“Being part of the Youth Voice, Youth Choice project has helped me grow as a leader and advocate. I’ve learned that with the right support and team, I can confidently present, empower others, and embrace mistakes as opportunities to learn. Working alongside amazing peers and mentors, I’ve seen how supported decision-making gives all youth—regardless of ability—the tools to lead. This journey has changed my life, and I’m excited for what comes next.”

– Michael W. Thornton, CYVYC Trainer, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered

Thank You from the CYVYC Project Team

Welcome to ICI’s 13th Alternatives to Guardianship (A2G) newsletter. After five impactful years, our grant is coming to a close—but the movement continues.

Over the years, we’ve accomplished so much together. We trained more than 40 Youth Ambassadors to advocate for decision-making rights. These incredible emerging leaders have championed alternatives to guardianship and shared their voices to create real change across their states.

We have also supported 11 dedicated state teams working on meaningful progress in their communities. These teams of tireless advocates formed a vibrant community space to share ideas, learn from one another, and build lasting momentum to promote alternatives to guardianship. We are confident this community will continue its important work beyond the life of this project.

Read more about CYVYC accomplishments.

This farewell is not the end of the story. The passion, partnerships, and lessons from CYVYC will carry on in many forms—as state teams expand their efforts, youth continue to lead, and communities find new ways to support alternatives to guardianship for people with disabilities.

We will continue to send newsletter updates about issues that impact youth, families, educators, advocates, and adult support systems. You can also follow us on social media for updates, opportunities, and accomplishments from our youth ambassadors and colleagues.

Thank you to all who made CYVYC so impactful. We are proud of what we’ve built together—and excited to see where this movement goes next!

With gratitude,

The Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice Team

Institute for Community Inclusion

A group of 18 adults stands together in an office smiling at the camera in front of a teal colored wall. The group includes people of different ages and genders and races dressed in a mix of casual and business casual clothing.

CYVYC Project staff from the Institute for Community Inclusion, the Center for Public Representation, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered, the Human Services Research Institute, and the Georgia Advocacy Office pose for a group photo.

Stay Connected to Alternatives to Guardianship!

Explore the CYVYC Website for A2G Resources

The CYVYC website offers a range of helpful tools and information to stay connected to the A2G topic. The website features:

A2G Map. This US map provides state-by-state details on legally recognized alternatives to guardianship in four key decision-making areas: 1) education, 2) health, 3) financial, and 4) general. Use it to explore what's available in your state and how to put these options into practice!
Youth Ambassador Training Curriculum. You can use this training series to help youth gain skills in advocacy, decision-making, and promoting self-determination.
Resource Library . This online library is designed for a wide range of audiences and features resources written in plain language. We have carefully selected resources on topics related to alternatives to guardianship, supported decision-making, guardianship, transition planning, and transfer-of-rights. These resources are for youth, parents, supporters, educators, policymakers, advocates, and many others!
CYVYC publications. Our briefs and promising practices series are available on the CYVYC website under the “Resources” tab.
Video Resources. This page has a variety of short educational videos created by youth and professionals in the field about alternatives to guardianship, supported decision-making, and transfer-of-rights.

Stay Connected to our CYVYC Partners and Consultants

CYVYC was a partnership between the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), the Center for Public Representation (CPR), Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), and the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI), in consultation with experts from Harvard Law School Project on Disability and the Georgia Advocacy Office. Without these dedicated professionals, we would not have accomplished all that we did!

Please don’t hesitate to contact them:

Center for Public Representation	Morgan Whitlatch	mwhitlatch@cpr-ma.org
Georgia Advocacy Office	Ruby Moore	rubymoore77@icloud.com
Self Advocates Becoming Empowered	Julian Wang	julianjjwang@gmail.com
Human Services Research Institute	Valerie J. Bradley	vbradley@hsri.org
Institute for Community Inclusion	Allison Hall	Allison.Hall@umb.edu
Harvard Law School Project on Disability	Hezzy Smith	msmith@law.harvard.edu

Stay Connected to our State Teams

State Teams were an integral part of the CYVYC project, promoting alternatives to guardianship and supporting our Youth Ambassadors in this important work. Check out each State Team’s page for contact information and A2G resources!

Stay Connected on Social Media

For & About Youth

Youth Ambassadors Out & About

In April, Kason Erwin, a CYVYC Youth Ambassador from Texas, spoke at the Texas State Capitol in support of the Building Better Futures Bill (HB 2081). If passed, this bill would help colleges create more inclusive higher education programs for students with intellectual disabilities — and give students access to funding, too. Watch Kason’s testimony (starts at 20:00).

A group of approximately 20 people of diverse ages and backgrounds stand together indoors smiling at the camera. The central figure a man in a dark suit holds a large folder. The group is standing in a well-lit room with high ceilings and decorative floori

The Arc of Texas Public Policy & Advocacy Staff, Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, individuals who testified in support of HB 2081, and their friends and family. Representative John Bucy III is the man in the middle. He is the one who authored HB 2081.

A young person in a gray suit white shirt and striped tie speaks into a microphone while testifying before the Texas House Committee on Higher Education. The text overlay on the screen reads COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION and HB 2081 along with the seal of

Kason and testifying in front of the Texas House Committee on Higher Education.

Otto Lana and Isabella Santoyo are presenting at the Inclusion Conference.

Youth Ambassadors from California Otto Lana and Isabella Santoyo presented at the Inclusion Connection conference on June 20 in Iowa. Their presentation was titled: "Mission I'm Possible: Journey to Communication.” This was Otto’s 4^th and Bella’s 1^st year in attendance.

For Everyone

Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights Resources

Moving to Adult Health Care: A 6-Part Toolkit Series for Health Care Transition

The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities has developed six new toolkits, in partnership with youth with developmental disabilities. These toolkits help youth take the lead in health care visits, manage their health needs, and plan for the best care. Learn more about the toolkits and download them.

Consent and Decision-Making Brief

This issue brief emphasizes the right of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to make their own decisions with appropriate support. It promotes supported decision-making (SDM) as an alternative to guardianship, encouraging early practice, inclusive research, and policy change. The brief urges families, professionals, and communities to foster self-determination, inclusion, and ethical practices that respect the autonomy of people with IDD.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Report

Otto Lana, a Youth Ambassador from California, was involved as a CYVYC representative in developing A National Partnership to Advance Peer-Support Models for People Who Need Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) – Final Report. You can find the final report, an executive summary, and a plain language summary on the project webpage.

Please invite your friends and colleagues to subscribe to our A2G newsletter!

Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice is funded by cooperative agreement # 90DNDM0004, Administration for Community Living (ACL), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).