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Home > ULR > Vol. 2012 > No. 3

 

Abstract

From the beginning of this movement, there has been a smaller group of individuals who met first to identify who should be at the IGC table, what priorities should be established and what work products would be developed. This group of seven or eight people was interdisciplinary itself, including a professional from Aging, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, Disability Rights Advocacy and Guardianship, the Probate Judges’ Association, the State Bar Association, and significant staff support from the Supreme Court of Ohio. The group guided the process and started the dialogue that the larger committee would continue. The “steering committee” continues to meet and helps to provide focus for the larger group on an ongoing basis. A vital contributing factor to the effectiveness and efficiency of both the steering committee and the full subcommittee was the presence of a facilitator. The person filling this role, Maggie Lewis, was present throughout the IGC’s development and implementation beginning with the convening of the Ohio Guardianship Forum. A certified mediator, she did not offer opinions or participate as a subject matter expert but rather kept the group on track. Her facilitation was vital to the process of helping the participants understand that discussions needed closure and specific action steps should be identified for future work. Dates and topics for the next meeting were always established before the group adjourned. This facilitative function made the various work groups and the subcommittee itself more productive. With the facilitator’s help, the group developed work products in a shorter period of time and the subcommittee was able to adopt and forward these recommendations to the Children, Families, and the Courts committee relatively quickly.

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