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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board appoint Olivia Byron-Cooper, Interim Director of the Health and Human Services Agency, as the Public Guardian effective upon approval.
FUNDING: N/A
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
In accordance with the California Government Code Section 27430, the County of El Dorado Board of Supervisors created the Office of Public Guardian through County Ordinance 2.12.050, and delegated authority to the Director of the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) to appoint the Public Guardian.
The Office of the Public Guardian serves as conservator of a person and/or estate of individuals needing protective intervention, to ensure the physical and financial safety of persons unable to do so on their own, when there are no viable alternatives to a public conservatorship. The two types of conservatorships, Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) and probate, can only be established by order of the Superior Court and may be for person only, estate only, or for both person and estate. As probate conservator, the Public Guardian is involved in all aspects of their clients’ lives, including financial management, housing, medical care, placement, and advocacy. As LPS conservator, the Public Guardian is responsible for directing the mental health treatment and placement of clients who are gravely disabled and unable to provide for their food, clothing, shelter, and treatment needs. The Office of the Public Guardian also provides voluntary Representative Payee Program services to assist individuals with financial management and case management.
Currently, there is no appointed Public Guardian, as the last appointed Public Guardian was the former Director of HHSA, Don Semon, who was appointed on February 25, 2020, with an effective start date of March 3, 2020 (File ID: 20-0228). To allow sufficient time for HHSA to review and assess the organizational structure, the Interim Director of HHSA is recommending that the Board ...
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