Transition: Guardianship and Alternatives Resources
Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission
The Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission protects the rights and promotes the welfare of persons with disabilities.
Contact (866) 274-8023 or (866) 333-3362 (TTY).
Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) provides plain-language, 24/7 tools in three languages so families can understand and assert their legal rights. ILAO helps people who are unable to find or afford attorneys open opportunities for justice. Its resources can help with crises such as eviction, debt, food insecurity, domestic abuse, deportation and divorce.
The ILAO also provides resources to help with guardianship, education, health and benefits and more.
National Resource Center on Supported Decision-Making
The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making is dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to make choices. Supported decision-making is a way people with disabilities can make their own decisions and stay in charge of their lives while receiving any help they need to do so.
The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making can help you find information on supported decision-making, connect you with people and organizations that may be able to help you, and answer your questions.
Prairie State Legal Services is an organization that offers free legal services for low-income persons and those age 60 and over who have serious civil legal problems and need legal help to solve them.
There are 11 office locations serving 36 counties in northern Illinois. The resources page also provides references to self-help information.
Supported Decision-Making Act in Illinois
Illinois’ Supported Decision-Making Act ensures people with disabilities can get the help they need to make decisions for their own lives. The Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission has many resources to explain the Supported Decision-Making Act. These include:
Supported Decision-Making Brochure in English
Supported Decision-Making Brochure in Spanish
Supported Decision-Making Frequently Asked Questions
Supported Decision-Making Training for Persons With DisabilitiesThe Arc’s Center for Future Planning
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning aims to support and encourage adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families to plan for the future.
The Center provides reliable information and assistance to individuals with I/DD, their family members and friends, professionals who support them and other members of the community on areas such as person-centered planning, decision-making, housing options and financial planning.
The Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice
The Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice is a national resource center for youth with disabilities. Youth Voice, Youth Choice provides self-advocates, their families and supporters with advocacy, alternatives to guardianship teaching tools, plain language resources and more. It offers:
Videos and youth stories
Alternatives to guardianship tools with stories and resources to help make tough decisions
A plain language series featuring a wide variety of important topics
The Youth Ambassador Curriculum for building leadership and advocacy skills