Transition: Guardianship and Alternatives Resources
Identifying Alternatives to Guardianship
The Transition Services Liaison Project (TSLP) South Dakota aims to help students with disabilities reach their maximum potential in their transition from high school to the adult world.
The project’s Alternatives to Guardianship Stoplight Tool can help with identifying a person’s ability to make decisions and manage key areas of life. It is intended to help with exploring alternatives and less restrictive options to general or full guardianship.
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for Transition-Age Youth in Care
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) provides information and resources for youth in care and their foster families to promote independence and self-sufficiency. The website includes information on the youth hotline, “Getting There” Tipsheets, a free, comprehensive service resource database for youth and families in Illinois and the Supporting Emancipated Youth Services Program.
Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission
The Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission protects the rights and promotes the welfare of persons with disabilities.
Contact (866) 274-8023 or (866) 333-3362 (TTY).
Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) provides plain-language, 24/7 tools in three languages so families can understand and assert their legal rights. ILAO helps people who are unable to find or afford attorneys open opportunities for justice. Its resources can help with crises such as eviction, debt, food insecurity, domestic abuse, deportation and divorce.
The ILAO also provides resources to help with guardianship, education, health and benefits and more.
National Resource Center on Supported Decision-Making
The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making is dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to make choices. Supported decision-making is a way people with disabilities can make their own decisions and stay in charge of their lives while receiving any help they need to do so.The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making can help you find information on supported decision-making, connect you with people and organizations that may be able to help you, and answer your questions.Prairie State Legal Services (PSLS) offers free legal services to people living in poverty, with disabilities, aged 60 and older across 36 counties in Northern and Central Illinois. PSLS provides legal help to protect survivors of domestic violence and help people facing issues impacting financial stability and serious housing issues.
See the PSLS General Services brochure for more details:
PSLS has 11 offices that serve 36 counties in northern Illinois. The resources page also provides references to self-help information. Visit PSLS’ website for more information, office hours and locations.
Self-Help Legal Assistance Clinic from Governors State University
Governors State University’s Self-Help Legal Assistance Clinic (GSU-LC) provides free self-help legal assistance and non-legal resources to low-income Illinois residents navigating the court system without legal representation. The clinic’s team of attorneys, social workers and volunteers works under the supervision of a licensed attorney and social worker to increase access to legal services in underrepresented communities. GSU-LC offers pro se and free legal assistance in the areas of family law, immigration, housing and expungement, and can help with:
- Understanding legal rights and laws
- Filing depositions, settlement negotiations and court appearances
- Reviewing and explaining court orders and filings
For questions, contact GSU-LC at (708) 235-7553 or email legalclinic@govst.edu.
Supported Decision-Making Act in Illinois
Illinois’ Supported Decision-Making Act ensures people with disabilities can get the help they need to make decisions for their own lives. The Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission has many resources to explain the Supported Decision-Making Act. These include:
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning aims to support and encourage adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families to plan for the future.
The Center provides reliable information and assistance to individuals with I/DD, their family members and friends, professionals who support them and other members of the community on areas such as person-centered planning, decision-making, housing options and financial planning.
The Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice
The Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice is a national resource center for youth with disabilities. Youth Voice, Youth Choice provides self-advocates, their families and supporters with advocacy, teaching tools for alternatives to guardianship, plain language resources and more. It offers:
- Videos and youth stories
- Alternatives to guardianship tools with stories and resources to help make tough decisions
- A plain language series featuring a wide variety of important topics
- The Youth Ambassador Curriculum for building leadership and advocacy skills
For questions, please contact the Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice by calling (617) 287 -4300 or emailing youthvoice@umb.edu.