Eric Pengkow, director and attorney for the Delaware County Guardianship Services Board, updated the Board of Commissioners on June 12 about program caseloads, community outreach and operational challenges.

"We are officially in Bixby," Pengkow said, referring to the board's new office location, and added that the board was serving 54 people as of the prior day. He described clients as people with mental health disorders, developmental disabilities and dementia and noted the board's community outreach through events and multi-agency meetings.

Pengkow said the board had reduced one client's jail time from about 330 days to fewer than 30 since taking guardianship in September, and he highlighted the associated county cost savings. He described housing as "our number 1 challenge," saying Delaware County lacks sufficient mental-health and Medicaid nursing-home beds; some clients must be placed out of county.

Referrals come from multiple community partners, Pengkow said, including the probate court, hospitals, Southeast and Mary Haven, and he said the office will accept referrals that can be linked to a community provider. He said an attorney becoming a local magistrate may generate an influx of cases for the guardianship board, and staff are preparing for that possibility but had not received firm numbers.

Commissioners asked about historical attorney costs used in the prior model and requested comparative cost information for future meetings. Pengkow said he would attempt to pull those numbers together. The presentation did not include a request for additional county funding.