Certified Professional Guardianship and Conservatorship Program

How does an individual become a Certified Professional Guardian?

To become a Certified Professional Guardian an individual must complete the following:

1. Complete the online application.
2. Pay an application fee.
3. Submit an Authorization and Release Form.
4. Submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
5. Request official transcripts from every college or university attended.
6. Provide proof of each relevant professional license or certification currently held.
7. Submit a detailed credit report with a Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) score.
8. If an individual has declared bankruptcy in the seven years prior to his or her application, the applicant must provide copies of relevant documents.
9. Submit a sworn statement the he or she has read and agrees to abide by the continuing disclosure requirements of GR 23 and all other requirements imposed by rule or statute for CPGs.
10. Complete the University of Washington Guardianship Certificate Program.
11. Pay the Initial Certification Fee.

Complete the Online Application

The online application provides an applicant the opportunity to tell the Certified Professional Guardianship Board why he or she would make a great guardian. An applicant is asked to describe in detail his or her or work experience, education and criminal background.

Work experience includes both paid and volunteer for the past 20 years. When describing the work performed, an applicant should consider the qualifications necessary to become a guardian and the type of responsibilities a guardian will have, and provide a detailed explanation as to how the work they have previously performed has provided experience in relevant areas. Applicants should include any experience he or she may have had collaborating with professionals who work in these areas. List the hours worked each week, and indicate whether the employment was a volunteer or paid position. Failure to provide a complete picture of the applicant's experience, skills and education could cause the board to deny an application for certification.

For information regarding the duties of certified professional guardian, please see What are the duties and responsibilities of a Certified Professional Guardian (CPG)?

Pay an Application Fee

Each applicant for certification must pay an application fee. Currently the fee is $240.00. Electronic payment is preferred because it is faster and more efficient, but checks are accepted. When an applicant completes the online application, they are prompted to submit payment information. If an applicant chooses not to pay electronically, his or her application is placed on hold until payment is received. Checks payable to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) should be mailed to:

Certified Professional Guardianship Program
Administrative Office of the Courts
P.O. Box 41170
Olympia, WA 98504-1170

Provide Additional Information

Within 10 days of receipt of payment, staff at the Administrative Office of the Court will send an applicant the following request:

1. Please review your application and ensure that there is detailed information on prior work or volunteer experience demonstrating experience in which you have developed skills that are transferable to the provision of guardianship services and demonstrating experience in decision making or the use of independent judgment. See General Rule 23(d)(1)(iv) and (v). Receipt of a thorough and complete application is essential.
2. Please submit the Authorization & Release Form, which was mailed to you.
3. Please send a request to every college or university you have attended, asking them to send an Official Transcript to the Certified Professional Guardian Board (Board) at the address provided below. Please send a copy of your request to the Board.

   Certified Professional Guardian Board
   Administrative Office of the Courts
   P.O. Box 41170
   Olympia, WA 98504-1172

4. Please follow the directions on the enclosed fingerprint card and mail the fingerprints to the Board as soon as possible.
5. Please submit a recent, received within the past three months, detailed credit report with a Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) score. Please provide a written explanation of any negative information in your credit report, for example late payments, charge-offs, debt collections, bankruptcy, foreclosure, tax liens, lawsuits or judgments.

When this information is received, the application will be reviewed by Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) staff and will then be submitted to the Applications Committee of the Board for further review. The Applications Committee meets monthly. After the Applications Committee completes its review, it will present its recommendation to the Board, during the Board's next scheduled meeting. The Board also meets monthly, except for February, July and December. If the Board needs additional information at any point during the process, staff will contact the applicant.

During the board meeting, the Board will determine if the applicant can be conditionally approved pending completion of the mandatory University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education Guardianship Certificate Program (www.pce.us.edu) and no other disqualifying events.

Complete the University of Washington Guardianship Certificate Program

All persons and representatives of agencies who seek to be certified as professional guardians in Washington State must complete the University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education (UWPCE) Guardianship Certificate Program as the mandatory training.

The UWPCE Guardianship Certificate Program is a nine-month online program.

To learn more about the Guardianship Certificate Program and sign-up for email updates, visit http://www.pce.uw.edu/certificates/guardianship.html.

If you have specific questions about the certificate program, contact:

Miriam Doyle, Ph.D.
Program Manager, Academic Programs
UW Continuum College
UW Tower
Box 359491
4333 Brooklyn Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98195-9480
Tel 206-616-9019
miriamd@uw.edu
http://continuum.uw.edu/

The UW Guardianship Certificate Program and the Certified Professional Guardian Certification Program are separate programs administered by separate and distinct organizations. Acceptance and/or completion of one program does not guarantee acceptance and/or completion of the other program. Please note that applicants must apply separately for the mandatory training with the University of Washington (UW). Please contact them at (206) 685-8936 or (888) 469-6499.

The Board established an advisory date for submission of application materials for professional guardian certification. Generally, the application process takes approximately four months. If applicants fully complete the online application by May 15, submit supplemental materials (college transcripts, credit report, bankruptcy explanation and fingerprints) by June 1, it's reasonable to expect a firm decision from the Board by its September board meeting, approximately one month prior to the start of the UW Certificate Program. Staff will make every attempt to present completed application packets received between June 1 and August 1 to the Board for review in September, but makes no guarantees. If all materials have not been submitted, pursuant to these guidelines, a firm decision may not be possible before the start of the UW Certificate Program.

Pay the Initial Certification Fee

When UW officially informs the Board that an applicant has completed the Guardianship Certificate Program, the applicant will need to pay the initial certification fee. Currently, the fee is $350. Upon receipt of the $350 initial certification fee, the AOC staff will forward the Board's recommendation for certification to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court adopts the Board's recommendation, it will issue a certificate. Checks payable to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) should be mailed to:

Certified Professional Guardianship Program
Administrative Office of the Courts
P.O. Box 41170
Olympia, WA 98504-1170

Prior to certification, all applicants are required to disclose to the Board any circumstances described in General Rule (GR) 23(d)(8) that may have occurred since they responded to the history questionnaire in the original application for certification as a professional guardian. Please review GR 23.

Applicants are reminded at this time, that Standard of Practice (SOP) 406.4 states: "The role of a guardian is primarily that of a decision-maker and coordinator of services. The guardian or agency (or an entity in which a guardian has a financial interest) shall not directly provide services such as housing, medical, personal care, or therapeutic services to the incapacitated person or profit from any transaction made on behalf of the incapacitated person's estate. In exceptional circumstances, some direct services may be approved by the court provided written permission of the court is given in advance of the service being provided. When requesting court approval, the guardian must demonstrate in writing and with prior notice to parties that all alternatives have been identified and considered and that no alternative is available that is reasonable or practical." Please always consider this SOP as you accept appointments and perform your duties as a professional guardian.

Applicants are further advised to review the regulations that guide certification (http://www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/Guardian/?fa=guardian.display&fileName=rulesindex).