NOTICE: Formal Ending of the Task Force
Date: April 15, 2025
Revised Date: April 22, 2025
Dear Community Members,
We are writing to inform you that, due to pending legislative actions, the Guardianship Task Force has been temporarily paused. As a result, the meeting previously scheduled for April 22 has been canceled.
The Minnesota Council on Disability remains fully committed to engaging with individuals with disabilities and their families who are affected by guardianship laws and practices. Although the task force is paused, our work toward a barrier-free Minnesota—where every person with a disability has equitable access to all areas of life—continues. We will prioritize the reforms identified by the disability community and will continue to share updates and resources related to guardianship on our website.
We extend our sincere appreciation to the task force members for their time, contributions, and dedication to this important issue. We also thank Wilder Research for their valuable partnership and for helping inform the broader conversation around guardianship reform.
All information and research collected through the task force’s efforts will be preserved to support future initiatives in this vital area.
Thank you for your continued participation and advocacy.
Sincerely,
Minnesota Council on Disability
Chair Villavicencio
Have a Guardianship Question or Concern?
The Task Force is not prepared to provide direct assistance around issues with guardians or questions about guardianship. Please connect with the following resources for assistance:
To file a complaint about a guardian, contact the Conservator Account Auditing Program (CAAP) Examiner. You can get help with the complaint process by calling (651) 215-0032.
- If your issue or complaint is related to mental health or developmental disability services that you or someone else receives, you may also want to contact the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.
- If your issue or complaint is related to long-term care services that you or someone else receives, you may also want to contact the Ombudsman for Long Term Care.
To report neglect, mistreatment, or exploitation, contact the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC).
For information about guardianship, less restrictive alternatives, and which options might be best for you or someone else, contact the Guardianship Information Line from the Center for Excellence in Supported Decision Making.
For support or advice with a guardianship issue, decision, or question, contact the Arc Minnesota for their “Ask an advocate” service.
For information about approaches to decision-making and working with a guardian, visit the Disability Hub’s webpage with common questions about guardianship.
For information about navigating aging and decision-making, visit the Senior Linkage Line webpage about planning for the future.
About the Task Force
NOTE: Although the task force is paused, we will keep the following information available through May 16, 2025, as an archive. We will continue to share resources on guardianship and supported decision-making.
The Legislative Task Force on Guardianship was created to improve guardianship in Minnesota and to explore other options for supported decision-making. Members of the task force want to:
- Find more good guardians and make sure they are paid fairly.
- Figure out how to pay for guardianships and other support options long-term.
- Look into creating a system to certify or license guardians.
- Create guides and training for guardians.
- Make it easier to report problems with guardians.
- Find ways to help people stay in their communities and make decisions without a full guardianship.
- Make sure guardianship is only used when necessary.
- Protect the rights of people under guardianship, including their right to fair treatment.
MCD is partnering with Wilder Research on this task force. We are talking to many different groups, including the public, judges, people under guardianship, guardians themselves, advocates, and lawyers. The task force will hold public meetings and ask for input as we develop suggestions that will make the guardianship system in Minnesota better for everyone.
Visit the Secretary of State’s website for more information about the task force.
Task Force Members
- Erica Alley, Minnesota Department of Health
- Lisa Antony-Thomas, Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
- Dawn Bly, parent representative
- Cathy Chavers, Bois Forte Chairwoman
- Senator Scott Dibble
- Aisha Elmquist, Director, Olmstead Implementation Office
- Representative Sandra Feist
- Genevieve Gaboriault, Deputy Ombudsman for Long Term Care
- Jennifer Giesen, Minnesota Disability Law Center
- Kevin Gerdes, representative currently or previously under guardianship
- Cindy Hagen, representative currently or previously under guardianship
- Heidi Hamilton, Representative of the Department of Human Services with Knowledge of Public Guardianship Issues
- Heather Kainz, member of Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities
- Senator Michael Kreun
- Honorable David Lutz, Judge of District Court, First Judicial District
- Lynn MacDonald, Private Professional Guardian
- Representative Danny Nadeau
- Anita Raymond, Center for Excellence in Supported Decision Making
- Bonnie Jean Smith, Private Guardian
- Kristine Sundberg, Elder Voice Advocates
- Megan Thomas, Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators
- Jessica Timmington Lindstrom, Minnesota Association for Guardianship & Conservatorship
- Nora Ulseth, The Arc Minnesota
- Amanda Vickstrom, Minnesota Elder Justice Center
- Nikki Villavicencio, Task Force Chair
- Emily Weichsel, Adult Representation Services
- Darlene Zangara, Executive Director, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard-of-Hearing
Meeting Details
After the first meeting listed under Upcoming Meetings, the task force will meet on fourth Tuesday of every month from 9:30 to 11:30 am until May 2025. Starting in May, meetings will be scheduled on the fourth Tuesday of every month from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. MCD will continue to post the details for each meeting on this page.
MCD will provide ASL interpreters and captioning at all meetings. To request any additional accommodations, please email Guardianship.TF.MCD@state.mn.us or call MCD’s office at 651-361-7800 (VRS), Toll Free: 1-800-945-8913 (VRS).
Meetings are open to the public. If possible, we ask that members of the public attend meetings virtually. If virtual attendance is not an option for you, please contact Audrey.mutanhaurwa@wilder.org, 651-280-2247.
Upcoming Meetings
April 1, 2025
9:30 am to 11:30 am
In person: Wilder Center, Auditorium A, 451 Lexington Pkwy N, St. Paul, MN
Remote via Zoom