A Field Guide for Guardians: Beyond the Court Order Paperback – March 1, 2026

You were appointed to protect someone. What nobody told you was how complicated that would get.A Field Guide for Guardians is the book that should have been in your hands from day one. Written for professional and family guardians navigating the real complexity of the role, this is not a legal manual or a policy document. It is a field-tested resource for the situations that do not come with clean answers, the family member who is furious, the facility that is pushing back, the discharge planner who wants a decision by noon, and the client whose safety depends on choices you have to make with incomplete information and no guarantee of getting it right.With more than two decades of experience as a licensed clinical social worker, legal guardian, and professional guardian, Joyce McHugh writes from inside this work, not above it. Every chapter addresses a situation you will recognize. Every script gives you language you can actually use. Every framework is built for the moment when the pressure is real and the stakes are high.This book will not make the hard decisions for you. It will make sure you are not making them alone. Read more