When No One Else Is Left

The Office of the Public Guardian is operating under sustained workload pressures driven by rising caseloads and staffing levels that have not been formally reassessed in recent years. As a result, increased case assignments per deputy or case manager limit the of- fice’s ability to consistently provide individualized attention to complex estates and conser- vatorships. The absence of a current, data-driven workload and staffing analysis constrains the department’s capacity to plan staffing levels, identify training needs, and make in- formed long-term resource allocation decisions. Facts 2: • The Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) relies on coordi- nation with multiple county entities, including the Superior Court, County 19 Counsel, and divisions within the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), to carry out its statutory duties.36 35F • Estate administration and conservatorship cases require the timely exchange of information, documentation, and approvals across these entities to meet court and statutory requirements.37 36F • Information reviewed by the Civil Grand Jury indicates that PA/PG administrative processes involve multiple sequential steps, including intake, investigation, court filings, asset management actions, and ongoing reporting.38 37F • Some administrative tasks require manual data entry, document preparation, or coordination across departments that use different procedures or systems.39 38F • Delays in receiving information or approvals from internal or external entities can affect the timing of court filings, case progression, and completion of estate or conservatorship actions.40 39F • The Civil Grand Jury found no consolidated, countywide process map or formal protocol that documents end-to-end workflows for PA/PG cases across all in- volved departments.41 40F

The Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) relies on administrative processes that involve multiple departments and external entities, yet these processes are not consistently documented or standardized across all stages of estate administra- tion and conservatorship case management. As a result, administrative efficiency de- pends in part on informal knowledge and staff experience rather than uniform 20 procedures. This condition may limit the office’s ability to ensure consistent case han- dling, support effective training and onboarding, and maintain continuity in operations. Facts 3: • The Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) relies on profes- sional staff, including deputies, case managers, investigators, and administrative personnel, to carry out estate administration and conservatorship functions.42 41F • PA/PG positions require specialized knowledge of probate law, conservatorship procedures, court practices, and applicable county policies.43 42F • Effective performance of PA/PG duties depends on staff familiarity with complex, long-term cases and established procedural requirements.44 43F • Information reviewed by the Civil Grand Jury indicates that staff turnover, retire- ments, or extended vacancies have occurred within the PA/PG during the period under review.45 44F • When experienced staff leave their position or when positions remain vacant, case assignments and responsibilities are redistributed among remaining person- nel.46 45F • The Civil Grand Jury found no comprehensive, formalized succession plan or in- stitutional knowledge preservation strategy specific to PA/PG operations.47 46F 21 Facts 4: • PA/PG receives referrals from multiple external entities, including hospitals, law enforcement agencies, courts, and community organizations, when individuals appear to require estate administration or conservatorship services48. 47F • Eligibility for PA/PG involvement in conservatorship matters is determined by statutory criteria and requires court approval.49 48F • Information reviewed by the Civil Grand Jury indicates that referrals received by the PA/PG vary in completeness and appropriateness based on statutory author- ity and eligibility requirements.50 49F • When referrals do not meet statutory criteria or lack required information, PA/PG staff must expend additional time to clarify jurisdiction, request supplemental doc- umentation, or redirect the referring entity51. 50F • Public-facing information describing the PA/PG’s role, authority, and referral pro- cess is limited and dispersed across multiple county or external sources.52 51F

The statutory role and authority of the Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) are narrowly defined and may not be consistently understood by external refer- ring entities or the public. As a result, referrals to the office may vary in completeness and alignment with statutory eligibility requirements. Facts 5: • Oversight of the Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) oc- curs primarily through the Superior Court in probate and conservatorship matters, with court review focused on case-specific compliance with statutory and proce- dural requirements53. 52F • The Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) provides administrative over- sight of the PA/PG as part of the County’s organizational structure54. 53F • Information reviewed by the Civil Grand Jury indicates that existing oversight mechanisms emphasize legal and procedural compliance rather than compre- hensive evaluation of program performance55. 54F • Publicly available PA/PG reporting primarily consists of budget documents, or- ganizational information, and required court filings, rather than consolidated per- formance metrics.56 55F • The Civil Grand Jury found no standardized set of program-level performance measures used to evaluate PA/PG operations across estate administration and conservatorship functions.57 56F

Oversight of the Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) is primarily structured around case-level judicial review and compliance with statutory and proce- dural requirements. While this framework ensures legal accountability in individual mat- ters, it does not provide a comprehensive, program-level view of operational perfor- mance. The absence of standardized performance measures and consolidated 23 reporting may limit county leadership’s ability to evaluate trends in caseloads, pro- cessing timelines, staffing capacity, and overall effectiveness, resulting in administrative oversight that is constrained by incomplete visibility into the PA/PG’s performance as an integrated County function rather than as a collection of individual cases. Facts 6: • The Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) uses administra- tive and case management systems to track estate administration and conserva- torship activities.58 57F • Information reviewed by the Civil Grand Jury indicates that some PA/PG systems are legacy platforms that are not fully integrated with broader County technology infrastructure.59 58F • Certain administrative and reporting tasks require manual data entry or parallel recordkeeping across multiple systems.60 59F • Limited system integration affects the ability to generate consolidated, program- level reports on caseloads, processing timelines, and operational metrics.61 60F • County departments maintain technology standards and infrastructure intended to support data security, accuracy, and reporting consistency across programs.62 61F • The Civil Grand Jury found no documented, department-specific technology inte- gration plan addressing PA/PG legacy systems within the broader County infor- mation technology environment.63 62F 24

The Office of the Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/PG) relies on legacy technol- ogy systems that are not fully integrated with broader County information technology in- frastructure. The absence of a documented, PA/PG-specific technology integration plan may limit data accuracy, reporting consistency, and the County’s ability to generate con- solidated, program-level performance information.