Supported Decision-Making: ‘Ask The Expert’ with Morgan K. Whitlatch

Supported Decision-Making (SDM) is an alternative to more restrictive forms of decision-making authority, such as full or plenary guardianship. Through SDM, people make their own choices about issues that impact their life, while receiving guidance and assistance from people they trust. This could involve decisions covering a variety of areas, such as health care, finances, employment, service provision, and more. At the heart of the movement is the belief that all people have a right for their voice to be heard and regarded when making decisions about their life. It’s about control, choice, community, dignity, and respect.

In this free Q&A style webinar titled Supported Decision-Making: ‘Ask The Expert’ with Morgan K. Whitlatch, we’re excited to welcome a recognized expert in SDM. Morgan K. Whitlatch, the Director of Supported Decision-Making Initiatives for the Center for Public Representation, will answer your questions about SDM. The session will cover numerous questions including what SDM is, what it looks like in ‘real-life,’ how it’s applied in different states, best practices involving SDM supporters, and so much more! You can share your questions via the Zoom registration form or ask them during the live session!

About Morgan K. Whitlatch

Morgan K. Whitlatch is the Director of Supported Decision-Making Initiatives at the Center for Public Representation (CPR), where, she develops and implements strategies to advance the decision-making rights of people with disabilities at the state, national, and international levels.

Prior to joining CPR in October 2021, Morgan was the longtime legal director and attorney at Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, where she planned and implemented legal advocacy, legislative, and systemic initiatives involving guardianship and alternatives, legal capacity, community integration, and anti-discrimination. In addition, she served as the Lead Project Director of the National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making (SDM), an advocacy and education center that is dedicated to advancing less restrictive, community inclusive alternatives to guardianship. Morgan is also a former attorney of the protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities in Rhode Island and a graduate of Georgetown Law School and Wesleyan University.

She has published and contributed to numerous articles and national reports and presented hundreds of trainings and webinars, mainly on SDM within the context of life events involving health care, education, transition-age youth, and older adults. She also testified about the need for guardianship reform and promotion of SDM at a September 2021 hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution.