The Office of Public Guardianship, acting under court authority, provides public guardianship where there is no friend or family member to serve as guardian, and the individual needs a public guardian to protect his or her rights or welfare.

Vermont law provides public guardianship for:

• Adults with developmental disabilities

• People over age 60 with mental disabilities.
  

Note that there is no public guardianship in Vermont for individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 with mental disabilities other than a developmental disability.

The mission of the program is to assist and empower people under guardianship in making decisions and taking actions in critical life areas. Public guardians seek to diminish the need for public guardianship by identifying, training, and assisting private guardians; by encouraging and preparing individuals to make their own decisions; and by developing supportive community resources.

Office of Public Guardian (OPG) Contact Information

• Phone: (802) 828-2143
• Fax Number: (802) 828-0243
• OPG 24-Hour Emergency Number: 1-800-642-3100 [Toll Free]

The Office of Public Guardian Staff

The Director and Program Technician are located in Montpelier. Twenty-four (24) full time Public Guardians are located in offices throughout Vermont.  A full time Representative Payee is located in Rutland.

Representative Payee Services
The Office of Public Guardian offers representative payee services to approximately 300 individuals who receive Social Security, SSI, Railroad Retirement, or Veteran's benefits. The Representative Payee office is located at:

1 Scale Avenue, Suite 109
Rutland, VT 05701-4460
Phone: (802) 786-5045

Resources for Guardians

• How to Petition for Guardianship
  Information about different types of guardianship with separate and distinct petition processes.

• Types of Guardianship
  Extensive information on Guardianship.

• How to be a Good Guardian
  Sources of information about the duties and responsibilities of guardians.

• Alternatives to Guardianship
  Independence and self-determination are important to all people. Because guardianship for adults is intrusive and involves the removal of rights from an individual, it should be considered only after reasonable alternatives have been considered. Some alternatives are easier and less costly than court procedures; others are not.

• The American Bar Association has published a booklet to guide guardians and health care agents in Making Medical Care Decisions for others

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