Who We Are

Rethinking Guardianship is a collaborative effort between the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities, the NC Department of Aging and Adult Services and the UNC-CH School of Social Work's Jordan Institute for Families. We are a diverse group of people committed to improving life for people who are experiencing guardianship or who could benefit from less restrictive alternatives to guardianship. We are self-advocates and their family members, policymakers, legislators, university faculty, and staff from nonprofits, businesses, and associations.

	NC Council on Developmental Disabilities The NC Council on Developmental Disabilities is dedicated to empowering people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) by supporting self-advocacy, independence, and the right to self-determination. The Council promotes inclusive and welcoming communities so people with I/DD have options to make choices about work, where to live, friendships, taking part in the various activities of their community and other personally defined outcomes. For more information, go to our website at http://nccdd.org/.
	NC Division of Aging and Adult Services The Division of Aging and Adult Services works to promote the independence and enhance the dignity of North Carolina's older adults, persons with disabilities, and their families through a community-based system of opportunities, services, benefits, and protections. For more information, go to our website at http://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/daas.
	NC Division of Social Services The Division of Social Services provides guidance and technical assistance to agencies that provide direct services that address issues of poverty, family violence and exploitation. The Division promotes self-reliance and self-sufficiency, and works to prevent abuse, neglect, dependency and expoloitation of vulnerable individuals, children and their families. For more information, go to our website at http://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/dss.
	UNC Cares UNC Cares was established in 1987 by Gary M. Nelson, DSW as the Center for Aging Research and Educational Services at the UNC School of Social Work to improve the lives of aging and vulnerable adults and their families in North Carolina. Today, UNC Cares provides education, community engagement and policy analysis across the state in order to empower vulnerable adults and their families to experience choice and dignity in their lives. As an organization and individually, we believe that to the greatest extent possible people have the right to govern their own lives and make choices about how to live, and to have those choices honored whether or not they can communicate them in conventional ways. We do this by involving individuals with lived experience and their families in partnership with other stakeholders. Together, we utilize Collective Impact as a framework for long term, positive social change. For information about Cares, go to our website at https://cares.unc.edu/.
	Rethinking Guardianship Workgroup Adelmann, Richard, NAMI Adolphus, Sobeida, Forsyth County Department of Social Services Alexander, Charlotte Anne, Elder and Special Needs Law Firm Alleman, Cynthia, Elder and Special Needs Law Firm Applefield Engel, Nicki, Certified Elder Law Attorney Baluyot, Erin, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Social Services Foster Care Coordinator Barlow, Pam, North Carolina Clerk of Superior Court (Ashe County) Beauchamp, Kelly, North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities Berry, Lynne, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Benton Evans , Delores, Family Advocate Bilos, Helaine, Neuro Community Care Bing, Erica, Alliance Behavioral Healthcare (MCO) Blanton, Brooke, Wake County Department of Human Services/Senior and Adult Services Boeck, Katherine, Self Advocate, NC Council on Developmental Disabilities Brinkley, Nicole, NC Administrative Office of the Courts Burney, Monica, MSW, LCSW, Adjunct Professor, Elon University Burney, Wanda, Forsyth County Department of Social Services Burrus, Craig, Wake County Department of Human Services Cabe, Samantha, Orange, Chatham County Departments of Social Services Caison, Walt, North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services Cameron, Kathleen, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill North Carolina Clark, Sam, North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association Climo, Ali, University of North Carolina Colwell, Beverly, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Corbett, Lisa, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Cosgrove, Lydia, Disability Rights NC Cronin, Julie, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant General Counsel Davis, Barbara, North Carolina Center for Independent Living Davis, Kim, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services Dawkins Berry, Kim, Area Agency on Aging for Region G Donohue, Bill, Parent Advocate Dooley, Bryan, Self Advocate, NC Council on Developmental Disabilities Dorf , Heidi, Parent Advocate Dorton, Robyn, Self Advocate Duncan, Chandler, Family Advocate Dunn, Corye, Disability Rights North Carolina Edminster, Ken, DHHS – Division of MH/DD/SAS Ellis, Angela, Greene County Department of Social Services Eubanks, Annette, Mid-East Commission Area Agency on Aging Farmer-Butterfield, Jean, ARC of North Carolina File , Gilbert, Hatch Little & Bunn, LLP Fisher, Macy, Wake County Attorney’s Office Franklin, Rodney, Catawba County Department of Social Services Frederick, Daina, Rowan County Department of Social Services Fredricksen, Dorian, Corporation of Guardianship, Inc. Fuller Cooper, Charmaine, North Carolina AARP Gluf, Ann, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Graham, Carey, Elon University, Elder Law (Intern) Greenarch, Keith, North Carolina Statewide Independent Living Council, The Adaptables-Winston Salem Haber, Michele, Geriatrics Consulting Services, Inc. Hance, Candace, Executive Director, A Practice with Purpose Hedrick, Sam, Senior ADA Advisory, NC DHHS Hefner, Tami, Catawba County Department of Social Services (Catawba Pilot) Herr, Matthew, NC Department of Health and Human Services Hurley, Representative Pat B., NC House District #70, Randolph County Jackson-Diop, Damie, NC Families United Jett, Laura, Mid-East Commission Area Agency on Aging: Johns, Frank, Booth, Harrington, & Johns, Elderlaw Firm Jones, Andrea, UNC Wilmington SSW Karjanis, Leslie, NC DHHS, Division of Aging and Adult Services Kelly, Carol, Family Advocate, NCGA Kendall Fields, Linda, University of North Carolina, School of Social Work Kinch, Athena, A Helping Hand NC Kingsbury, Leigh Ann, Gerontologist Kipnes, Joanna, Duke University Kirk, Gale, Family Guardian, National Guardianship Association Kleinschmidt, Mark, Clerk of Superior Court, Orange County Lanier, Kathryn, North Carolina Division of Aging & Adult Services Lassiter, Jamie, NC Conference of Clerks of Superior Court Lawson, Terri, Assistant Clerk of Court, Catawba County Leach, Barbara, Family Support Network NC, UNC School of Social Work Leach, Kenya, Forsyth County Department of Social Services Lee, Tameka, Arc of North Carolina Levy, Helayne, Elder Law - NC Bar Association Lightfoot, Angelia, NC DHHS MH/DD/SA Services Luong, Tienna, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services MacCallum, James, Clerk of Superior Court, Brunswick County MacMichael, Betsy, First In Families North Carolina Maldonado, Mariela, Autism Society NC Manly, Regina, Trillium Health Resources (MCO) Manus, Roger, Campbell University, Senior Law Clinic Marshall, Ronnie, Self Advocate Martinis, Jonathan, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University Massey-Smith, Joyce, North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services McDowell, Letha, Hook Law Center McIntyre, Greg, McIntyre Elder Law McKittrick, Corey, Alliance of Disability Advocates Meyer, Graig, Representative, General Assembly Miller, Natalie, North Carolina Bar Association Millmore, Cheryl, Retired - Guilford County DSS Moody, Crissie, Complex Case Case Mgr., Duke Hospital Nelson, Bonnie, ARC of North Carolina Nelson, Gary, University of North Carolina, Jordan Institute Noel, Diana, AARP Norris, Tamara, University of North Carolina, School of Social Work O'Donnell, Mark, North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services Pegram, J. Mark, North Carolina Clerk of Superior Court (Rockingham County) Perez, Karey, NC Department of Aging and Adult Services, Adult Services Section Chief Pettyford, Belinda, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Pettyford, Rosalyn, AARP, Advocate Pitchford, Evelyn, North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services Piven, Joe, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at University of North Carolina Premakumar, Raj, North Carolina Department of Justice Ransome, Sharnese, North Carolina Association of County Departments of Social Services Directors Reed, Glenda, Wake County Department of Human Services Riddle, Holly, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Riegel, Lisa, AARP Rodberg, Kathleen, NCBA Elder & Special Needs Law Section Rogers, Denise, Office of the State Ombudsman Root, Amy, Family Guardian, Advocate Ross, Cynthia, Pitt County Department of Social Services Rozycki, Amanda, Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center Salmon, Mary Anne, University of North Carolina, School of Social Work, retired Secor, Scott, First In Families North Carolina Sigmon, Kim, North Carolina Clerk of Superior Court, Catawba County Skradski, Stacey, Empowering Lives Guardianship Services LLC and NC Guardianship Association Smith, Allison, NC Administrative Office of the Courts Smith, Meredith, University of North Carolina School of Government Smith, Sarah, NC Division of Aging and Adult Services Strasburg, Joshua, NC DHHS MH/DD/SA Services Strom, Steve, DHHS - Division of Medical Assistance - Money Follows the Person Taylor-Parker, Larkin, Disability Rights NC Terhune, Peggy, Monarch North Carolina Trickel, Cynthia, North Carolina Department of Public Safety Turner, Rena, North Carolina General Assembly, House Committee on Aging (Chair) Vaughan, Hannah, Elon University, Elder Law Walfall-Flagg, Cheryl, Parent Advocate Wall, Aimee, University of North Carolina School of Government Walls, Jason, Walls Law Firm Walton, Kate, North Carolina Division of Aging & Adult Services Ward, Anna Gabriel, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at University of North Carolina Ward, Heather Carty, Elder Law (Private Practice), Charlotte NC Warren, Nancy, NC DHHS, Division of Aging and Adult Services, retired Weaver, R. Gaye, Complex Case Case Mgr., Duke Hospital Webster, Debbie, DHHS - Division of MH/DD/SA Services, Community Mental Health Section Wells, Tally, Executive Director, NC Council on Developmental Disabilities Welsh, Polly, NC Health Care Facilities Association Wiest, Meike, LifeLinks Wilhelm, Jeanette, Monarch North Carolina Wilkens, Alex, NC DHHS, Division of Aging and Adult Services Williams, Mya, NC Department of Health and Human Services Windley, Joann, NC Department of Aging and Adult Services Woodward, Philip, NC Council on Developmental Disabilities Woolard, Deborah, Parent Advocate Wu, Pei Chi, NC DHHS, Community Mental Health Section

NC Council on Developmental Disabilities

NC Division of Aging and Adult Services

NC Division of Social Services

UNC Cares

Rethinking Guardianship Workgroup