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There is strong and growing evidence that people with disabilities are happier, safer, and healthier when they are empowered to make choices about their own lives.
People seek guardianship or conservatorship because they are worried about a loved one or a client. They are concerned that a person has an intellectual, psychiatric, or age-related disability and is having trouble making choices about healthcare or other matters. Guardianship and conservatorship are not the right tools for every situation.
There are many alternatives to protect the autonomy and well-being of adults with disabilities. The law requires that we exhaust those alternatives before moving to guardianship or conservatorship – the last choice option under the law. Even when a person has significant difficulty understanding choices, there are reasons why other options might be a better fit.
People with guardians and conservators are entitled to accountability from the guardianship and conservatorship systems, to be free from abuse, neglect or financial exploitation, to exercise the maximum possible autonomy, and to have their legal rights protected.
Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS) are part of a national movement for improving systems for supporting persons with disabilities, including specifically guardianship and conservatorship practices.
WINGS is multi-disciplinary, including judges and court staff, the aging and disability networks, the public and private bar, mental health agencies, advocacy groups, medical and mental health professionals, service providers, family members and individuals affected by guardianship, and more community members. WINGS is an ongoing group that continually considers “how adult guardianship is working in the state, where the pressure points are, and what solutions might work.” (National Guardianship Network)
Contact us to learn more about WINGS and how to get involved, including training and educational opportunities for community and professional groups. Click here for our upcoming events.
Minnesota’s WINGS was initially supported by grant funding from the National Guardianship Network. Current support for WINGS MN comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living through a grant to Volunteers of America Minnesota (VOA MN), to establish the Center for Excellence in Supported Decision Making and to support the work of WINGS MN.