PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jean Callahan, Attorney at Legal Aid Society, on Guardianship System Crisis
2:43:37
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147 sec
Jean Callahan, an attorney from the Legal Aid Society, testifies in support of Resolution 561, which calls for addressing the crisis in the guardianship system. She emphasizes the importance of quality guardianship services for vulnerable individuals who cannot afford private care.
- Callahan highlights her 20-year involvement in Article 81 guardianship, including her work with Project Guardianship and as chair of the New York WINGS group.
- She points out the chronic lack of available qualified guardians, creating an "unfunded mandate" in New York.
- Callahan urges the committee to support Resolution 561 and encourage state legislators to address the guardianship system issues.
Jean Callahan
2:43:37
Got it.
2:43:38
Thank you.
2:43:40
Thank you, Chair Hudson, Chair Salam, and fellow committee members for the opportunity to testify today in support of resolution 0561, calling on state leaders to address the crisis in our guardianship system.
2:43:55
I deeply believe in autonomy and allowing people to make decisions for themselves.
2:44:00
Guardianship is not always the answer, but there are times when people need the services, and we know that it's so important to have providers who have the training and resources do the best possible job for the neediest and most vulnerable among us.
2:44:16
Over the past 20 years, I have been involved in article 81 guardianship in many ways as a project director at the Vera Institute attitude of justice, I had the opportunity to work on an early version of a program now known as project guardianship.
2:44:31
We saw the need for quality guardianship services for those who were unable to pay for private care and we were able to demonstrate that quality services can allow people to remain safely in the community and give them the care that they need and save money by reducing expenditures to Medicaid.
2:44:51
Since 2014, I've served as the chair of the New York working group, working interdisciplinary networks of guardianship stakeholders.
2:44:59
We call it wings.
2:45:01
And it's an informal group but it's a working group of professionals from within the courts, from the state, from nonprofit leaders, and the private bar with the goal of improving guardianship systems.
2:45:13
And throughout my time as chair over the past 10 years, we've noted that resources for quality guardianship services are extremely limited.
2:45:22
In particular, members of that group who are in the judiciary have urgently told us over the years of the need for quality qualified professionals to serve as guardians once they've made their findings.
2:45:36
So the chronic lack of available guardians has created an untenable situation.
2:45:41
We've created an unfunded mandate in New York.
2:45:44
And article a one gives an obligation to judges to appoint a guardian without supplying adequate guardians for the community and for judges.
2:45:54
So we wanna urge this group to support pass resolutions 0561 and continue to urge state legislators to address this issue.
