The Guardian Institute provides support to lay and professional guardians, and to individuals under guardianship.We develop solutions to meet the need for guardians for our very low income incapacitated individuals who have no family or friends and do not have funds to pay for professional guardianship services.
Studies show that many individuals with disabilities have been abused in some way during their lifetime and need an advocate.
With our aging population, the elderly are increasingly vulnerable to abuse and financial exploitation. These individuals need advocacy and competent oversight to stay as safe and as independent as possible.
The Guardian Institute stands ready to help those who help our most vulnerable.
Leah Rathwell
Get ready to play the Feud! Leah Rathwell, CPGC, will present results from our Guardian Institute conference registration "survey," and contestants will try to guess the top answers given by all our statewide attendees. We will reveal interesting demographic and CPGC business trends in Washington State, and will identify the most pressing challenges and concerns we have for our clients, our businesses, and as a profession. We'll also discuss the benefits of networking with other CPGCs and professionals in our field and present opportunities to do so at the GI conference and beyond.
Darryl Lynch
Managing Director-Investments at Oppenheimer Co. Inc
This presentation will take you step-by-step through the process and procedures of fulfilling your responsibilities as a conservator and reducing your liability at the same time. You will gain useful tools, techniques and samples forms to use as a guide when working with client's assets. These techniques will allow you to reduce your liability and learn industry secrets that most financial firms don’t want you to know
1. Participants will gain access to useful tools and standardized forms that they can use in their everyday practice to determine if they should invest client's funds or not.
2. Participants will learn procedures to help them determine cash flow distributions from investment accounts and how to calculate the appropriate level of risk
3. Participants will understand the most common mistakes to avoid when investing client funds and insider tips that most financial advisors don’t want you to know
Sharon Reich
Senior Trusted Advisor, AGED, Inc.
This presentation will explain the Social Security disability benefit system to explore the differences between Social Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Learn how disability is determined, what the differences and similarities are between each program, when each benefit comes into play, and how the programs relate to other areas of law. Practical information will be provided about optimizing benefits for a client and/or their family, maximizing healthcare benefits, and exploring interactions between benefits and other areas of the client’s financial world.
Frances Piekarski
President/CEO, Life with Dignity
Learn from this presenter’s decades of experience in working with people afflicted with hoarding disorder. Participants will learn effective and strategic methods for working with individuals with this disorder compassionately and with dignity
Mary Galvez
Owner, Guardianship and Care Management Services LLC
Natural disasters, crises, pandemics, violence, and civil unrest! These stories occupy the front page of all of our newsfeeds. As guardians, how can we address our clients’ needs during these times? This session will inform and enable you to create a suitable disaster/emergency plan for the individuals whom you serve.
Amy Heffner
Amy Heffner has worked in the field of developmental services for over seven years. Originally from Pennsylvania, where she served as a Supports Coordinator, Amy relocated to Washington in June 2021. In Washington, she initially worked as a Case Resource Manager with the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) before transitioning to a role in Intake & Eligibility in 2022. Amy is passionate about meeting clients and their families at the 'front door' and enjoys educating them, along with community partners, about DDA and the eligibility process.
Amanda Wilson
Attorney, Solo Practitioner at Olympic Peninsula Law Offices, LLC
This session delves into crisis Medicaid planning, highlighting how annuities and irrevocable trusts can protect assets while ensuring Medicaid eligibility. It addresses the necessity of court approval in a guardian's decision-making process and outlines the financial implications, including billing practices for such planning. The focus is on practical applications, particularly for individuals transitioning to assisted living or facing significant asset changes.
Jaimie Huff
Director of Community Guardians
This session, led by Jamie Huff, addresses the evolving landscape for guardians in Kitsap County following the updates to the Uniform Guardianship Act (UGA). As legal fees rise and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) delays rulemaking, guardians face increased financial and operational burdens, especially in Medicaid cases. The presentation will explore sustainable strategies for reducing legal costs and advocating for effective appointments, aiming to foster a comprehensive dialogue among guardians, attorneys, and court visitors on navigating these challenges collaboratively.
Peter Wall
Director of Fiduciary Services at True Link Financial Advisors
Drafting attorneys and fiduciaries often have differing definitions of "Health, Education, Maintenance and Support" (HEMS) discretionary distribution provisions contained in trusts. Nationally recognized speaker Peter Wall, Director of True Link Financial Advisors, will provide a comprehensive review of common law, Restatement (Second and Third) of Trusts and the Uniform Trust Code regarding trustee discretion and distribution standards. The presentation will cover Special Needs Trusts (SNT), Discretionary Trusts, Family and Marital Trusts, Spendthrift Trusts, and trusts for minor beneficiaries. Trustee prudency and the duties of loyalty and impartiality will be addressed as well as other esoteric discretionary distribution standards such as "comfort", "happiness", and "convenience." Best practice tips will be provided for drafting attorneys and fiduciaries to ensure beneficiary empowerment and quality of life.
Shannon Butler
NGA President
Presentation Description:
Shannon Butler, President of the National Guardianship Association, will discuss her three key initiatives for 2024: enhancing training and education in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); advancing data collection; and promoting involvement within the NGA and local guardian groups. She will also share her valuable tips and strategies for working with clients to maximize their independence and foster strong, effective working relationships.
Heather Connors
Executive Director of The Center for Guardianship Excellence
Great Guardians have been celebrating the release of the detailed “Bill of Rights” (BOR) document with its 21 rights and 16 supporting points. But it is a big document and not that easy to follow.
In this presentation, Dr. Heather Connors, Executive Director, The Center for Guardianship Excellence, and a member of the BOR committee, will share clear, powerful ways to explain and use this important tool.
You will learn:
1. When and how to talk with new clients about their “access to justice” rights in order to build trust and calm fears
2. Best practices for explaining “core human rights” to family members and providers as a first step to changing disparaging or unproductive behavior
3. How to use “decision-making rights” to advocate for client wishes
4. Setting boundaries using the “restrictions” and “guardian authority” sections of the BOR
5. Where to download an infographic you can print and hand out
Mindi Blanchard
Founder, Bridge Builders and The Guardian Institute
This course is to demonstrate how a GPGC, or any helper, can get served a frivolous lawsuit. This session will walk the attendees through the process of their experience in an effort to ruin the agency’s professional reputation. The speaker will then review the lessons learned and how they adjusted their agency’s processes to make the agency less likely to be sued in the future. The integrity and ethics of the agency, before and after the lawsuit, will be reviewed as well as the growth of the owner and staff in becoming a stronger certified professional guardian agency.