Classes and Community Events

Your Child With Disabilities Is Turning 18 (On-Demand Virtual Class)

For Parents, Caregivers and Youth Nearing Adulthood

Class Description

This on-demand virtual class is for parents and caregivers of youth in their late teens who will need ongoing support as adults or help with legal decision-making. Attorneys from the Washington Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) present information about:

Supported decision-making
Durable power of attorney (DPOA)
Legal guardianship
Conservatorship

Here is a copy of the presentation (PDF) that you can follow along with.

Watch recorded videos in Spanish or Vietnamese from previous classes.

Please Share Your Feedback

Was this class helpful? Please provide your feedback by taking our class survey (this should take no more than 1 minute to complete). You can also email your feedback directly to us at mlp@seattlechildrens.org.

Share your feedback

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I need help filing for guardianship?

Very few resources are available for this type of help. In a few Washington counties, volunteer attorney programs provide limited assistance to low-income families.

What if I want to find an attorney?

Visit the Washington Medical-Legal Partnership website to find legal help.

Resources on Guardianship and Alternatives

King County Law Library

Watch the webinar, An Introduction to Adult Guardianships, presented with the King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

King County Family Law Facilitators

Help with understanding paperwork needed for filing for guardianship and other family court processes. Facilitators can help review forms but cannot help fill them out for you.

Washington Courts

Washington Courts holds free, monthly, 90-minute virtual Information Sessions for Lay Guardians.

No registration is required.
Offered in English only.
If you cannot attend an Information Session live, you can watch a recording or read the text from the Washington Courts session.

Handouts, fact sheets and sample forms

Northwest Justice Project

Adult Guardianship, Conservatorship and Other Protective Arrangements, Northwest Justice Project
Alternatives to Guardianship: Practical Considerations, Washington Medical-Legal Partnership
Alternatives to Guardianship: Supported Decision Making Agreements (available in Russian and Spanish), Northwest Justice Project
Durable Power of Attorney Documents (available in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese), Northwest Justice Project
Your Child With Disabilities Is Turning 18 (available in Spanish), Northwest Justice Project

Public benefits as youth with disabilities turn 18

Legal Transition to Adulthood: Public Benefits. This virtual presentation is led by Attorneys from the Washington Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP). You can watch the video or follow along with the presentation slides. The class covers:
- Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) benefits
- Washington Apple Health/Medicaid
- In-Home Care
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Financial planning to maintain eligibility.
- Tips for receiving benefits, appeals for denials, terminations, and reductions.

Federal benefits

SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
Sample Rental Agreement to Avoid Reduction in SSI (available in Spanish), Washington Medical-Legal Partnership

State benefits

DDA (Developmental Disabilities Administration) – Washington State agency providing support and services to Washingtonians with developmental disabilities
Apple Health – Washington State medical assistance programs, including Medicaid