County Public Administrator
Theresa Campbell
Mission: It shall be the primary responsibility of the public administrator to work
toward improving the quality of life of persons under guardianship while protecting
the ward’s dignity and self-respect. The ward’s right of self determination shall
be observed whenever possible. The Public administrator and his/her employees shall
use the standard of information consent when making decisions on behalf of the ward.
All understand that the guardian/conservator is required to exercise the highest
degree of trust and loyalty when making decisions for the ward.
Caseload: The Texas
County Public Administrator’s office presently carries an open caseload of around
50. While most clients reside in Southwest Missouri, some (for various reasons)
live in other areas of the state. Approximately 75% of the wards have mental illness.
Special emphasis is put on continuing education and training so the public administrator
can be better prepared to access, coordinate and monitor appropriate services for
the clients.
Staff: In all except three of Missouri’s 114 counties, public administrators
are elected to serve four years. In Texas County, her staff includes one part-time
deputy public administrator who works one day per week. This employee is deputized
by the probate court at the request of the public administrator to perform such duties
in her place as outlines in certified appointment documents. This is especially
important since the Public Administrator must be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days
a year.
Function of the Public Administrator’s office: Public Administrators are
appointed by the Missouri Circuit Court, Probate Division to serve primarily on three
types of cases:
1) Guardian and/or conservator for mentally disabled persons
2) Personal representative of deceased estates
3) Guardian/conservator of minor estates.
The majority of appointments in any public administrator’s office will be as guardian/conservator
for mentally disabled persons.
Definitions: Guardianship is the legal process of
assisting a person, whose mental disability has caused incompetence in making decisions
for herself/himself regarding person affairs (such as place of residence and medical
care). When a person has been adjudged by the Probate Court to be mentally incapacitated
and incapable of making informed decisions without risk of harm, then a guardian
may be appointed. A person under guardianship is known as a ward. Conservator-ship
deals only with financial affairs of an individual. A conservator may be appointed
by the Probate Court when an individual does not have the capacity to manage his/her
financial affairs.
The Guardian/ Conservator appointment process: There are four
types of mental disability and incapacitation that may cause the probate court to
appoint a guardian and/or conservator.
1) Mental illness (such as schizophrenia and bi-polar illness)
2) Mental retardation/ development disability
3) Brain injury or disease
4) Diseases of the aging (such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia)
The court costs of the proceeding are established by law. If a person is declared
incapacitated, his estate will pay the cost. If the person is not found to be incapacitated,
the petitioner must pay the costs. Before appointing a guardian, the court is required
to consider the suitability of persons willing to serve in the following order:
1) The incapacitated person’s verbal choice
2) Any eligible person named in writing when the incapacitated person was capable of making and communicating a choice (must have been written within five years prior to the hearing)
3) An adult relative of the incapacitated person
Reason for Appointment: Public administrators are often appointed as guardian and/or
conservator for mentally incapacitated individuals when there are not family members
willing, available or suitable to serve. Public Administrators will occasionally
be appointed in cases where physical or financial abuse has occurred and family members
are the perpetrators. A common appointment of the public administrator is for wards
with mental illnesses. A small portion of the public administrator’s caseload will
include deceased estates where he/she has been appointed to serve as a personal representative,
where there is no will, no heir capable or available to serve. The Probate Court
will in some cases appoint her as conservator for a minor. A possible scenario leading
to appointment might be if parents are killed in an auto accident with insurance
going to minor child.
519 North Grand Ave.
Houston, MO 65483
Phone: 417-967-2669