This webinar was recorded as part of a monthly series hosted by the Advocacy and Community Engagement (ACE) Team. The series explores a wide range of topics, from tools to support school-aged children with disabilities to resources that help adults navigate employment and public benefits. Each session is guided by direct feedback from community partners, ensuring the webinars address the issues they consider most important. This series will be hosted through 2026. See our upcoming events and register here.

Watch the Event

Watch this event in Spanish

About the webinar:

This training is for parents of children with developmental disabilities who want to explore ways to support their child’s independence outside of a General Conservatorship. This training introduces less restrictive options that allow individuals to make their own decisions with support. What you’ll learn in this training: 

• The difference between general conservatorships, limited conservatorships, and alternatives to conservatorships; 
• What Supported Decision-Making is and how it promotes independence; 
• How tools like Power of Attorney (POA) and Advanced Health Care Directives work;
• The role of Representative Payees for managing benefits; 
• How to choose the right option based on your child’s needs and abilities; and your child’s rights and protections under the law.

Resources

Presentation

Supporting Independence through Alternatives to Conservatorship (.pdf)

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

• Supported Decision-Making Library

American Bar Association

• Practical Tool for Lawyers: Steps in Supported Decision-Making

Bet Tzedek

• Template Agreement of Assignment of Educational Decision-Making Authority

Disability Voices United

• With Support and Without the Courts: Supported Decision-Making Handbook for Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities in California

California Courts

• GC-341 (Notice of Conservatee’s Rights – Probate)
• Self-Help Resource for Alternatives to Conservatorship

California Department of Developmental Services

• Supported Decision-Making Frequently Asked Questions

California Legislature

• California Probate Code Section 4701

Institute for Huan Caring

• California Advanced Health Care Directive Template

LegiScan

• California Assembly Bill 1663 (2021-2022), Protective Proceedings and Supported-Decision Making

National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making

• Main Website
• Supported Decision-Making Teams: Setting the Wheels in Motion

Partners in Health

• Implementing Supported Healthcare Decision-Making for Users of Augmentative and Alternative Communication in California

Sacramento County Public Law Library

• Determining Competency to Sign a Durable Power of Attorney

San Diego County Superior Court

• Sample of General Conservatorship of the Person Packet

Special Education Rights and Responsibilities (SERR)

• Sample Letter of Assignment of Educational Decision-Making Authority

Panelist

Daniel Hernandez (he/him/his) is an attorney with the non-profit organization Disability Rights California (DRC), which provides legal assistance to people with disabilities in California. He has been part of the organization since 2022 and is based in San Diego, California. In his role serving people with disabilities across the state, Daniel conducts outreach, develops legal clinics, and engages in direct client services. He is a generalist with legal experience in the following areas: healthcare and related programs; social security; special education; housing; and civil rights.