States are passing Supported Decision-Making laws across the country in an effort to assist persons with disabilities to be more engaged in decision making that affects their lives and supports. This program will cover the basics of Supported Decision-Making and how this might affect guardianships or conservatorships in your practice. We will also cover how the ElderCounsel and WealthCounsel 3rd party trusts have incorporated Supported Decision-Making principles for decades and how the SNT practitioner can work with clients and give beneficiaries a voice in how the special needs trust will be administered.

• The basics of Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianships/conservatorships.
• A review of key Supported Decision-Making statutes including California, Texas and New York.
• How to identify when Supported Decision-Making is practical for a particular client and how to handle situations where SDM is not practical.
• A review of WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel 3rd party provisions that incorporate Supported Decision-Making principles.
• How to use a distribution plan to give the special needs trust beneficiary a voice in the administration of the trust.