OUTLINE
Introduce yourself
Administrative Details:
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Restroom/refreshments
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Breaks
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Cell phones (off or silent)
Participant Introductions
Begin DVD/Archived Webinar:
You can skip the slides that describe the “live” features of the webinar.
PPT SLIDE/CUES NOTES/TIPS
At this time, you can also pass out the participant folders.
Each folder should contain:
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Copy of the PowerPoint (optional)
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The “Stoplight Tool”
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“Options/Alternatives” handout
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The 2 page “Quick Info” handout
Stop/Pause
At this slide, stop/pause DVD/archived webinar.
Ask participants why they are here/why they are interested in learning about alternatives and options around guardianship/why they are thinking about guardianship or alternatives.
(You can customize this question based on your audience – parents/families; school professionals; support coordinators; etc.)
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Make a list of what participants say on flip chart paper
 Use some of the examples provided, if needed, to get conversation started
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Keep the list nearby so you can check to see that all the reasons listed were addressed

Restart DVD/archived webinar
Pause/Stop DVD/archived webinar
After this slide plays but before it advances to the next, pause and do activity.
This slide will probably restate many of the reasons that your participants listed.
Ask participants what are some of the decisions
THEY make every day that they wouldn’t want someone else making for them.
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You might want to start off with one of your own (for instance, I like to decide what time I go to bed and what time I get up every day.) Other responses you might expect to hear include how to spend money, where to live, who to live
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 with, what clothes to wear, who to date, who to be friends with, who to marry, whether to go to church and where, whether to vote and for whom, medical decisions including who my doctor is, where to work or if I want to work, what to eat, or who is welcome in my home.
Make a list of responses on flip chart paper
Keep handy for later use

Restart DVD/archived webinar
Pause/Stop DVD/archived webinar
STOP the webinar, and get your flip-chart paper with the list of decisions from above.
Restart the webinar and as this slide plays follow the instructions in the NOTES/TIPS section.
At the end of this slide, but before it advances, stop the webinar again and discuss as indicated in the NOTES/TIPS section.
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Refer back to the list of decisions (from above)
 As you play the DVD that lists all the things that a guardian can decide FOR a person, start crossing them off your list.
Stop the DVD again .
 Point out to the participants that if they had a guardian, someone else would be making these decisions for them every day.
 Make the point that whoever controls the money controls pretty much everything else (clothes, where to go in the community, where you live, etc.)
This is a good time to get reactions or ask for comments. For instance, how would YOU feel if someone else were making all those decisions on your behalf?

Restart DVD/archived webinar
Have copies of the “Tool” handy at slide 23, so participants can look at it while it is being described on the webinar.

OPTIONAL:
After the VIDEO of filling out the “Tool” on the webinar, you CAN CHOOSE to pause and ask if someone actually wants to fill out page one, and talk them through it. Point out that it is just for demonstration purposes, as you would always want to have the person in question present and participating, as well as others who know him/her well.
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Keep in mind, and remind as necessary, that if the person can do something WITH supports, then he/she might not need a guardian, just supports in place to help them. Also important – the severity of the disability isn’t necessarily an indicator of the need for a substitute decision maker (guardian).
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It is also important to understand the difference between ADL support needs and the need for support in decision making. The person with a disability is going to need the same ADL supports
(getting dressed, help with preparing or eating meals, tube feeding, helping toilet, transferring, etc) whether they have a guardian or not, in most cases. They probably already have family or support stuff for those needs. Guardianship is all about substitute decision-making -- can the person make their own decisions, or communicate in some way, their wants, needs and desires on life decisions?

Restart the DVD/archived webinar
Pause/Stop the DVD/archived webinar
Continue watching the rest of the DVD/archived webinar. You can choose to stop/pause at any time if there is a question, or if you want to emphasize a point.
When you reach the end, ask for questions. If you don’t know the answer, that’s okay – we are here to be your resource and to help answer questions. You can simply tell the participant that you will consult and find out the answer for them if possible.
BE CAREFUL to not answer questions that would require legal counsel to answer appropriately. If you think a question is too legal, just tell them you aren’t able to answer that, and they can consult with one of the legal resources provided, or with their own attorney.

Discussion after the Webinar Discussion Topics/Ideas:
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Help participants brainstorm about who might be on the support team
(emphasizing of course that the person they are planning/considering g-ship for should be able to say who is on the team or not, but they might want to brainstorm to help them provide some ideas to the person about who might be on the team)
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You could do a discussion about the different issues people might have that makes them think the person needs support and/or protection. For each issue, discuss how g-ship would or would NOT solve the issue, and then talk about the alternatives, and how they might work just as well or better.
 Ask participants (especially if their child is younger) what they might do now to help the child learn skills that they can use that will prevent needing either a partial or full guardian (ie learning to use a debit card as part of the transition plan; learning how to call or ask for help; learning to get around in the community;)
 Talk about some of the alternatives – ask the participants if there are some of those alternatives that they use themselves – such as automatic bill pay, joint bank accounts, living trust, etc.

EVALUATION Before dismissing the group, ask participants to fill out the evaluation provided. The evaluation is available in hard copy or on survey monkey.