Supported Decision-Making Project – Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Signing Clinic with 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 an 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 serves to persons with disabilities and their families. Through INCLUDE, law students have counseled more than 300 families on guardianship alternatives since the 2015 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 Date

Saturday, November 11

Project Time
9:15am-12:15pm
Approximate hours of work requested
3 hours
Training
Students will receive a brief refresher training onsite at the clinic
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 W 45th St, Austin
Number of student volunteers requested
5
Class year preference
1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
Required skills
Previous participation in an INCLUDE SDM clinic
To Apply
Submit email stating interest and confirming your previous INCLUDE SDM clinic participation to Sarah Sedgwick at ssedgwick@law.utexas.edu