Court Volunteer Guardianship Monitoring Handbooks

Guardianship monitoring helps courts to manage risks, prevent abuse, and increase public confidence in the judicial system.  Using trained and supervised volunteers extends the monitoring capacity of the court.  

The 2011 volunteer guardianship monitoring handbooks were adapted and developed with grant funds from the State Justice Institute and the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging.

Volunteer Guardianship Monitoring and Assistance: Serving the Court and the Community

Volunteer Guardianship Monitoring and Assistance: Serving the Court and the Commnity s a practical hands-on guide to help courts establish volunteer programs. It is based on the extensive experience of AARP, as well as existing court volunteer guardianship review programs. In addition to the Introduction, the guide includes three handbooks:

Program Coordinator’s Handbook

The Program Coordinators handbook sets out basic steps for planning a program, as well as recruiting and managing volunteers. A judge or court administrator considering or initiating a volunteer program should review the manual—particularly the sections on adapting the program to a specific court and the key planning factors. The coordinator should review the entire manual and use it as a guide to tailor the program for the court. See separate appendices below. 

Trainer’s  Handbook

The Trainer's Handbook offers materials needed to plan a comprehensive training for volunteers, including training tips, a model training agenda, and a complete outline of lectures and exercises for a two-day curriculum for “volunteer court visitors,” as well as a one-day training for “volunteer auditors.” See separate appendices below. 

Volunteer’s Handbook 

The Volunteer's Handbook is a separate free-standing text designed as a take-home reference for volunteers. It includes background information, local resources, fact sheets, forms, and other materials that volunteers need to function effectively in the program. The court should adapt the handbook to the state guardianship statute and other relevant state laws, local court procedures, and community resources. See separate appendices below.

Appendices 

Appendices for the handbooks are listed below. Most are in MSWord and are intended to be adapted by courts to meet their specific state, county, and court requirements.

• Appendix A – Volunteer Contract
• Appendix B – Program Coordinator Job Description
• Appendix C – D.C. Coordinator Position Description
• Appendix D – Training Evaluation
• Appendix E – Volunteer Survey
• Appendix F – D.C. Visitor Feedback Survey
• Appendix G – Volunteer Time Sheets
• Appendix H – Court Staff Time Log
• Appendix I – Master Case Log
• Appendix J – Volunteer Report Form
• Appendix K – D.C. Student Visitor Report Form
• Appendix K(1) – Fillable Visitor Report Form
• Appendix L – Volunteer Auditor Cover Sheet
• Appendix M – Sample Public Service Announcement
• Appendix N – Sample Radio Public Service Announcement
• Appendix O – Sample Recruitment Letter
• Appendix P – Volunteer Application
• Appendix Q – Volunteer Screening Form
• Appendix R – D.C. Student Schedule Form
• Appendix S – Volunteer Time Sheet
• Appendix T – Reimbursement Form
• Appendix U – Guardian Letter
• Appendix V – Court Order Appointing Visitor
• Appendix W – D.C. Court Order Appointing Visitor
• Appendix W(1) – Sample Tips for Volunteer Review of Case File
• Appendix X – Completed Volunteer Report Form
• Appendix Y – Completed D.C. Student Visitor Report Form
• Appendix Z – D.C. Guardian Assistance Flyer
• Appendix AA – Volunteer Court Visitor Job Description
• Appendix BB – Volunteer Auditor Job Description
• Appendix CC – Volunteer Records Researcher Job Description
• Appendix DD – How a Guardianship is Imposed
• Appendix EE – Guardianship Resources
• Appendix DD (Trainer) – Speaker Letter for Training
• Appendix EE (Trainer) – Training Timetable
• Appendix FF (Trainer) – Case Scenarios
• Appendix GG (Trainer) – Volunteer Auditor Do’s & Don’ts

Contact Us

Would you like to communicate with staff from the ABA Commission on Law and Aging about your court's volunteer guardianship monitoring program?

E-mail the Commission

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