Office of Public Guardianship
About Us
History
The Washington State Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill 5320 in 2007, establishing an Office of Public Guardianship (OPG) within the
Administrative Office of the Courts.
The Office of Public Guardianship was implemented as a pilot program that originally served clients in five counties (Clallam, Grays Harbor, Okanogan,
Pierce, and Spokane). The program was expanded to serve King County in 2009, Snohomish in 2010, and Clark, Kitsap and Thurston in 2011.
Services Provided by OPG
The work of public guardians results in both non-monetary and monetary benefits. Non- monetary benefits include improved functioning and social connections;
These result from preventing or stopping incidents of abuse, neglect or exploitation, improving food security or sanitation, and reconnecting incapacitated
persons with family and friends.
Monetary benefits include reducing public costs, through strategic use of benefits, resolving or mitigating legal issues, lowering health care costs, by
focusing on preventive care and reducing emergency room visits, recovering of financial assets, and moving to less restrictive (and less costly) residential settings.
Eligibility Criteria for Public Guardianship Services
SB 5320 authorized the provision of public guardianship services to incapacitated persons (1) age 18 or older, (2) whose income level does not exceed 200
percent of the federal poverty level as determined annually by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS), or (3) are receiving
long-term care services through the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
Because OPG is considered the guardian of last resort, OPG will provide services when no one else is willing and able to provide guardianship services.
The OPG has the following priorities:
- indigent/homeless,
- at significant risk of harm from abuse, exploitation, abandonment, neglect or self-neglect, and
-
imminent danger of losing or suffering a significant reduction in public services that are necessary to live successfully in the most integrated
and least restrictive environment that is appropriate for a specific individual.
OPG Brochure 
