Planning for the Future: The Mission Project Successor Plan
Recent Successor Conference
At The Mission Project, our mission goes beyond supporting adults with developmental disabilities in the present—we’re also committed to helping families plan for the future. That’s why we created the Successor Plan, a vital part of every member’s participation. This plan ensures that each participant will continue receiving the care, advocacy, and community support they need even after their initial family members are no longer able to provide it.
What Is the Successor Plan?
Established in 2008, the Successor Plan requires each Mission Project member to name a Successor—someone who will step into key caregiving and decision-making responsibilities should the original family caregiver become unable to continue in that role. Over time, the plan has evolved with our growing organization, but its core purpose remains the same: to preserve each participant’s quality of life and ensure stability in their support system.
The Two Roles of a Successor
The Successor Plan has two key roles, which may be filled by the same person or by separate individuals or entities:
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Successor Trustee
This person or organization oversees financial responsibilities such as bill payments, managing assets, and ensuring government benefits (like disability payments) are handled correctly. Often, this is a professional corporate fiduciary, such as a bank or trust company. -
Personal Representative
Participants and Successors at 2025 Conference
This individual takes on a more hands-on, day-to-day role: coordinating with service providers, providing emotional support, and advocating for the participant’s needs. In many cases, this might be a sibling, cousin, or close family friend. If no personal representative is available, organizations like ARCare can provide comprehensive support services.
These roles may be filled by family, friends, or professional organizations like ARCare, depending on the needs of the family and the participant.
What Successors Are Responsible For
Once a designated Successor becomes the primary decision-maker, they take on the same responsibilities previously held by the original family member—including both individual care and collaboration with the Mission Project as an organization.
Here’s a look at what Successors are expected to do:
Family Picnic
Support the Participant Directly
- Oversee health care (medical, dental, vision, prescriptions)
- Manage financial matters, including Social Security, Medicaid, Special Needs Trusts, and employment-related income
- Coordinate with care providers and ensure adherence to the participant’s individualized support plan (hygiene, medication, grocery needs, apartment maintenance, etc.)
- Support employment and transportation needs by working with MP staff and providers
- Help the participant maintain housing, make rent payments, and renew leases
- Encourage the participant’s consistent attendance at weekly Rockstars meetings
- Address any behavioral or emotional health concerns in collaboration with MP staff
- Complete the NTG-EDSD assessment tool
The Mission Project Sucessor Conference Guest Speaker
Stay Involved in the Participant’s MP Experience
- Continue to pay the yearly MP fee
- Identify and begin preparing the next successor, when appropriate
- Report any critical issues to the Executive Director or Board of Directors
What Successors Are Not Expected to Do
Unlike the original family members, successors are not required to:
- Attend monthly MP family meetings
- Participate in MP fundraising events
- Volunteer for clubs, committees, or organizational events
This shift in expectations helps ensure that the successor’s focus can remain on the participant’s day-to-day quality of life, without the added weight of organizational responsibilities.
The Mission Project Family Events
Preparing and Supporting Successors
To ensure Successors feel informed and connected, The Mission Project hosts a biannual Successor Conference—a one-day event designed to update, educate, and empower current and future Successors. Our most recent conference took place on May 31, 2025.
Additionally, we began sending out a monthly Successor Newsletter in early 2025 to help Successors stay informed about participant stories, upcoming events, and important updates from the MP community.
Why It Matters
The Successor Plan is more than a set of documents—it’s a long-term support system. It ensures continuity in our participants’ lives and gives families peace of mind knowing their loved one’s future is protected. And it reinforces one of the most important values at the heart of The Mission Project: we are in this together, for the long haul.
