Guardianship

Care Network is a provider for New Mexico Guardianship Services, Mi Via Consulting, and Brain Injury Services Fund Service Coordination under contracts with the State of New Mexico. They also offer Private Guardianship services and service as Fiduciaries for Veterans Affairs clients. Brain injury service coordination can be contacted at braininjury@cnragusa.com. Guardianship services can be contact at guardianship@cnragusa.com and Mi Via services can be contact mivia@cnragusa.com.

Pegasus Legal Services for Children is a nonprofit agency that provides free or sliding scale civil legal services to children, youth, and their caregivers, including direct representation, community legal education, and systemic advocacy. They provide education law, systemic advocacy, youth law project, young parents, kinship guardianship, and child abuse and neglect. They also offer services in Spanish.

Founded in 1950, today The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. With more than 140,000 members and 730 state and local chapters nationwide, The Arc is on the front lines to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have the support they need to be members of the community. The Arc of New Mexico works directly with individuals and their families to insure their quality and choice of life, and also with the New Mexico Legislature, State Agencies, community leaders, providers and other advocates to fight for freedom, choice, respect and dignity.

The Developmental Disabilities Planning Council’s (DDPC) Office of Guardianship (OOG) is a statewide publicly funded program for New Mexican adults who need a guardian, are income-eligible, and are alleged to be incapacitated. OOG services include educating the public about least restrictive alternatives and guardianship, one-time legal services to request the State District Court to appoint a family or professional guardian for income-eligible adults, and provide professional guardians to protected persons who do not have family or natural supports who are able to become the guardian. They also provide mental health treatment guardians, recruit and contract with professional guardians, attorneys, and court visitors, and respond to and investigate complaints against professional guardians contracted with DDPC.

The New Mexico Guardianship Association is dedicated to promoting the highest standards of ethics and practice in accordance with Courts of this State in order to serve and protect the best interests of those to whom they provide service. They promote communication and sharing of resources and experienced members mentor new members. Members promote awareness of the association and respect for the Guardianship/Conservatorship profession. Members advocate for and contribute to the development of effective regulation and legislation for the benefit of those receiving services. They also facilitate the guardianship discussion group (GDG), a free monthly educational program held on the second Wednesday of every month (September through May) at 12pm MST. Educational topics are presented by a different speaker each month, and are relevant to the field of guardians and conservatorship. One (1) CE Credit is provided to Certified Guardians for attendance and can be applied to the renewal requirement for ongoing certification through the Center for Guardianship Certification.

Guardians and conservators are individuals (often family members), companies or organizations appointed by a Judge to make decisions for another adult that is incapacitated and unable to manage their finances, property, health care or living arrangements. An adult that is incapacitated is called a protected person. A guardian may help manage the protected person’s healthcare needs, medical appointments and housing. A conservator may help manage the protected person’s finances, investments and properties. The exact duties of a guardian and conservator are particular to the needs of the protected person. These duties are outlined in the Judge’s order that is issued when a guardianship or conservatorship is granted. On their website, they have posted information about: new changes to laws; their annual reports; bonding and audits; greater access to information; visitation; certification for professional guardians and conservators; the grievance process to file a complaint about a court-appointed guardian or conservator.

A national alliance of attorneys providing special needs planning for individuals with disabilities and their families. Provides a tool to locate alliance members by state.

Services Include:

• Maximizing and preserving benefits
• Protecting assets
• Assuring lifelong care

Protects adults under guardianship by ensuring that their guardians receive quality education and access to resources. NGA believes that those appointed to the care of guardians, conservators, and fiduciaries deserve quality services and that every person should be provided respect, due process, rights, and dignity in guardianship. NGA represents more than 1000 guardians, conservators, and fiduciaries from across the United States. Offers webinars, self study courses, and an annual national conference on guardianship.