Protecting Rights While Planning for the Future
As individuals with disabilities approach adulthood, families face urgent and often misunderstood decisions about legal decision-making authority. This webinar provides a clear, balanced examination of the options available — and emphasizes the importance of choosing the least restrictive approach that genuinely meets the individual’s needs.
Topics covered include:
- What legal capacity means and how it is evaluated
- The difference between Power of Attorney and Guardianship
- Types of guardianship — limited vs. plenary, guardian of the person vs. guardian of the estate
- Supported Decision-Making — what it is, how it works, and why it matters
- Pennsylvania’s supported decision-making framework and how it has evolved
- The role of Representative Payee for SSA benefits
- Why guardianship should not be the default — and what alternatives exist
- How decision-making structures affect SSI, Medicaid, and waiver administration
Ideal for: Families of transition-age youth approaching 18, disability attorneys, school transition teams, Support Coordinators, and self-advocates.
In a landmark 2017 case, the Supported Decision-Making Agreement Act, Delaware became one of the first states to formally codify supported decision-making into law — a model that Pennsylvania and other states have increasingly moved toward as an alternative to plenary guardianship.
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