3. Social Services-Guardian and Protective Serv funding

...... ~ GUARDIAN AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES, INC. Cass County Commission Meeting May 15,2006 Guardian and Protective Services, Inc. Request for Funding Guardian and Protective Services, Inc. (GaPS) is a nonprofit corporation providing protective arrangements for vulnerable adults. Our services include guardianships, conservatorships, powers of attorney for health care and finances, and payee services for Social Security and the Veteran's Administration. GaPS staff are available 24 hours a day 7 days per week. We charge for our services if individuals have the ability to pay but the majority of our cases (90%) are low income. We are currently providing protective arrangements to more than 240 individuals in the Fargo area, of whom 183 are Cass County residents. ,... GaPS began taking cases in Fargo in 1998 on an emergency basis and in 2000 set up an office from a Bremer Foundation grant. We have been able to continue our services in Cass County through continued grants from the Dakota Medical Foundation; Bremer Foundation, Alex Stem Foundation, Xcel and smaller community grants. We presently receive $2,000 per year from the Cass County Sponsorship Grant which we apply for yearly. The United Way of Cass-Clay opened up their program to new agencies this year and we have sent a Letter of Intent, but as of yet have not had a response. Guardian and Protective Services has been operating at a loss in the Fargo area of approximately $25,000 per year since our inception. We have been able to cover this deficit with funds from new grants in the next year. It is becoming increasingly difficult to secure grant funds for operating expenses and comtnl1nity support is necessary for our continued operations. We presently restrict our services for low-income individuals to vulnerable adults age 60 and over, but do provide payee services for low-income individuals under age 60. Clay and Ottertail Counties contract with Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota to provide guardianships for low income individuals at the rate of $45.00 per hour. Burleigh County provides GaPS with $24,000 per year and Morton County provides $4,000. We also receIve $17,000 from the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way in our Bismarck office. We are requesting that the Cass County Commission provide annual funding of $20,000 to Guardian and Protective Services, Inc. to provide protective arrangements for vulnerable adults in Cass County. r- M~ (j~,~ William Chaussee, Administrator Fargo Office 701-297-8988. Fax 701-451-9203 Toll Free 1-866-798-4277 email gapsfargo@gapsinc.org 100 South 4th Street, Suite 403 Fargo, North Dakota 58103 website: www.gapsinc.org Bismarck Office 701-222-8678. Fax 701-222-6666 Toll Free 1-888-570-4277 e-mail gaps@gapsinc.org 316 North 5th Street, Suite 112 Bismarck, North Dakota 58501