There are three hybrid, blended learning courses in the Guardianship Certificate Program (100 hours program total). The next available program is scheduled to start in March 2010. "Hybrid, blended learning" refers to a combination of 56 hours of classroom education and 44 hours of online education in the program.
The classroom sessions for the Guardianship Certificate Program will require travel to University of Washington Educational Outreach classroom facilities in Bellevue for four separate two-day sessions from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. on the following Fridays and Saturdays over a six-month period:
Aug. 6 and 7, 2010
Program participants must start in sequence with the first course commencing on March 26, 2010. Classes meet at the UW Educational Outreach classrooms in Bellevue. The online portion of each of the three courses requires broadband Internet access, Adobe Flash and audio capability in the student's PC for listening (NOTE: Online Internet access can also be obtained at a public library).
The Guardian 101 course is not eligible for single course enrollment. Guardian 102 and Guardian 103 are eligible for space-available, single course enrollment.
Spring Courses
Guardian 101: Guardianship Basics
Schedule: Three classroom sessions: Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, 2010 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Friday, May 14, 2010, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; and 13 hours of online sessions from Monday, March 29-Thursday, May 13, 2010. $950.
Instructors and Guest Speakers: Martha Duggan, Leesa Camerota, Tom O'Brien, David Lord, and Deborah Jameson.
This course provides an introduction to Guardianship and includes an opening discourse on the responsibilities and limitations of a Guardian of the Person. Additional topics, activities, and learning outcomes include:
- Successful identification of alternatives to Guardianship
- Understanding of the process of appointment to Guardianship; petition, review, GAL's (Guardian Ad Litem) role, appointment procedures, court orders
- Describing what a Guardian does and does not do
- Identifying needs of the incapacitated person and resources needed to meet those needs
- Understanding how to prepare personal care plans and periodic reports:
- Gathering necessary information, distilling, synthesizing, reporting
- Knowing duties and roles in personal decision-making - medical, social, and psychological
- Understanding and adapting when changes in circumstances occur and in what circumstances to request court direction
- Comprehending special issues facing the guardian of the person: residential placement, code status, and extraordinary medical procedures:
- Understanding the specific responsibilities and limitations of authority regarding these special issues
- Exploring the responsibility of a potential Guardian for due diligence as to whether to accept a proposed case:
- Assess the student's own appropriateness as a proposed Guardian in a specific case
- Find other resources as needed
- Creating a full report for the court
Guardian 102: Guardianship Roles 
Schedule: Friday, May 14, 2010 from 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, May 15, 2010 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Friday, June 25, 2010 from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; and 16 hours of online sessions from Monday, May 17-Thursday, June 24, 2010. $950.
Instructors and Guest Speakers: Gary Beagle, Leesa Camerota, and Jamie Shirley.
This course provides an introduction to Guardianship Roles. Topics, activities, and learning outcomes include:
- Understand the responsibilities and limitations of a Guardian of the Estate
- Be able to identify the Estate-related needs of the incapacitated person and to identify and arrange the resources needed to meet those needs
- Know what can be done without specific court authority
- Know what additional authority a guardian may need
- Understand the implications of a major financial change and know what to do when it occurs
- Be able to identify special financial issues such as:
- Sales and gifting of assets (including bank CDs, stocks, bonds, annuities, personal possessions, and real estate)
- The incapacitated person as trust beneficiary
- Marshalling and inventorying the assets, including court documents, handling of incoming mail, back tax returns, personal interviews, review of personal papers, title searches, credit reports
- The ability to identify common misconceptions regarding the marshaling of assets and preparation of the guardianship inventory
- Protecting the assets, including an overview of Washington State guardianship laws specific to bonds, blocked accounts, and affidavits from financial institutions
- Writing periodic reports, accountings, including the beginning balance, income, expenditures, adjustments, fair market value and an accounting summary, budgets
- Filing petitions to the court for relief; lawsuits
- Notices to the court and designated persons
- Court supervision and delinquency monitoring
- Understanding of Special Needs Trust and resources required to assure that they are properly written
- Building from a model fiduciary's investment plan
- Developing and maintaining checklists
Summer Course
Guardian 103: Advanced Issues in Guardianship
Schedule: Four classroom sessions: Friday, June 25, 2010, 1:30-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 26, 2010, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 6, 2010, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; and 15 hours of online classes from June 28-Aug. 6, 2010; $950.
Instructors: Tom O'Brien, John Jardine, Deborah Jameson, Diane Renihan, Leesa Camerota, and Jamie Shirley.
This course provides an overview of advanced issues in guardianship; the handling of conflict and the effective resolution of problems using constructive, mediation techniques. In addition, this course contains a distinct unit on the subject of establishing and maintaining a sustainable Professional Guardianship business operation.
Topics, activities, and learning outcomes include:
- Identifying and applying patterns of communication with an incapacitated person, their family(s), and other parties in guardianship actions; and engaging them in constructive problem solving:
- Identifying and understanding the ethical, confidentiality, and conflict issues which may arise in the role of Guardian
- Gain an understanding of how best to resolve the issues which may arise in the course of administration of the Guardianship
- Learn and be able to apply an ethical model/framework to decisions in ambiguous situations with incapacitated clients
- Apply standards such as substituted judgment and best interest to various case studies and debate the decision and the outcomes
- Understanding the possible remedies for breaches of ethical obligations and the consequences to the Guardian
- Understand the complaint processes as they pertain to Guardians
- Guardianship Business Operations:
How to sign up for single-course enrollment in this course
