News Item
Minnesota Judicial Branch launches new online training for guardians, conservators

Posted: Friday, May 11, 2018

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The Minnesota Judicial Branch has launched a new online training for individuals who have been appointed by a court to serve as a guardian or conservator.
 
The interactive, self-paced training module aims to help new guardians and conservators understand their roles and responsibilities, including the statutes and policies in place to protect vulnerable individuals. The training may also be used as a refresher course by experienced guardians or conservators, or to answer specific questions about their duties.
 
The online conservatorship and guardianship training module can be found on the Guardianship and Conservatorship Help Topic »
 
Highlights of the new training module include:
 
  • A detailed, step-by-step explanation of the guardianship and conservatorship processes, from the legal process by which a conservator or guardian is approved, to the powers granted to a court-appointed guardian or conservator, to the specific reporting requirements that guardians and conservators must meet.
  • Extensive information on the legal rights of individuals who need a guardianship or a conservatorship.
  • A glossary of key legal terms conservators and guardians may encounter in their duties.
  • Links to other helpful guardianship and conservatorship resources, including relevant court forms and the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Guardianship and Conservatorship Manual.
 
The online conservatorship and guardianship training module was developed through grant funding from the State Justice Institute and in partnership with the National Center for State Courts.
 
Enhancing the training of court-appointed guardians and conservators is just the latest step the Minnesota Judicial Branch has taken to better protect vulnerable individuals from abuse and financial mismanagement.
 
In 2012, the Minnesota Judicial Branch launched the Conservator Account Auditing Program, which has modernized and improved the way the state oversees the work of conservators. Conservators appointed in Minnesota now submit finance reports through MyMNConservator, an online application that contains built-in “red flag” logic that automatically reviews filed accounts and alerts auditors to possible errors, inconsistencies, or transactions that require further review. In addition, a team of trained experts working as part of a centralized conservator account auditing center now conduct compliance audits on conservator accounts from across the state.
 
The Conservator Account Auditing Program has been lauded nationally as an example of state government innovation and as a model for better protecting vulnerable individuals in need of conservatorship or guardianship.
 
The Minnesota Judicial Branch is currently developing MyMinnesotaGuardian, which aims to make it faster and easier for guardians to submit their well-being reports to the court, and simpler for the court to review and track these reports and identify any concerns.