Adult Guardianship Board

The Adult Public Guardianship program exists to safeguard the welfare of disabled persons. Public guardianship is a legal procedure in which the court determines if a person’s ability to make health and safety decisions for themselves is significantly impaired by disease, accident or disability. If so, the court will appoint a guardian to act as a substitute decision-maker. Public guardianship in Maryland is administered by local Departments of Social Services for those aged 18-64, and the Department of Aging for those aged 65+.  Public guardianship is a situation of last resort, when there are no family members, friends and loved ones to serve in this capacity.

There are two types of adult guardianship:

  • A guardian of the person is authorized by the court to make decisions for the disabled person about their health care, shelter, or other daily needs.
  • A guardian of the property is a person or agency appointed by the court to manage the property of a disabled person. A public agency may not be the guardian of the property.

Adult Public Guardianship Review Boards

Adult Public Guardianship Review Boards (in each Maryland jurisdiction) are interdisciplinary teams that exist for the purpose of reviewing guardianship cases held by public agencies. The boards are advisory to the court and make recommendations to the court either to continue, modify or terminate a guardianship. 

There is no mechanism for state agency oversight of private guardianship cases.

Board members are appointed for three year terms of office and receive no financial compensation for their service. 

The Adult Public Guardianship Review Boards consists of 11 members:

  • 1 professional representative of a local department 
  • 2 physicians, including 1 psychiatrist from a local health department that employs psychiatrists; or 1 physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, or physician who is not a psychiatrist; and 1 psychiatrist - NEEDED
  • 1 representative of a local commission on aging
  • 1 professional representative of a local nonprofit social service organization
  • 1 lawyer
  • 2 lay individuals
  • 1 registered nurse
  • 1 professional in the field of disabilities
  • 1 person with a physical disability

The current vacancies are BOLDED. 

To apply to the Baltimore City Board, interested individuals must submit the following information. This information can be submitted online, mailed, or hand delivered to:

Office of the Mayor
Attention: MOGR
sophia.gebrehiwot@baltimorecity.gov
100 N. Holliday St, Rm. 250, Baltimore, MD
Office: 410-396-3835

 

1. A letter expressing the applicant’s desire and willingness to serve on the Adult Guardianship Board and indicating the strengths that the applicant would bring to the Board;

Please limit your entry to no more than 500 characters.
Files must be less than 14 MB.
Allowed file types: txt rtf html pdf doc docx odt ppt pptx odp xls xlsx ods xml.

2. A resume that highlights the applicant’s personal history and professional experience as they pertain to the above-listed qualifications;

Files must be less than 14 MB.
Allowed file types: txt rtf html pdf doc docx odt ppt pptx odp xls xlsx ods xml.

3. Proof of Baltimore City residency (Provide two of the following: a copy of the applicant’s driver’s license; voter registration card; utility bill; rent receipt; or verifiable lease agreement); and

Files must be less than 14 MB.
Allowed file types: gif jpg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html pdf doc docx odt ppt pptx odp xls xlsx ods xml.
Files must be less than 14 MB.
Allowed file types: gif jpg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html pdf doc docx odt ppt pptx odp xls xlsx ods xml.

4. Current phone number

5. Current email address


6. The names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references.

The application process shall remain open until all 11 positions on the Board are occupied.

Once a submission has been received, a panel comprised of members from various community organizations will review all applications and make recommendations to the Mayor. Applicants will be notified concerning the status of their applications and subsequent steps in the recruitment process.

Candidates must be prepared to provide verification of all information included in their application materials.

If you have further questions, please call 410-396-3497 or email MOGR@baltimorecity.gov.