Public Guardian Investigator-Riverside

Public Guardian Investigator Position

The County of Riverside – Behavioral Health Department – Probate Division seeks to fill a Public Guardian Investigator position for the Office of the Public Guardian located in Riverside. Under general supervision, the investigator evaluates and investigates referrals to the Public Guardian Office to determine the individual's need and eligibility for conservatorship; evaluates the level of risk of individuals who may be gravely disabled or legally incompetent; prepares reports recommending conservatorship or a viable alternative; and performs other duties as required.

Responsibilities

• Receives and reviews referrals to evaluate and assess the level of risk of individuals who may be gravely disabled or legally incompetent.
• Investigates allegations of abuse, self-neglect, financial loss, or medical or health concerns by making home or facility visits and interviewing the referred individual to collect and verify information; identifies and locates the individual's family, physicians, and others by searching through directories, utility records and other available resources as well as through inquiries of public or private agencies; interviews the potential client's family, neighbors, friends, landlords, physicians, and others to assess that individual's functional capacity, physical and environmental conditions.
• Contacts banks, investment agencies, mortgage and title companies and other agencies to obtain information regarding the potential conservatee's financial assets; collects, reviews, and analyzes legal documents including wills, trusts, Power of Attorney to assess the potential conservatee's need for conservatorship or a viable alternative.
• Interprets department policies and conservatorship procedures to the potential conservatee's family and others as required.
• Consults with doctors, psychologists, other medical providers, and professionals from other department and agencies to determine the potential client's need for medical and mental health services or to assist in facilitating temporary placement of clients; makes arrangements for referrals for immediate medical or mental health treatment and temporary placement.
• Interviews perpetrators of physical or sexual abuse or financial exploitation of potential conservatees; meets with representatives from Adult Protective Services, law enforcement and the District Attorneys office to report investigation findings in cases involving abuse; may testify in Court regarding the facts and findings of investigation.
• Determines if public conservatorship is in the best interest of the potential client, based on that individual's life skills, cognitive abilities, limitations, mental, physical and environmental conditions; recommends public conservatorship or alternatives including persuading relatives to assume conservatorship or guardianship responsibility.
• Maintains case records of investigation findings and prepares and submits a detailed report to County Counsel recommending conservatorship; meets with assigned Deputy Public Guardian to review investigation findings and turns over the case file after the client has been placed under guardianship by the court.
• Investigates Orders to Show Cause from Superior Court why the Public Guardian should not be appointed over a case that has a private conservator; reviews the Court file and interviews the client, conservator and attorney to assess the situation; prepares a detailed report including substantiating evidence supporting the reason why the Public Guardian should not be appointed and recommends a viable alternative to the Court.
• Provides In-Service Training to educate hospitals, Care Agencies, law enforcement, APS induction of new employees and other agencies as needed regarding conservatorship requirements.

Qualifications

Education : Completion of 30 semester or 45 quarter units in law, real estate, finance, accounting, public or business administration, social services, human services or closely related field. Experience : Two years of experience as an Estate Investigator with the County of Riverside. (Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis).

Experience : Three years of experience in which the primary duties of the job involved in-depth interviewing and the securing of information from individuals to determine, on the basis of laws and regulations, the proper case action or experience performing case management duties in a health or human services field. Knowledge of : Basic Public Guardian / Conservator's functions and related laws; investigative procedures, interviewing and analytical techniques for gathering interpreting and evaluating data; language used in documents such as wills, deeds and contracts; various types and uses of documents representing assets and liabilities and techniques to determine assets and liabilities. Ability to : Conduct effective interviews with individuals to obtain financial, personal and sensitive information pertaining to prospective clients; research, collect and review and verify the accuracy and completeness of information; meet with and effectively communicate investigation findings with representatives from various departments and agencies to resolve issues and develop an effective course of action; make sound and effective decisions and determinations in the best interest of prospective clients; exercise tact, diplomacy, courtesy, and sensitivity when interacting with prospective clients and their family members who are under emotional stress, suffering from mental illnesses or who are uncooperative, inflexible, agitated, upset or hostile.

Contact

For additional information or questions regarding this recruitment, contact Anay Sanchez at anasanchez@rivco.org.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons.

Veteran's Preference

The County of Riverside has a Veterans Preference Policy. Qualified veterans must submit required documents as described in the policy.

Reasonable Accommodations

The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).

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