N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law 81.40 – Court evaluator education requirements
§ 81.40 Court evaluator education requirements.
Terms Used In N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law 81.40
- available resources: means resources such as, but not limited to, visiting nurses, homemakers, home health aides, adult day care and multipurpose senior citizen centers, powers of attorney, health care proxies, trusts, representative and protective payees, and residential care facilities. See N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law 81.03
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- guardian: means a person who is eighteen years of age or older, a corporation, or a public agency, including a local department of social services, appointed in accordance with terms of this article by the supreme court, the surrogate's court, or the county court to act on behalf of an incapacitated person in providing for personal needs and/or for property management. See N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law 81.03
(a) Each incapacitated person is entitled to a court evaluator whom the court finds to be sufficiently capable of performing the duties of a court evaluator necessary to ensure that all the relevant information regarding a petition for the appointment of a guardian comes before the court and to assist the court in reaching a decision regarding the appointment of a guardian.
(b) Each person appointed by the court to be an evaluator must complete a training program approved by the chief administrator which covers:
1. the legal duties and responsibilities of the court evaluator;
2. the rights of the incapacitated person with emphasis on the due process rights to aid the court evaluator in determining his or her recommendation regarding the appointment of counsel and the conduct of the hearing;
3. the available resources to aid the incapacitated person;
4. an orientation to medical terminology, particularly that related to the diagnostic and assessment procedures used to characterize the extent and reversibility of any impairment;
5. entitlements;
6. psychological and social concerns relating to the disabled and frail older adults.
(c) The court may, in its discretion, waive some or all of the requirements of this section or impose additional requirements. In doing so, the court shall consider the experience and education of the court evaluator with respect to the training requirements of this section.