CAT Core Values
The Conservatorship Association of Tennessee shall promote
- awareness that all adults, no matter what their circumstances, unless legally adjucated otherwise, are presumed to be competent rather than incompetent, capable rather than incapable, and have the right to independent decision-making, autonomy, and self-determination and the protection of their civil rights and liberties;
- the right of individuals to access essential legal and other information relating to self-determination, competence, consent, and conservatorship;
- recognition of the principle of "substituted judgment" by conservators within the context of the "best interest" test;
- the importance of family and personal relationships;
- the inherent dignity, worth, and respect for the preferences of the adult with disabilities;
- the protection of adults with disabilities to whom conservators' and other persons' actions and/or conflicts of interest that may cause them harm;
- the right of an adult with disabilities to make independent decisions;
- consideration of alternatives to conservatorship for any reason other than the protection and welfare of the individual and not for the convenience of the family, the service system, or society;
- the least restrictive alternatives when considering establishing and or exercising the duties of a conservator.
Governor Bill Haslam
