Duty
The Orange County Department of Social Services is authorized by statute to serve as guardian for incapacitated adults.
Service Criteria
Guardianship Services are provided to individuals who are alleged to be incompetent and to individuals who are adjudicated incompetent by the court and need a guardian.
Available Services
Services may include:
- Assessing an individual's need for guardianship
- Locating the appropriate person(s) to serve as guardian(s)
- When necessary petitioning or assisting the individual's family to petition for the adjudication of incompetence and the appointment of a guardian.
Services may also include ongoing casework with the individual, the individual's family, and caregivers when the agency director or assistant director has been appointed as guardian.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the guardian may include making decisions about where the individual will live, authorizing medical treatment, managing the individual's finances, and filing status reports and accounting with the court.