Guardian Program

Crime Victim Services' Guardian Program provides qualified, trained, and committed court-appointed Volunteer Guardians for adult victims deemed unable to make important life decisions while ensuring their safety, dignity, and quality of life.

WE SERVE...
Adults who are found to be incompetent by the Probate Court of making important life decisions, managing their own personal affairs and do not have an appropriate support person in their life to make such decisions. The person in need of guardianship may experience a variety of issues that determine such incompetence, including:

Issues related to Aging
Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia (related to aging, injury or illness)
Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities
Mental health diagnosis
Substance Dependency
Traumatic Brain Injury or Acquired Brain Injury

BECOME A VOLUNTEER GUARDIAN...

Attend a 1-hour information session to learn about how you can support someone in need.
Submit the Volunteer Guardian Application.
Participate in 9 hours of guardianship training:
1. 6 hour Fundamentals of Guardianship course through the Ohio Supreme Court
2. 3 hour orientation course through Crime Victim Services Guardian Program
3. 5 hours continuing education courses annually.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT...
Volunteers are appointed as Guardian of the Person by Allen County Probate Court and make regular updates to the court through annual documentation. Guardians spend an average of 2-3 hours per month with their protected person, helping to ensure they are taken care of and their needs are met. This can include helping to make important medical and legal decisions, advocating for the person's wishes in court, paying bills, and navigating interpersonal relationships.

Guardians receive support from Crime Victim Services with the following:

documentation and reporting
monitoring court deadlines
continuing educations
counseling in day-to-day decision making
Links to community resources to meet the needs of the person.

Due to grant funding requirements, persons under guardianship that we serve must also be a victim of crime in which the victimization has caused or significantly increases their ongoing cognitive or physical vulnerability to be re-victimized. Knowledge of and/or documentation of the victimization must be provided.