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Probate Court highlights assisted outpatient treatment, resource center and guardian partners program
Summary
Presiding Judge Anthony Russo told council the Probate Court will continue programs serving vulnerable adults and self-represented litigants and asked that council approve the executive—s recommended biennial budget.
Presiding Judge Anthony J. Russo described several ongoing Probate Court initiatives and asked council to approve the recommended biennial budget. The probate court described the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program (a partnership with the Adams Board) aimed at reducing inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness and criminal-justice interactions for people with severe mental illness; the court currently has 21 program participants and seven more awaiting linkage to providers.
Judge Russo also described the court—s resource center for self-represented litigants (opened in 2019) that provides free legal assistance for simple estates, guardianships and name changes. The court said the resource center is funded from restricted court funds rather than the county general fund and has assisted more than 6,000 self-represented individuals.
The Guardian Partners program, started in 2020 and resumed after COVID, pairs an in-house social worker with community-based licensed social workers and attorneys to perform wellness visits for adult wards (the court said it oversees about 7,400 adult wards and has completed nearly 9,000 visits over three years). Judge Russo said these programs rely primarily on restricted court funds and existing reimbursement streams; the court requested approval of the executive-recommended budget and thanked OBM for collaboration.
