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State official: Virginia laws now recognize SDM templates and a simpler path to ask courts to modify guardianship
Summary
Sarah Thompson (DBHDS) reviewed Virginia's legislative work on SDM (including HB 2230) and a 2024 change allowing informal written communications to request guardianship modification or termination, and said local cases will test how courts apply the new process.
Sarah Thompson, the state lead who advised DBHDS work on supported decision making, summarized Virginia's legislative timeline and what families can expect from state resources. She said House Bill 2230 (2021) directed DBHDS to develop SDM agreement templates, training, and data collection, and that a 2024 change added an option for people under guardianship to send an informal written communication to the court requesting modification or termination.
"You can what's called an informal written communication, send it to the court," Thompson said, describing the new pathway and explaining that courts will determine whether to schedule a hearing or decline for lack of information. She cautioned that the provision is new and untested, and that early Arlington cases are helping identify training and implementation gaps in the judiciary.
Thompson said DBHDS and a stakeholder work group (more than 50% self-advocates) created a standard SDM template, discovery tools ("when do I want support," relationship maps) and a suite of plain-language resources. The group is working on a condensed SDM agreement intended for wider accessibility, with target availability in late winter or early spring 2026.
She urged families and providers to use and adapt the template tools and noted that outreach to medical, financial and legal professionals remains a priority to ensure the new options are understood and honored.
