FIVE REASONS TO JOIN NGA

I’ve occasionally heard folks say “why do I need to join the National Guardianship Association (NGA) when I’m already a member of a state guardianship association?” Below are five reasons for your consideration:

1. Ethics Forum – Have you ever encountered an ethical dilemma and wished you had some experts to give you input into solving it? NGA members are now able to confidentially access an exclusive group of seasoned ethics experts from across the US via a unique email address. The group will deliberate about the ethical dilemma and reply to the NGA member within 10 days with some helpful input to help the member solve his or her dilemma.

2. Liability Insurance – Have you been paying too much for liability insurance or operating without liability insurance? The NGA board has worked with Larry Hilton of Dominion Insurance to create a unique and comprehensive liability insurance policy to meet the needs of NGA members. You have to be an NGA member to purchase this insurance and can get an extra 5% discount for being a RG (or 10% for being a MG) and an additional 5% discount for being a member of KGA. The policy is underwritten by Lloyds of London, and you can contact Larry at 1-888-313-9977.

3. List Serv – Do you ever have a practical issue on which you could use some input from guardians across the US who may have solved a similar problem? NGA now has 771 members in 45 states which is an all-time high for NGA membership. About half of these members have subscribed to the NGA List Serv which is voluntary. The NGA List Serv is the best way for practicing guardians or their attorneys to get useful information on specific issues within a day or two.

4. On-Line Training Modules – Do you ever come up a few hours short of meeting your annual education requirements to renew your registered guardian certification? The NGA website has now posted five training modules. You simply download the module, study the material and answer the questions. You then submit your answers to NGA by mail or fax along with your $50 payment ($60 for non-members) or $25 payment for family or volunteer guardians ($30 for non-members). If you score 75% or better, NGA will award one credit accepted by CGC to renew your RG or MG certification. The current topics are: Prudent Investor Rule; Medical Decision Making; Mediation; Sexuality and People with Mental Disabilities; and Assisted Living.

5. 2009 NGA Colloquim and Annual Conference – Do you ever wish you could get out of your state to meet and learn from guardians in other states? The 2009 NGA Colloquim, " The Ethics of Decision Making: Avoiding the Danger Zones, " will be held April 24th, 2009  in Charlotte, NC. NGA member early-bird registration by March 27th.  The 2009 National  Conference will be held October 3rd through 6th in Las Vegas, NV.

 

Membership dues are $50 for family and volunteer guardians; $170 for professional members; and $250 for organizational members (with $100 to add additional members employed by the organization).