Adult Protective Services (APS) is a program serving adults, 18 or older who may be in need of protective services because:

• They have a physical or mental impairment
• They can no longer protect themselves from neglect, abuse, or hazardous situations
• They cannot provide for their most basic needs; food, clothing, shelter, or medical care
• They have no one willing or able to help in a responsible manner

APS can provide services to strengthen an adult's ability to live in the community for as long as possible. Referral made to APS are kept confidential and cannot be released to the public. 

If you suspect that an individual, age 18 or older, meets the above-mentioned requirements above, you are encouraged to contact our Aging and Disability Resource Center and make a referral to our Adult Protective Services Unit (APS) at 1-800-848-3303. An APS worker will listen to your concerns and will walk you through the process. 

Representative Payee

APS can provide money management services to assist adults who are unable to manage their own resources on their behave or help protect themselves from financial exploitations. APS may provide informal money management to assist adults to pay their bills or keep track of their money. APS can become a representative payee to a person who receives Social Security benefits or Social Security Income (SSI) if there is no one willing or able to help in a responsible way. 

A representative payee is a person or an organization that Social Security Administration (SSA) appoints to beneficiaries of Social Security or SSI who can't manage or direct the management of his/her benefits. A payee's main duties are to use the benefits to pay for the current and future needs of the beneficiary, and to properly save any benefits not needed to meet current needs. As payee, we must keep records of expenses and when requested, by SSA, we must provide an accounting report of how the benefits have been used. 

Guardianship

Guardianship is a legal long-term involuntary intervention for an incapacitated adult. A person is an incapacitated adult if they are:

1. Unable to care for their own personal needs and/or property, AND
2. Likely to suffer harm because they can not understand the consequences of not being able to care for their personal needs and/or property.

A guardian is a person who looks after and is legally responsible for someone who is unable to manage their own affairs. APS can be appointed as an incapacitated person’s guardian if there is no one willing or able to help in a responsible way and only after legal proceedings. A judge must appoint a guardian to help a person manage their personal needs or property or both. As a guardian we are required by the courts to provide report periodically.