Pilot guardian program could expand statewide

At the beginning of the year, Ana Kemmerer was searching for guardians for about 10 Spokane County adults who were incapacitated and needed someone to manage their care or finances.

They had no family or friends suitable and not enough money to pay someone for those services, said Kemmerer, who coordinates Spokane County Superior Court’s guardianship monitoring program.

A new state program being tested by Spokane County should help address that need.

The 2007 Legislature approved the establishment of the Office of Public Guardianship and appropriated $1.48 million to provide public guardians in five counties: Spokane, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Okanogan and Pierce.

“This program satisfies an unmet need,” said Shirley Bondon, who manages the new office. “Many of the persons we’re talking about are currently not being served and by providing services to these individuals, there is a potential to not only improve their lives, but to reduce the drain on other services.”

People eligible to receive the services must be 18 or older and can’t earn more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which equates to $20,800 for a single person. They also must have no one else in their life qualified, willing or able to serve, Bondon said.

In Spokane County, social worker Peggy McIntire is contracting with the state to serve as a guardian. McIntire recently completed training and will be able to turn to an advisory committee of people with expertise in various social services for help, said Lance Morehouse, a member of that committee.

“When you look at the responsibilities a guardian carries, having to make reports to the court, having to handle their finances separately and account for every dime, it’s a real stress on families,” said Morehouse, who’s also director of advocacy and family support for the Arc of Spokane, a nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities.

“That’s where I think public guardianship could play a real role.”

Courts appoint guardians to make personal or financial decisions for people the court determines are at risk of personal or financial harm because they can’t take care of themselves. Many incapacitated adults have family members who serve as their guardians or the resources to hire professionals. However, one expert on guardianship estimates 4,265 people statewide need a public guardian.

“It’s not only a state need, it’s a national need,” said Winsor Schmidt, chairman of Washington State University’s Department of Health Policy and Administration.

Guardianship done right ensures people receive the services they need in a timely fashion, such as preventive health care that can save millions in hospital bills.

Under the state contract, public guardians receive $525 a month per client during the first 90 days of a case, due to the extensive upfront work required. The monthly payment drops to $325 per client after that, Bondon said. The maximum caseload is 10 clients on a part-time basis and 20, full time.

The Office of Public Guardianship is working with the Washington State Institute of Public Policy to produce a report by April 2009 analyzing the need, costs and savings demonstrated by the pilot programs. Schmidt said the state is following the same approach Virginia took, starting with pilot programs then expanding statewide after research demonstrates effectiveness. Schmidt anticipates a similar outcome in Washington.