NCSC receives grant to expand adult guardianship support

NCSC has been awarded a three-year, $450,000 State Justice Institute strategic initiative grant to address barriers in adopting adult guardianship reform efforts and best practices.

"This award will help us gain a more complete understanding of just how many adults in the U.S. are subject to guardianship and conservatorship and what challenges courts are experiencing in their work to strengthen responses to vulnerable adults," said NCSC Senior Court Management Consultant Angela Sager. "We'll also have an opportunity to build court capacity for implementing reforms and innovations."

The phased effort features activities that support foundation and learning, expanded implementation, and sustainability and dissemination.

Highlights of the project include: 

• A national scan of challenges courts face in implementing guardianship reform efforts. Identifying barriers to adoption and translating research into practical, capacity-building strategies that help state courts strengthen protections for vulnerable adults, reduce unnecessary or overly restrictive interventions, and improve court efficiency nationwide.
• A reliable national estimate of adults subject to guardianship or conservatorship. Applying advanced statistical modeling to data from multiple sources, enabling the projection of case counts in jurisdictions where direct data are unavailable and addressing longstanding gaps in national-level information.
• An updated judicial capacity handbook and companion desk book. Bringing together judges, attorneys, clinicians, and aging experts to provide courts with a practical, up-to-date resources reflecting current law, clinical knowledge, and best practices in capacity assessment and decision-making in a multidisciplinary effort between NCSC, the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging (ABA COLA), and other ABA entities.
• Practical tools, guidance, and resources for judges and other stakeholders to better identify, support, and serve emerging adults who are at risk of guardianship or currently subject to guardianship, promoting less restrictive alternatives and supportive decision-making.
• Increased court capacity and innovation. Learning communities focused on guardianship and conservatorship reforms and innovations will examine topics such as adult guardianship data, leveraging AI to review monitoring reports, and emerging adults.
• Implementation planning support. Working with NCSC, a select group of states will develop written action plans to advance guardianship reform aligned with each state's priorities, with ongoing support to monitor progress and promote successful implementation.
• Sharing project products, findings, and lessons learned with the national guardianship community and allied partners. Targeted outreach, presentations, publications, and peer-learning opportunities will promote broader adoption of effective practices and support ongoing guardianship reform efforts nationwide.