Guardianship Program Benefits Community, Calls for Aid

Lettitia McPherson heads the Guardianship Program of San Angelo, a program that advocates for people in the community with disabilities who have lost the capacity to make their own decisions and manage their own lives. McPherson came before Commissioners’ Court this week to explain the value of the Guardianship Program and to express a need for aid.

“I have a little bit of a struggle funding the program sometimes because foundations and others see it as a county function,” McPherson said. “[They say] ‘Why are we doing this when the county should?’”

McPherson explained that in larger cities such as Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, the county governments completely fund and control the guardianship programs in the area.

“We do it a little bit more, in our West Texas way, where we really take care of our people and make advocates out of our neighbors,” McPherson said. “We recruit volunteers and train them to help watch these individuals, care for them, and really make relationships with them.”

McPherson explained that “several factors have converged this year to create a financial problem for us.” McPherson had a three-year grant from the State of Texas for $75,000 that expired this year. However, McPherson suffered a concussion early in the year, and her plans for fundraising and grant writing were thrown off about 6 months. Furthermore, the program canceled the health insurance for their employees in order to cut costs. All of the employees of the Guardianship Alliance now find other ways to get their health insurance.

A lack of funding and strict confidentiality requirements make advertising for the Guardianship Alliance difficult.

“We don’t make headlines, and by the nature of guardianship, that’s not anything we would want to do,” McPherson said. “Guardianship requires the highest ethical standards. It is a fiduciary relationship, a relationship of trust when you, as a stranger or an entity such as the county, decide that you’re going to help manage someone else’s life, especially a stranger’s.”

McPherson also told the commissioners that the program received a $10,000 challenge grant from the Carl C. Anderson, Sr. and Marie Jo Anderson Charitable Foundation. According to a press release from the Arc, the foundation will match, dollar for dollar, $10,000 in donations, doubling the impact of each contribution.

"The Arc provides a vital service to our community, and I applaud the Anderson Charitable Foundation for providing support to the program with this generous challenge grant," County Judge Steve Floyd said. "We have a great need in our community for advocates who will actively participate in the day-to-day lives of our elders, and those with disabilities who are abandoned or unable to speak for themselves. The Arc guarantees the person receives the respect they deserve.”

After McPherson spoke to the Commissioners’ Court, no action was made on their part at the time.

“We appreciate what you do very much,” Commissioner Rick Bacon said. “When you have a personal involvement with people, it always makes a big difference compared to institutional-type involvement. So we appreciate your concern for those individuals.”

The Guardianship Program falls under the Arc of San Angelo, a local branch of a national organization focused on assisting individuals with developmental disabilities. For more about the Arc, check out this article by San Angelo LIVE! 

The Autism Alliance is another program under the umbrella of the Arc. Check out San Angelo LIVE’s previous article for information about the program. 

To support the Guardianship Alliance, mail your donation to P.O. Box 1922, San Angelo, TX 76902. For more information, call 325-657-0308.