7066 - Guardian/Estate Administrator - Unclassified

Overall Job Objective

Position Description

This position is in the Public Fiduciary Division of the Pima County Public Defense Services Department.

Salary Grade: U2 

Investigates, evaluates and manages the personal and financial affairs of persons or decedent estates placed under guardianship, conservatorship, or probate estate by the court, for wards of the Pima County Public Fiduciary Office. This classification is in the unclassified service and is exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.

An assessment may be administered.

Duties/Responsibilities

(Work assignments may vary depending on the department's needs and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.)
 
Intake Administrator:
Responds to referrals from medical, mental health, law enforcement and other community sources;
Screens referrals, collects and documents information, determines basis for further action regarding the necessity for the initiation of guardianship, conservatorship or probate investigation;
Performs primary assessment of potential ward which includes psycho-social history and mental status or the Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) evaluation;
Interviews, evaluates and documents a client's relationship to family and community, to determine if there is an individual with statutory priority to serve as fiduciary;
Investigates crisis conditions to determine whether emergency circumstances exist to warrant expedited court intervention;
Obtains medical, psychiatric and psychological information regarding issues bearing on the competency of potential protected persons;
Works with fiduciary staff to conduct searches, access records and protect assets, and documents all activity;
Serves as a liaison with law enforcement, social service and financial supports to promote cooperation and interdisciplinary understanding;
Initiates and maintains reports, records summaries and documents in preparation for potential court testimony.
 
Estate Administrator:
Researches and assesses client assets, and makes evaluations regarding cost effectiveness of management and disposition plans, and supervises sale or disposition of real and/or personal property;
Maintains records and prepares financial reports and correspondence;
Participates in writing formal financial plans, including budgets, for court reporting and internal office purposes;
Attends related continued training, development, and in-serve training;
Maintains security and confidentiality of materials and information and adheres to professional fiduciary standards.
 
Guardian Administrator:
Conducts client assessments for social, medical and related services and develops and implements care or management plans;
Maintains network of social and medical services offering cost effective sources;
Maintains confidentiality of all materials and information encountered in performance of duties;
Receives and responds to after-hours telephone calls, text messages and emails from clients and fiduciary-related professionals;
Applies fiduciary best practices to all decision making.
 
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:
 
Knowledge of:

• methods, principles and practices of case management, social work, or psychodynamics;
• techniques of conducting patient and client financial/medical assessments, i.e., SLUMS, crisis intervention, quality-of-care and service evaluations;
• basic accounting principles;
• financial/medical issues and needs of aged, disabled and institutionalized persons and care alternatives;
• principles and techniques of effective written and oral communication;
• available community resources, government programs and social service agencies;
• investigation and interviewing techniques;
• methods of property valuation, inventory techniques and terminology related to real estate and insurance;
• principles and practices of counseling and conducting/interpreting psycho-social evaluations;
• rules, regulations, policies and contract provisions governing care facilities and services;
• conservatorship/guardianship statutes, court rules, standards and responsibilities of a fiduciary advocate.

 
Skill in:

• analyzing, assessing and evaluating financial/medical service provisions and quality of care;
• establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with professional staff, care givers, service providers and community organizations;
• working in a multi-disciplinary team environment;
• communicating effectively orally and in writing;
• analyzing and evaluating financial/medical case history information;
• counseling clients and family members and performing crisis intervention;
• investigating, documenting and writing comprehensive reports and service plans;
• reading, understanding and applying statutes, rules, regulations and policies and serving as an effective fiduciary advocate.

Minimum Qualifications

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:                    
 
Typically a position in this classification will have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in social or behavioral science, public or business administration, finance, accounting or a closely related field as defined by the appointing authority and two years of experience providing asset management/distribution, or related social services.
(Additional relevant work experience and/or education from an accredited college or university may be substituted.)

Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application.  Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application.
 
Preferred Qualifications:

 (Be specific in describing your experience in your application. Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.):

1. Awareness of fiduciary standards and best practices relating to the effective financial management and fiduciary advocacy of protected persons placed under conservatorship by the court.
2. Familiarity with the Arizona Supreme Court-mandated Conservatorship Accounting Forms and financial record keeping and reporting requirements for fiduciaries.
3. Understanding and applying the applicable state statutes, court rules, and internal policies/procedures necessary for maintaining compliance with the timely filing requirements of court inventories, budgets, annual accountings, and final accountings.
4. Experience maintaining records, preparing reports, documenting all activity, and corresponding effectively with outside parties and financial institutions as necessary to ensure compliance with fiduciary standards of financial management, as well as court accounting requirements.
5. Experience preparing all inventories, budgets, annual accountings, final accountings, budget amendments, and disposition/distribution plans required under a court conservatorship appointment, as well as the related petitions, motions, and orders necessary to maintain compliance with proper legal notice to the court, protected persons, and interested parties.
6. Experience investigating and analyzing the financial affairs of protected persons under the care of the Pima County Public Fiduciary Office, including identifying individual client assets, liabilities, income, and resources, and making evaluations for long-term financial management planning in a manner consistent with the fluctuating care needs and benefit eligibility of those individuals. 
   

Selection Procedure:
Pima County Human Resources Department reserves the right to admit to the selection process only those candidates that meet the minimum/desired qualifications. All applications will be assessed based on an evaluation of the listed education and experience.  Candidates meeting the minimum/desired qualifications may be further evaluated/scored against any advertised Preferred Qualifications. Additional assessments/testing may be required as part of the selection process. Supplemental Information

Licenses and Certificates: All positions require current Arizona Supreme Court Fiduciary Certification within 18 months of appointment.  Valid driver license is required at time of application. Valid AZ driver license is required at time of appointment. The successful applicant will be subject to a 39-month DOT Motor Vehicle Record review to determine applicant's suitability to operate county vehicles in accordance with Pima County administrative procedures.  Failure to obtain and maintain the required licenses and certifications shall be grounds for termination. Any offer of employment resulting from this recruitment is contingent upon Fleet Service's review and approval of the candidate's driving record. 

Special Notice Items:  The County requires pre-employment background checks. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening to include verification of work history, education and criminal conviction history.  A prior criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment with the County. Department of Labor regulation CFR Part 1910.1030 requires notification that some positions within this classification may have a high or moderate risk of blood-borne pathogens.  In accordance with OSHA and Pima County guidelines Tuberculin (TB) screening, Hepatitis B vaccinations and safety training and equipment will be provided.
  
Physical/Sensory Requirements:  Physical and sensory abilities will be determined by position.