Public Guardian/Public Conservator

The Office of the Public Guardian/Public Conservator

The Office of the Public Guardian/Public Conservator is responsible for the care, supervision and sometimes financial management of County residents who are severely disabled and unable to manage their own affairs and make safe and appropriate decisions. These individuals are considered gravely disabled due to mental illness and/or impairment by chronic alcoholism, or cognitively impaired. The Public Guardian/Public Conservator conducts the official County investigation into Conservatorship matters and act as the legally appointed Guardian or Conservator who meet the legal criteria. All appointments are made by the Superior Court.

There are basically two types of Conservatorships: Probate and LPS (Lanterman-Petris-Short). For each type a conservator can be appointed for the person, for the estate, or for both.

Probate Conservatorships are primarily established for frail adults who are unable to provide for their own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing and/or shelter or cannot manage their own finances or cannot resist undue influence. Probate conservatorships are often used for adults with severe limitations and/or has severe cognitively impaired. In a probate conservatorship, the conservator does not have the authority to place a conservatee in a psychiatric treatment facility. Probate conservatorships will remain in effect until the conservatee can show that he/she is again capable of handling his/her own affairs appropriately and reviewed in most cases annually by a Court Investigator.

LPS Conservatorships are established to arrange mental health treatment and placement for people who are gravely disabled and unable to provide for their food, clothing shelter and treatment needs as a result of mental illness and/or impairment by chronic alcoholism. In a LPS conservatorship, the conservator does have the authority to place a conservatee in a psychiatric treatment facility. LPS conservatorships are reviewed on an annual basis by the Superior Court.

This office is within the Del Norte County Department of Health and Human Services.

Please contact the Office of the Public Guardian/Public Conservator at 707-464-3191 for more information. If you need to fax something to our Office, please fax to 707-464-7169.