professional and personal. Having our own family members with special needs has made us painfully aware of how difficult it can be financially, physically, and emotionally to provide the care they need. This awareness and our knowledge of multiple government programs have allowed us to help many families secure lifelong resources for their children and loved ones with special needs. While we specialize in the Florida Medicaid Waiver, we also offer advice and guidance about many other resources for your child.
Scarlett Kibbey, Founder & President
Scarlett is the founder of SNGG. Her experiences with her Uncle Fred, who has Intellectual Disabilities, introduced her to the special-needs journey from a very young age.
For most of his adult life, her uncle was completely independent despite his diagnosis. Several years ago, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and everything changed overnight. Suddenly, Scarlett’s mom and aunt were faced with caring for him while he was unable to work and while he was undergoing chemotherapy. Her family had no plans in place for this and had to search for every resource available to keep Uncle Fred safe and healthy.
Thankfully, he was able to receive Pennsylvania Medicaid Waiver services as well as Social Security and Medicaid. Today, Uncle Fred is in remission and, because of the Waiver, able to live the life of his dreams, on a farm, with the care he needs.
Scarlett’s experience with her uncle and her 11 years of work as a Florida Medicaid Waiver Support Coordinator inspired her to start SNGG.
She quickly learned that families need to plan for the future of their children with special needs, but finding help is difficult. Scarlett’s experience coordinating services with multiple government agencies allows her to help families avoid a caregiving crisis and provide a secure and successful future for their children with disabilities through the Florida Medicaid Waiver Program.
Carrie Hunsucker, Director of Operations
Carrie Hunsucker is the mother of an amazing child with an ultra-rare and very challenging condition called Bohring-Opitz syndrome. In 2016, Carrie struggled to get her daughter on the Medicaid Waiver Waitlist because Hazel’s syndrome is so rare. A year later, Hazel’s medical issues escalated, and Carrie desperately needed help caring for her. The state of Florida recognized that her family met the criteria for crisis services, and Hazel has been receiving Waiver and Medicaid services since 2017.
Carrie utilizes the CDC+ program, which gives her greater flexibility in choosing how Hazel’s Waiver budget is spent. Medicaid provides private duty nursing for Hazel, incontinence supplies, and is the Hunsuckers’ secondary form of medical insurance.
Carrie co-founded the Bohring-Opitz Syndrome Foundation in 2015, and in 2019 she established Our Exceptional Tribe, an online support group and website dedicated to empowering mothers of children with special needs. She joined the Special Needs Guidance Group in 2023 as the Director of Operations.
Carrie enjoys hiking in Central Florida, traveling as much as her life allows, and is an avid bookworm.
What We Do
The Special Needs Guidance Group (SNGG) helps parents navigate the Florida Medicaid Waiver system. We educate families about applying for services, Crisis Status, and the CDC Plus program. We offer various formats for instruction including webinars and informational sessions, online courses, and one-on-one consulting.
We aim to meet each family in their individual step in the Medwaiver stages.