Massachusetts Guardianship Association

Information and resources for individuals, family members, and professionals about Guardianship and Conservatorship

Past Events

January 23, 2020, Annual Meeting and Networking Breakfast: “Wide World of Benefits”

This event explained the different types of benefits and supports available for individuals with disabilities and elders, both public and private, how to access them, and the eligibility requirements. Panelists for the event included Kathy Kelly, Student Benefits Counselor, MRC; Jeff Kielson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at Advocates; Emily Starr, ESQ., Managing Partner at Starr Vander Linden LLP; Deborah Fins, LICSW CMC Director, at Jewish Healthcare Center.

September 26, 2019, Annual Guardianship Conference: “Trends in Guardianship”

This event covered a variety of topics including Grey Divorce, strengths, and limitations to guardianship, conflict resolution, medications, and guardianship - antipsychotics and beyond. It featured many distinguished panelists including, but not limited to Judge Randy Kaplan, Judge Janine Rivers, retired Judge Dorothy Gibson, Judge Kathleen Sandman, Dr. Mark N. Rudolph and the keynote speakers, David N. Sontag, Managing Counsel for Beth Israel Lahey Health and Leslie Joseph, Managing General Counsel for Beth Israel Lahey Health, who spoke about guardianship issues across a healthcare system.

July 17, 2019, MGA Summer Outing

This was a networking event held at Gather, 75 Northern Ave. Boston, MA 02210.

May 23, 2019, Rogers Monitor Training

This event featured three distinguished panelists: the Honorable Barbara M. Hyland, First Justice of the Hampden Probate and Family Court, Lisa M. Killips, MSN, CNP-BC, and Attorney Michelle Sikes. The panelists gave a brief history of how a Rogers Monitor came to be, what a Rogers Monitor does and how a Rogers Monitor performs his or her responsibilities each year.

January 17, 2019, Annual Meeting, “Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation”

This breakfast, networking, and informational event covered red flags you should be looking for, and the steps that you can take to help mitigate the risks of elder abuse and financial exploitation. Panelists for this event were Lisandra Wilmott, LPL Financial Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Compliance, Legal & Risk; Jim O'Sullivan, Esq., Partner at O'Sullivan & Connolly; and Stephan Spano, Esq., Partner at Spano and Dawicki.

November 2, 2018 Annual Conference “Evolving Issues in Practice”

This conference covered new and evolving issues affecting guardianship practice, including unsettled areas of guardianship law and practice; the intersection of mental health and criminal matters; evidentiary issues in guardianship cases; and the epidemic of sexual assault among persons with disabilities. It featured many distinguished panelists including, but not limited to the Honorable John D. Casey, Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court and keynote speaker Secretary Marylou Sudders, of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

September 27, & October 25, 2017 Annual Conference “Guardianship in Massachusetts an Ever Changing Landscape”

This conference focused on the Role of the Guardian - best practices and challenges in the field; the role of the guardian from research perspectives, individual autonomy in the many contexts of guardianship, substance abuse, and the courts, substance abuse, and the courts, and guardianship of minor in a mental health context. It featured many distinguished panelists including, but not limited to Judge Christopher of the Suffolk Probate and Family Court, Judge Brendemuehl of the Concord District Court, Judge Brian Dunn of the Suffolk Probate and Family Court and the keynote speaker, Brenan Abel of the Massachusetts Medical Society, who spoke about current developments of interest.

December 7, 2016 Annual meeting “Guardianship and Elders”

September 28, 2016 & October 26, 2016 Annual Conference “Breaking New Ground”

MGA Virtual Annual Meeting and Networking Event

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“Caring for the elderly amid the coronavirus pandemic. What we knew before, what we learned and how we plan to move forward.”

Thursday, January 14th | 8:00am – 10:00am

Please join us for our annual meeting on January 14th as we hear from a panel of professionals and a family member discuss the challenges and experiences of caring for the elder population during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Panel Members:

  • Dr. Ginette LaFleche, PhD Clinical Neuropsychologist
  • Kate Granigan, MSW, LICSW, C-ASWCM, Chief Executive Officer of LifeCare Advocates
  • Sharon Kreder, PhD Psychologist, and family care giver

Who should attend: Guardians, Lawyers, Case Managers, Social Workers, Clinicians, Geriatric Case Managers, Trustees, Financial Planners, Family Members.

Free for members! $10 for non-members.

To register to attend, please email massguardianshipassociation@gmail.com

MGA End of Year Virtual Networking Event

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Dec 2, 2020, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Join the MGA for a night of virtual networking and to hear year-end financial planning tips for 2020.

Due to the signing of the CARES Act, Required Minimum Distributions have been suspended for the year. This has made some strategies more appealing. Tune in for some quick year-end planning tips and to connect with other members of the guardianship community.

Guest Speaker: Affinia Financial Group

Contest: The MGA will be giving away a free year MGA Membership to the participant with the most unique cocktail recipe!

To join our virtual event, email MassGuardianshipAssociation@gmail.com and we will send you the Zoom meeting information!


 We look forward to speaking with you in December!

WEBINAR: “In the Year 2020: Challenges, Obstacles, and Opportunities in Guardianship”

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We are thrilled to host this year’s MGA Guardianship Conference in collaboration with the Social Law Library. This year’s conference is entitled, “In the Year 2020: Challenges, Obstacles, and Opportunities in Guardianship,” and will take place virtually over two, separate three hour sessions.

Date: Thursday, September 17th and Thursday, September 24th
Time: from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM 
Location: Webinar

Some highlights of the Conference include:
DAY 1 | Thursday, September 17, 2020 from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

  •  Welcome & opening remarks by Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court Department, the Hon. John D. Casey
     
  • Two dynamic panels
    • TBI/ABI and Substance Use: The impact of co-occurrence – challenges, realities and resources for individuals with a traumatic or acquired brain injury and substance use disorders. 
      PANELISTS:  Denise Permatteo, LICSW, MRC, Helen Stewart; Survivor, Adam Nessenbaum, Esq.; Private Attorney and Professional Guardian, Sergio Carvajal, Esq.; CPCS Counsel

    • Agency Resources:  Tips for accessing and maximizing programs available through MassHealth and DDS
      PANELISTS:  Deborah Hill Stevens, Esq.; CPCS Counsel, Lee Rachel Jurman; Disability Advocate of Personal Disability Consulting, Inc., Kerry Mahoney; Director from The Arc of MA

DAY 2 | Thursday, September 24, 2020 from 2:00PM- 5:00 PM

  • Keynote address by Sandy Hovey, CCM – Executive Director of Public Guardian Services. Public guardianship has arrived in Massachusetts and is being implemented as a pilot project in conjunction with the Probate Court in Suffolk and Plymouth counties.
     
  • Two dynamic panels
     
    • Commitments and Guardianship: Navigating the challenges of the civil commitment process and how it differs from guardianship clinically and procedurally.
      PANELISTS:  Lt. Kristin Daley; Belmont Police Department, Community Services and Training Division, Jacob C. Holzer, M.D.; McLean Hospital, District Court Judge, TBD, Valerie Rust, Esq.; CPCS Counsel

    • Nursing Home Response to COVID-19: Advanced directive expansions with the Probate Court in the midst of the pandemic – Challenges and Triumphs.
      PANELISTS:  Hon. Roxann C. Tetreau, Associate Justice of the Probate and Family Court, David McNair, Esq.; Private Attorney, Senior Solutions, LLC, Michelle Moucharite, Esq.; CPCS Counsel, Kim Archambault, NHA; Executive Director of Sterling Village Nursing Home   

CPCS approved for 3.0 hours of CLE credits per each day for the Mental Health Litigation Panels. The Adult Criminal Trials has approved 1.5 credit hours per each day. To receive credits attendees must be logged on during the program for a minimum of 80% of the conference time. Certificates will be emailed to all attendees who were logged onto the program for at least 80% of the program.

Program Fee: $125 to attend one session. $75 to attend one day. MGA members receive a coupon code for a discount, so please renew your MGA membership today if you want to be sent the discount code!

To register today, click here.

Online registration is encouraged. For assistance, questions on group discounts, accommodations requests, special billing, program content, out-of-state CLE credits, and general CLE information contact Michael Saporito by email at msaporito@socialaw.com. Registrations accepted in order of receipt. Registration fees are non-refundable. Most Social Law Library CLE events are recorded. The recording is available by digital download, generally within a week after the program date. Most downloads include print material and are $19.95 each. This product purchase is separate from CLE registration and is not included in the price of a CLE registration. CLE credit, when applicable, is only granted when the live webinar is attended.

We hope to speak to you soon!