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Extraído del Informe Consolidado
Esta investigación fue publicada originalmente como parte de un informe consolidado más amplio que contiene múltiples investigaciones. Consulte el PDF consolidado para ver el documento completo.
Alameda County Grand Jury
• 2021-2022
Probate Conservatorship Cries Out for Reform
⚠️ Aviso de traducción: Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 4 findings
F15
Page 71
The Public Defender’s probate conservatorship unit is severely understaffed and overworked, meaning that proposed conservatees with means receive a far higher level of service than the indigent.
F16
Page 71
The failure of the Public Defender to gather data on conservatorship case outcomes, implement formal training procedures, and establish a formal grievance process for clients, in addition to its reliance on paper files, hampers its ability to identify trends, stay up to date on best practices, and learn from past experience.
F17
Page 71
The lack of a contract between Alameda County and its conservatorship defense providers that outlines the expected scope of representation means that not all proposed conservatees receive the same level of service and raises the risk of litigation against the county.
F18
Page 71
Involuntary conservatorship proceedings can quickly drain proposed conservatees’ estates, which would not occur under a recorder’s fee- or grant-funded model.
Recommendations 8
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R20Page 71The Alameda County Board of Supervisors must transfer responsibility for conservatorship defense from the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office to a separate agency.
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R21Page 71The Alameda County Board of Supervisors must establish a written contract with its conservatorship defense provider(s) outlining the standards to be met in order to receive county funding, as set forth in Recommendation 22.
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R22Page 71The Alameda County Board of Supervisors must include the following provisions in the written contract(s) named in Recommendation 21: a. actions required to establish zealous advocacy, including 71 2021-2022 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Final Report _______________________________________________________________________________________ i. arranging an evaluation of proposed conservatees by a licensed medical professional and/or a social worker, ii. working with regional centers to review individualized program plans (IPPs) for (proposed) conservatees who are regional center clients, to determine whether a less-restrictive alternative is available, and iii. implementing a procedure to follow up with court investigators to ensure thorough and timely investigations, b. the length of time an attorney or support staff must perform affirmative outreach after letters of conservatorship are issued, c. requirements that the conservatorship defense provider i. establish written attorney training procedures, ii. establish annual attorney performance evaluation procedures, iii. review each case after the conservatorship ends and conduct an “exit interview” or survey with interested parties, and iv. maintain a database of case outcomes.
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R23Page 72The Alameda County Board of Supervisors must select a neutral third party to conduct an annual audit of a random sample of conservatorship defense cases to assess attorney performance and determine compliance with probate rules.
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R24Page 72Unless and until there has been a determination as to a new funding model, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors must approve funding for one experienced full-time attorney to be assigned exclusively to the Alameda County Public Defender’s probate conservatorship unit. If the Alameda County Board of Supervisors finds it unmanageable to follow
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R25Page 72The Alameda County Board of Supervisors must direct the Alameda County Public Defender to subscribe to an attorney training service upon hire and for continuing education in the area of probate conservatorship.
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R26Page 72The Alameda County Board of Supervisors must direct the Alameda County Public Defender to establish annual performance evaluation procedures for conservatorship attorneys. 72 2021-2022 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Final Report _______________________________________________________________________________________
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R27Page 73The Alameda County Board of Supervisors must direct the Alameda County Public Defender and Legal Assistance for Seniors to arrange for each client to be evaluated by a licensed medical professional and/or a social worker.