Our entire staff is dedicated to providing on-going training and support to our Volunteer Guardian Program volunteers.
Training
The Guardian's Annual Report is due each year on the date of your appointment as a guardian. As an example, if you were appointed on January 2nd, your report would be due each year after that on January 2nd.
For your convenience, links to fillable PDF versions of each part of this report along with a short description are noted on this page. The forms are also available on the Probate Court website:
1. Guardian's Annual Report - This tells the court how the ward is doing, where the ward is residing, any changes in the ward's circumstances and any changes in the ward's circumstances and your contact with the ward.
Download Guardian's Annual Report
2. Statement of Expert Evaluation - This form must be completed by a Licensed Physician, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Independent Social Worker, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor or a Mental Retardation Team (the ward's DD service provider team). It must be LESS than 90 days old.
Download Statement of Expert Evaluation
Note that this is usually the form that does take some advance planning to get completed. We suggest that you contact the social worker at your ward's placement facility and send him/her the form with a request that it be completed 90 to 45 days from the date your annual report is due. If possible, drop the form off to the facility and/or send an email with the form attached. Follow up with the person that is supposed to be filling it out to remind them if it has not been given to you at least 30 days from the date you need it.
Also note that there is a section on this report called the ADDENDUM. This is filled out by either a physician or Licensed Clinical Psychologist when one of those service providers feels that your ward will not improve and that their condition would warrant continued guardianship. If this is submitted with your report, Probate Court will do an order that will dispense with the need for future Expert Evaluation(s) to be submitted.
3. Annual Plan for Guardianship - Informs the Court where the ward will be living and of any planned care changes.
Download Annual Plan for Guardianship
Contacts
Volunteer Guardian Program
Summit County Health Department
1867 W. Market Street
Akron, OH 44313
Website: www.volunteerguardian.com
Mary Ann Freedman
Email: volunteerguardian@schd.org
Julie Falter
Email: vgpsummit@gmail.com
Summit County Probate Court
209 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2350
Website: www.summitohioprobate.com
Court Investigators: Shelley Gilbertson, Connie Swain, Lorrie Warren
Hearing Scheduler: Nancy Rudy
Accounts Department: Marie Pantuso
Service Providers
DJFS/Medicaid - Email: Summmit_Waiver@jfs.ohio.gov
Direction Home/Area Agency Akron Canton - Ombudsman - Sam McCoy - 330-896-9172