WITHDRAWN: Social Workers' Perspectives on the Role of the Family in Guardianship and Supported Decision Making for Individuals with Disabilities

Background and Purpose: The family is most frequently the main caregiver and informal source of support for individuals with disabilities. Throughout the years, family members have frequently been appointed to take the role of a guardian for their adult offspring with a disability. However, in recent years the practice of guardianship has come under severe criticism for restricting the freedom, autonomy, and personhood of people with disabilities. This criticism has led several welfare states, including Israel, to amend their guardianship laws and to develop less restrictive alternatives, such as supported decision making (SDM).

In Israel, as in many other welfare states, decisions regarding the need to appoint a guardian or a supported decision maker are influenced strongly by social workers. Social workers frequently collaborate with the family in making such decisions, inclusive of the need to appoint a guardian or a SDM and to who this figure should be. Social workers’ decisions in guardianship and SDM judgments may be greatly impacted by the way they perceive the family. The current study examined how social workers perceive the role of family members of individuals with disabilities in matters of guardianship and SDM.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held with 27 social workers who are active in decision-making processes regarding the appointment of guardians; 18 social workers who work within the disabilities field and 9 welfare officials. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the principles of thematic analysis.

Results: The findings showed that in situations in which family members were perceived by the social worker to be actively involved in the life of the individual, guardianship appointment was perceived to be unnecessary and SDM alternatives can be implemented. Social workers’ perceptions of families was roughly divided by those that the social workers considered to be “good” or “bad” for the individual with a disability. Frequently the decision on what constitutes a “good” family was based on whether the family cooperated with the social worker, i.e. a family that would go hand in hand with social workers’ decisions and implement them. Social workers perceived these “good” families to be of better fit to complete the role of a guardian or a SDM over an external support figure. Differently, “bad” families were those that the social workers perceived as restricting the individual’s development, autonomy and decision-making abilities. Responsibility for the individuals’ autonomy and self-determination was placed on the shoulders of the family, without noticing other social forces. In such situations, social workers voiced preference to have an outside figure nominated for the guardian or SDM role.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings will be discussed in terms of their meaning for leading to the successful implementation of the guardianship and SDM reform in Israel. Suggestions will be made as to how to raise fruitful collaborations between social workers and family members such that the wishes of the individual are at the heart of the process and they lead decisions regarding their preference for a guardian or SDM and the identity of this figure.