Texas Guardianship Issues Biennial Report: 2000 Page: 3
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Guardianship Advisory Board at the Texas Health and Human Services
Commission (HHSC) was established by the 75th Legislature in 1997. One of the
Board's statutory missions is to develop a plan to facilitate the establishment of "a
statewide guardianship program". The members of the Guardianship Advisory
Board have determined that the term "statewide guardianship system" is the best
term to describe the guardianship needs that presently exist in Texas. The Board
has submitted two Reports, 1998-1999, which detail the Board's progress in the
establishment of a statewide guardianship system.
The overall effect of grant awards to guardianship programs from 1998-2000
has been quite significant in the development of the statewide system. The
distribution of $242,000 of grant funds by the Alliance has generated proposals
from 24 programs to assist individuals with guardianship and money management
services. Nine new local guardianship programs have been started in the last 2 and
1/2 years. Seven programs have expanded their services to nearby counties or to
additional populations. Recall that in 1998, only 12 guardianship programs existed
in the State. Twenty-one guardianship and money management programs exist at
this time. Therefore, because of this small amount of grant funds, the number
of guardianship programs in Texas has increased by 60%.
While these grant proposals only commit to the provision of guardianship or
money management services for one year, the Board has found that these grants
act as "seed money." Once the seeds for these guardianship programs are planted,
local communities begin to supply the necessary resources to sustain these
programs because they fill an urgent need in these communities.
While these numbers are impressive, the availability of grant funds from the
Alliance has had a far greater impact than this. Agencies such as local Arc
chapters and Area Agencies on Aging are starting to pay attention to the
guardianship and money management needs of individuals in their service areas.
Courts are becoming proactive and are beginning to initiate guardianship
investigations and to encourage the development of local guardianship programs to
protect the incapacitated citizens of their counties. The Texas Guardianship
Association has added new members, and more staff of local guardianship
programs are becoming registered guardians by taking an exam offered by the
National Guardianship Foundation. Directors and staff of local guardianship
programs are becoming members of the National Guardianship Association and
attending their conferences. This small amount of grant funds has renewed local
interest in the protection of incapacitated individuals who lack family support.
However, there is a long way to go in order to reach the goal of providing
appropriate and necessary guardianship and less restrictive services for all
incapacitated individuals residing within the state of Texas.3
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Guardianship Alliance of Texas. Texas Guardianship Issues Biennial Report: 2000, report, December 1, 2000; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1544020/m1/9/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.