Part One: Guardianship and Conservatorship Basics

When working with people with cognitive, intellectual, or psychiatric conditions, professionals may consider guardianship or conservatorship as an effective tool to address vulnerabilities and ensure safety. Both guardianship and conservatorship have challenges and obligations that should be considered seriously before anyone enters into them. This workshop will provide an overview of guardianship, covering the court process from legal, ethical, and practical perspectives, including the benefits, the unintended consequences, and limitations of guardianship, overview of rights of people subject to guardianship, as well as considerations in terminating existing guardianships/conservatorships.

Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to:

• Define Guardianship and Conservatorship
• Describe the process for appointment of a guardian/conservator.
• Understand why guardianship/conservatorship is often not the best intervention.
• Advocate for appropriate use of guardianship as a last resort intervention

Presenter: Anita Raymond, Center for Excellence in Supported Decision Making

BELTSS MN26-6023