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TO
VOLUNTEER. . .contact
Mary Ann Thomas, Recruiter of Volunteers at 216-696-1132, ext. 143.
Volunteering
as a guardian gives you the opportunity to meet a need in your own
community for a very special group of people who are totally alone.
You will be able to reach out with a caring heart and hand to a
person who likely is without family or close friends. You will gain
experience in nurturing, advocating, and caring for another person
who otherwise would have no one in his or her life. Perhaps most
importantly, you will receive satisfaction in making someone’s
life better. With all of today’s technology, there is nothing
that can begin to replace the smile or touch of another human being.
Only you can provide this!
AGS
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
Volunteer
Guardian
Volunteer
Guardian Assistant
Volunteer
Attorney
Other
Volunteer Opportunities
A Volunteer Guardian serves as the legally appointed Guardian
of Person for incompetent, indigent adults. The Volunteer Guardian
acts in the best interest of the ward as an advocate and substitute
decision-maker in the care and management of medical and personal
affairs of the ward.
Activities related to the management of a guardianship include the
following:
- Regular
visitation (at least monthly) to facility where ward lives
- Monthly
telephone contact with the facility
- Contact/intervention
with service providers and family members, as appropriate
- Personal
decision-making including living arrangements, medical care, and
pre-need funeral arrangements.
- NOTE:
Volunteers have no financial obligation for the ward.
To
volunteer as a guardian, click
here to apply
or contact Mary Ann Thomas at mthomas@agscleveland.org
or 216-696-1132, ext. 143.
A Volunteer Guardian Assistant serves as an assistant to
an AGS staff guardian. He or she works closely with the staff guardian,
meeting the needs of various wards who may live in the community
(group home) or in nursing homes.
Activities of a Volunteer Guardian Assistant may include the following:
- Make
regular visits to specific wards and report back to staff guardian.
- Shop
for clothes and other necessary items for the ward
- Accompany
the ward to doctor’s visits and other appointments.
- Assist
staff guardians in closing down an apartment or moving a ward.
- Other
duties may be assigned as needed and appropriate.
To
volunteer as a Guardian Assistant, click
here to apply
or contact Mary Ann Thomas at mthomas@agscleveland.org
or 216-696-1132, ext. 143.
A Volunteer Attorney serves as a consultant to a volunteer
guardian. He or she works in conjunction with the Volunteer Coordinator
as cases are assigned and as tasks need to be accomplished.
Activities
of a Volunteer Attorney include the following:
Act
as attorney of record on all court filings
- Preparation
for and attendance at hearings, as necessary, especially when
the case is contested
- File
Biennial reports
- Be
accessible to volunteer guardians in order to provide legal guidance
and advice, as needed
To
volunteer as a Volunteer Attorney, click
here to apply
or
contact Mary Ann Thomas, J.D., at mthomas@agscleveland.org
or 216-696-1132, ext. 143.
Other Volunteer Opportunities are available with AGS, including
office support and marketing activities. Contact the Volunteer Recruiter,
Mary Ann Thomas, for details at mthomas@agscleveland.org
or 216-696-1132, ext. 143.
Adult Guardianship Services recognizes the importance of the role
of a Volunteer Guardian or Guardian Assistant. To make your experience
successful, we have a formalized program which provides each volunteer
with training, support and guidance at all times. The sections below
describe how we operate and provide this support.
Application
Process
Matching
Process
On-going
Care of the ward
On-going
Support of Volunteers
Requirements
to be a Volunteer
Application
Process
- Complete
the on-line application. Click
here to apply
or contact Mary Ann Thomas at mthomas@agscleveland.org
or 216-696-1132 ext 143.
- Upon
receipt of application, the Recruiter will contact you to schedule
a personal interview.
- After
the interview, your references will be contacted and you will
register for training.
- Attend
5 hours of training held in 2-2.5 hr sessions
- Complete
background check
- Completed
file passed to Volunteer Manager for matching
Matching
Process
- The
Volunteer Manager contacts the prospective volunteer who meets
the individual to see if they want to become the guardian.
- If
there is a good match, court documents are prepared; a hearing
date is set.
- The
volunteer attends the hearing at Probate Court with the Volunteer
Manager.
- If
the guardianship is awarded, guardianship papers are issued to
the volunteer and the guardianship begins.
On-going
Care of Ward
- All
Volunteer Guardians are required to have 2 contacts per months.
One contact must be a personal visit with their ward. The second
contact can be a phone call with caregivers.
- The
Volunteer Guardian needs to have at least two contacts monthly
concerning the ward. One of those contacts must be an in person
visit. The second contact can be a phone call with caregivers
or another in person visit.
- If
the ward is in nursing home, the Volunteer Guardian is encouraged
to attend the quarterly care conference for the ward, either in
person or by teleconference.
- As
issues/concerns arise, the volunteer can contact the Volunteer
Manager with questions or concerns. The Volunteer Manager is on
call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Guardianship
stops at the death of the ward. Volunteers often attend the funeral
of their ward, to pay their respects to the ward and to acknowledge
feelings of loss. The Volunteer Manager often attends with the
Volunteer to lend support.
On-going
Support of Volunteers
- The
Volunteer Manager is available 24/7 for emergencies.
- AGS
has an ethicist available for consultation.
- AGS
provides at least four seminar opportunities per year for volunteers
to learn things they can use as a guardian.
- AGS
has an Annual Volunteer Celebration to thank our volunteers.
Requirements
to be a Volunteer Guardian or Guardian Assistant
- All
volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.
- Volunteers
who have been charged with or convicted of a crime involving theft,
physical violence, or sexual or substance abuse usually cannot
become a court appointed guardian.
- All
volunteers must be interviewed by the Volunteer Recruiter.
- All
volunteers must attend a 5-hour training course.
- All
volunteers must provide four references.
- All
volunteers must submit to background checks.
What
is guardianship all about?
How
much of my time will be involved if I agree to volunteer?
What
can you tell me about the people who are in need of a volunteer?
What
kinds of things would I be doing as a volunteer?
What
costs am I likely to incur if I volunteer?
Will
I receive any type of reimbursement for volunteering?
If
I go through the training does that mean that I am committing
myself to being a volunteer?
What
do I do and who do I call if and when I run into a problem after
the relationship with the ward begins?
What
kinds of paperwork will I have to do?
Why
should I consider volunteering for AGS?
I
am over age 55. Would I benefit from also being a part of the
Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)?
I
am a licensed social worker. Can I get any credit for the initial
training?
What
are the core values and the mission of Adult Guardianship Services?
What
is guardianship?
Guardianship is a legally defined process whereby a person (the
ward) has been declared by the Probate Court to be incompetent
and a guardian is appointed by the Court for the care and management
of the ward. In most instances, the guardianship of person will
be requested when a referral is considered by Adult Guardianship
Services (AGS).
How
much of my time will be involved if I agree to volunteer?
As a volunteer guardian, two hours per month would generally be
needed after the first month. This time could be a combination
of telephone and in-person contacts. Reporting requirements are
minimal, but mandatory. The Probate Court requires report biannually
(every other year) and AGS requires every Volunteer Guardian to
complete and return a quarterly report.
What can you tell me about the people
who are in need of a volunteer?
The people who are referred to AGS must be adults, are most often
indigent, lacking available or appropriate family and/or support
systems, and have a mental disability as defined by law. Nearly
all volunteers wards reside in nursing homes.
What
kinds of things would I be doing as a volunteer?
As a volunteer guardian your primary tasks would be health-related
decision-making, placement-related decision-making, managing personal
relationships issues, and advocating for your ward. You would
always have AGS staff available for consultation as you make decisions.
Often volunteer guardians do special things for their wards—a
drive in the country, coffee at McDonalds, if the guardian decides
the ward is able. A token gift for their birthday or at holiday
time, is a nice gesture, but is strictly up to the Volunteer and
is not a requirement.
What
costs am I likely to incur if I volunteer?
You are not personally liable for any costs incurred by the ward
that exceed the ward’s assets. You incur the travel and telephone
costs of having contact with the ward.
If
I go through the training does that mean that I am committing
myself to being a volunteer?
There is a process to becoming a volunteer and you would not be
asked to make a commitment until the training is completed. After
training is completed you will be asked if you are now ready to
commit to being a volunteer guardian.
What
do I do and who do I call if and when I run into a problem after
the relationship with the ward begins?
In addition to information provided during the initial training,
you will also receive an “As You Begin…” booklet
from the Volunteer Manager on the day of your court hearing. This
resource may help you with some problems. Should a problem, concern,
or question arise at any time during the guardianship, contact
the Volunteer Manager who will provide information or arrange
for you to speak to someone who can assist you. Twenty-four hour,
seven-day a week telephone support is always available.
What
kinds of paperwork will I have to do?
The Court requires that a Biennial Report be completed every two
years. Volunteer guardians are required to keep records of the
date, type, time, and content of contacts with the ward. Information
on how to do this will be explained during the training. You must
also complete and submit a quarterly report to the Volunteer Manager.
Why
should I consider volunteering for AGS?
Volunteering in this program will give you the opportunity to
meet a need in your own community for an at-risk population. You
will be able to reach out with a caring heart and hand to a person
who likely is without family or close friends. You will gain experience
in nurturing, advocating and caring for another person who otherwise
would have no one in his or her life. Perhaps most importantly,
you will receive satisfaction in making someone’s life better.
The individual may be facing the reality of the end of life in
an unfamiliar setting. With all of today’s technology, there
is nothing that can begin to replace the smile or touch of another
human being. Only you can provide this.
I
am a licensed social worker. Can I get any credit for the initial
training?
The AGS initial training has been approved for five hours of continuing
education units. These credits satisfy license renewal continuing
education requirements for social workers and nurses.
I
am over age 55. Would I benefit from also being a part of the
Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)?
AGS has an agreement with RSVP. RSVP offers additional insurance
to their volunteers for the time during which they volunteer.
RSVP also keeps a record of your volunteer hours and you then
are eligible for recognition by RSVP. If you are an AGS/RSVP volunteer
you must submit your contact time monthly to AGS. For more information,
go to www.rsvpcleveland.org.
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