Applicants for the role of Certified Professional Guardian in Washington State--those appointed by the courts to manage the medical, financial, legal, and personal affairs of incapacitated adults--will soon receive substantially expanded training as a pre-requisite for certification.

The Certified Professional Guardian (CPG) Board, the regulatory authority for the practice of Certified Professional Guardians in Washington State through the Guardian program managed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), will partner with the University of Washington (UW) to develop a certificate program encompassing 90 hours of instruction in the classroom and online.

The new curriculum is being designed to assure more compassionate, fiscally responsible, and ethical care of incapacitated persons; to enhance the profession; and to confirm for families that their loved ones are in the care of well-trained professionals. It will also ensure more effective use of administrative court time by expediting the proper flow of documents and recordkeeping in combination with the Superior Courts in each of the 39 Washington State counties that manage these cases.

Diverse constituencies represented
Rising need for Certified Professional Guardians
Need for expanded education/why UW selected
Adapted to the needs of adult students
Comments from certificate program partners
Other UW Educational Outreach partnerships
About UW Educational Outreach, CPG Board, Administrative Office of the Courts
Individuals available for interview

Diverse constituencies represented

UW Educational Outreach will coordinate curriculum development activities through the Guardianship Advisory Group, which includes members representing professional guardians, the legal and healthcare professions, the developmentally disabled community, nursing homes, the Office of Public Guardianship, and the UW Schools of Law, Nursing, and Social Work, as well as representatives of the CPG Board and the Administrative Office of the Courts.

This collaboration of diverse constituencies will ensure a training program of the highest quality, one that accurately reflects the challenges that professional guardians face in daily practice.

Back to top

Rising need for Certified Professional Guardians

Launching in September 2008, the UW Certificate Program in Guardianship replaces the prior 16-hour mandatory training course. The requirement for expanded Guardian training comes as baby boomer demographics and longer life expectancies lead to an increasingly elderly population, as the complexities of Medicare and Medicaid increase, and as the issues of estate management on behalf of incapacitated persons multiply.

The US Census Bureau estimates that in 2005, there were an estimated 702,517 individuals aged 65 and older living in Washington State (11.3 percent of the state population). That number is expected to increase to 1,168,199 in 2020 and to 1,563,901 in 2030 (18.1 percent of the state population). [Source: US Population Projections for Selected Age Groups by State: 2005 - 2030] Currently, there are approximately 250 certified professional guardians in Washington State. The number of certified professional guardian agencies (three or more guardians on staff) is approximately 40.

Back to top

Need for expanded education/why UW selected

A professional guardian might work to untangle the intricacies of an insurance policy, pay bills, manage a client's property, procure social services, make medical decisions, look after the emotional and social needs of their client, and generally serve as an advocate for the interests of the client. Citing the broad spectrum of knowledge and skills necessary to become proficient as a professional guardian, the CPG board has acknowledged the need to increase the quality and scope of initial training available.

Through the CPG program delivered through the Administrative Office of the Courts, the CPG Board enlisted the University of Washington as the one institution of higher learning in the state encompassing all the disciplines required to develop a comprehensive curriculum.

The UW Certificate Program in Guardianship is sponsored by the UW Schools of Nursing, Social Work, and Law, with program management by UW Educational Outreach. The goal is to provide an overview of the issues faced by professional guardians to enable them to make informed decisions, consult effectively with other professionals, and know when to call in specialists for help.

While other state's programs focus primarily on the legal and procedural aspects of professional guardianship, the UW program will address those subjects but add training in aspects of case management, healthcare, access to public services, the psychology and physical aspects of aging, family dynamics, fiduciary management, and more. Ethics will be a major emphasis throughout the program.

Back to top

Adapted to the needs of adult students

To assure that the 90-hour, six-month program is as accessible as possible to prospective guardians across the state, the program will be a "hybrid" mix of traditional classroom training at UW Educational Outreach facilities in Bellevue, Washington as well as online training. Courses will be taught by certified professional guardians and working professionals in the specific fields.

All instructors will be reviewed and approved by the Guardianship Advisory Group in collaboration with the UW Schools of Nursing, Law, and Social Work. In an effort to cater to the needs of students in the program-adult learners, the traditional audience served by UW Educational Outreach-use of case studies, group projects, and discussion of real-work situations will impart practical skills that are immediately relevant on the job. Like all programs administered by UW Educational Outreach, this program is fee-based and fiscally self-sustaining.

Back to top

Comments from certificate program partners

"On a daily basis, certified guardians make investment, health care, residential and other decisions that govern the lives of the incapacitated persons they serve," said Sharon Eckholm with the Administrative Office of the Courts.

"We are gratified to be working with the UW to provide the Guardianship Certificate Program to assure courts, families, and the public that members of the profession possess adequate education to properly address the varied and complex issues faced by guardians." Said Hank Hibbard, Chair of the CPG Board Educational Committee, "We believe this is a major step forward in a progressive nationwide movement to provide improved services to incapacitated persons by increasing the quality of education for those chartered with their care."

"We are pleased to partner with the Certified Professional Guardian Board, the Administrative Office of the Courts, and the UW Schools of Nursing, Social Work, and Law to develop a training program that will help protect the welfare of some of our state's most vulnerable citizens," said David Szatmary, Vice Provost of UW Educational Outreach. "One of our missions is to help share UW resources and expertise with the community, making a difference in people's daily lives."

Individuals who are interested in learning more about participation in the autumn 2008 UW Certificate Program in Guardianship are encouraged to go to Guardianship at UW Extension.

Interested parties who have comments about the structure, content, and/or direction of the Guardianship Certificate Program are encouraged to comment in a discussion forum on this topic at Guardianship Forum.

Back to top

Other UW Educational Outreach partnerships

UW Educational Outreach partners with a number of corporations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and professional associations to develop certificate programs or provide short courses and other training in the classroom or on site.

These include partnership with Boeing to co-develop a suite of award-winning certificate programs in composite materials used in next-generation airline design and construction; a contract with the Washington Department of Transportation to provide a series of courses in transportation engineering and planning; and partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and USAID to develop the UW Certificate Program in Tsunami Science and Preparation (summer 2008 presentation in Bangkok and Seattle).

Back to top

About UW Educational Outreach

UW Educational Outreach is the continuing and professional education division of the University of Washington, the nationally recognized public research institution based in Seattle. Helping the schools, colleges, and departments to administer evening master's degrees, certificate programs, distance and online learning, international outreach and English language programs, and more, UW Educational Outreach is one of the largest and most highly regarded continuing and professional education programs in the U.S. For more information, please see UWEO.

Back to top

About the Certified Professional Guardian Board

The Certified Professional Guardian Board is the regulatory authority for the practice of Certified Professional Guardians, individuals and agencies, in Washington State. The Board is charged with establishing the standards and criteria for the certification of professional guardians in Washington State, as defined by RCW 11.88.008. The Board meets monthly to review applications for certification, adopt and implement regulations relating to Standards and Practice, Ethics and Training for professional guardians and to review grievances. For more information about the Board and the Certified Professional Guardian Program, please see www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/guardian/.

Back to top

About the Administrative Office of the Courts

The AOC is responsible for the execution of administrative policies and rules in Washington's judicial system. AOC compiles court statistics; develops and promotes management procedures to accommodate needs of state courts; studies and evaluates information relating to the operations of the judicial system; and provides pertinent information on court operations to the members of the judicial community, branches of government and the public.

Back to top

Individuals available for interview

• Sharon Eckholm Senior Court Program Analyst, Administrative Office of the Courts
  (360) 704-4031 or sharon.eckholm@courts.wa.gov
  
  
• Gary Beagle, MG-CGC, CPG, OCPF Professional Fiduciary and Certified Professional Guardian based in Vancouver, Washington, serving Clark County and surrounding area
  (360) 694-5177 or garyb@beagleburkeassoc.com
  
  
• Lexie Lamborn, CPG Certified Professional Guardian based in Anacortes, Washington and serving Skagit County and surrounding area
  360-293-1280 or lexie@lexielamborn.com
  
  
• David Lord Director, Disability Rights Washington, and UW Guardianship Advisory Group member
  (206) 324-1521 or davidl@dr-wa.org
  
  
• Bill Anderson Assistant Director, Academic Programs, UW Educational Outreach
  (206) 685-6332 or banderson@extn/washington.edu
  
  
• Rebecca Kopelman Assistant Director, Academic Programs, UW Educational Outreach
  (206) 685-6403 or rkopelman@extn.washington.edu

Back to top

More press releases >>