Supported Decision-Making Project – Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired with Texas Law INCLUDE Project

Students will assist young adults with disability transitioning out of special education programs and their families (or other caregivers/supporters) in learning about guardianship and alternatives to it, with an emphasis on a new option in state law to enter into Supported Decision Making (SDM) agreements. Students will provide direct counseling of transitioning youth on alternatives to guardianship, and will assist in drafting and executing SDM agreements where appropriate and desired. SDM agreements and other alternatives to guardianship allow individuals with disabilities to maintain maximum control over their lives, and avoid unnecessary and costly probate proceedings.

Organization

INCLUDE Project, Mithoff Pro Bono Program

The INCLUDE Project enables students with interests in disability and probate law to provide free legal services to persons with disabilities and their families. Through INCLUDE, law students advised more than 100 families on guardianship alternatives during the 2015-16 academic year following the passage of the Texas Supported Decision Making Act, a law that is the first of its kind nationally and that incorporates certain protections afforded by the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Texas Law. INCLUDE is an internal project of the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program, in partnership with the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law.

Project Details

Project Start Date

Tuesday, October 11 & Saturday, November 12

Project Time
6pm-9pm & TBD
Approximate hours of work requested
10 hours, including training; November 12, time TBD (parents weekend event where students will work with their assigned clients and the client’s parents on execution of the documents if desired by client)
Training
Students must attend a 3 hour training session on Tuesday, September 13, 6pm-9pm, in TNH 2.138
Skills used
Client interviewing/counseling; community education/outreach; mediating between those with divergent interests; cultural competence; document preparation
Project location
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 1100 West 45th Street, Austin
Number of student volunteers requested
15
Class year preference
1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
Required skills
Strong English skills required; Spanish helpful but not necessary; students with an interest in probate and disability law are strongly encouraged to apply
To Apply
Submit email stating interest, any language skills, and any work experience touching on specific kinds of disability to Sarah Sedgwick at ssedgwick@law.utexas.edu; in your email, please state whether you are willing to drive yourself and/or others, and number of passengers if applicable; applicants with previous INCLUDE experience will be given preference for some volunteer slots (up to half)