Guardianship Program
What is guardianship?
Guardianship means someone has the legal authority to make decisions for a person who cannot act independently. The legal guardian has a legal responsibility to care for that person. Legal guardians typically care for minor children, though guardianship (conservatorship in some states) may apply to adults facing disability, incapacity or similar circumstances.
Conservatorship vs. guardianship
The main difference between conservatorship and guardianship is age. Guardianship typically applies to minor children, while conservatorship generally applies to incapacitated adults (though definitions vary among states).
Conservatorship primarily concerns finances, while guardianship usually concerns medical and personal care. Guardianship can apply to a person — such as a minor child or an incapacitated adult — or to someone’s assets (but it is not the same as being an executor of a person’s will).
Catholic Family Service has acted as the Bay County Public Guardian since 1997. The program serves approximately two hundred individuals with a diverse population that include the developmentally disabled, persons with severe persistent mental illness, physical impairments (dementia or traumatic brain injuries) and minors. Most of these individuals reside throughout Bay County, but numerous clients reside out of county due to Bay Arenac placement or housing availability.
The staff consists of social workers and financial support persons with a total of over sixty plus years of combined experience. The Program Manager is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with extensive knowledge in treating severe persistent mental illness and developmental disabilities, and an individual who holds a Licensed Bachelor of Social Work (LBSW) and has experience working with individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities and mental illness. The financial support personnel have many years of experience in financial management and financial administration.