GTS News

September 27

New Notification Types for Professional Guardians: Certification(s) Required & Certification(s) Entered

As of June 11, 2024, all professional guardians, whether operating independently or as part of an guardianship agency, must: 1) be certified by a national nonprofit guardianship certification organization (i.e., Center for Guardianship Certification) and 2) provide proof of that certification to the court. In support of these requirements, two new notifications types, Certification(s) Required and Certification(s) Entered, have been introduced to assist professional guardians with the maintenance of their certification information in the GTS.

Certification(s) Required

If either of the following circumstances apply, you will receive a Certification(s) Required notification requesting that you take action by adding or updating your guardianship certification information in the GTS:

• You are a professional guardian, the guardianship certification information you previously entered in the GTS has expired, and you have been subsequently appointed as a guardian for another incapacitated person.

• You are a professional guardian, you have no guardianship certification information entered in the GTS, and you have been appointed as a guardian for an incapacitated person.

In addition to the guardian's name, this notification also specifies the individual's guardian number, and the cases where they have been appointed a guardian.

Note: For professional guardians working for an agency/organization, this notification is sent to all GTS-registered guardians in the organization, who have the authority to submit a guardianship report, whenever any of the organizational guardians are affected. Consequently, in this circumstance, the notification must be read carefully to identify the guardian(s) who needs to update their certification information. If you receive this type of notification and you are not identified by name within the content of the message, you are not required to take any action.

Images represent Certification(s) Required notification e-mails sent to a professional guardian who is not affiliated with a guardianship agency/organization (top) and a professional guardian who is working for a guardianship agency/organization (bottom).

Certifications earned from the Center for Guardianship Certification, including a National Master Guardian (NMG) or a National Certified Guardian (NCG), can be entered in the GTS in two ways:

• Through your GTS Profile – When a certification is entered, it will automatically display on any subsequent annual reports that you file in the GTS.

• Through an Annual Report – Entering a certification through any Guardian of the Estate Report (Part X, Question 1) or Guardian of the Person Report (Part V, Question 4) will automatically save this information, for future use, to your GTS Profile.

Given the importance of this information, and the need to act, the Email Delivery Frequency for this notification type cannot be set to Never.

Certification(s) Entered

If you have previously received a Guardian Certification Expired notification, and have subsequently updated your certification information in the GTS, a Certification(s) Entered notification is sent to confirm the action. This notification type is strictly informational and no further action is necessary.

Given the importance of this action, the Email Delivery Frequency for this notification type cannot be set to Never.

Note: For professional guardians working for an agency/organization, this notification is sent to all GTS-registered guardians within the organization, who have the authority to submit a guardianship report, whenever any of the organizational guardians are affected.

August 28

Draft reports return to a status of New automatically

Any report in a status of Draft now automatically returns to a status of New if no additional changes are saved to the report within 24 hours.

A New report moves into a Draft status when it is opened through the Dashboard, using the Create Report icon , and is subsequently closed without saving any changes. This typically occurs when the report is exited by clicking the CANCEL button.

Previously, there were infrequent circumstances where reports that were left in a Draft status for an extended period prevented the ability to perform important actions on a case (ex. amending previous reports). Returning Draft reports back to the New status prevents these unfavorable circumstances from occurring in the future.

This change has no effect on reports in any other status, including Saved.

August 28

GTS Workshops: Fall 2024

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for fall of 2024. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Fall 2024

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

August 5

Release of New Elder Justice Website and Guardianship Training Videos

The following is a message from the Office of Elder Justice in the Courts:

The Office of Elder Justice in the Courts (OEJC) is pleased to announce exciting updates to the OEJC website and the release of the new online Guardian Video Series! Click here to visit the new page: Elder Justice in the Courts | Operations | Judicial Administration | Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (pacourts.us)

In addition to information about the OEJC, Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts and its members, the updated site offers many new resources and features, including:

• A Guardianship in Pennsylvania page with links to a set of 14 new educational videos consisting of information designed to inform a newly appointed guardian, or proposed guardian, on their roles and responsibilities as guardian of the person and/or estate. Included in the training series is information on alternatives to guardianship, supported decision making, and identifying elder abuse and financial exploitation;

  • The attached flyer provides more information on the video training series.

  Guardianship Training Series Flyer

• The Guardianship in Pennsylvania page also includes downloadable PDFs of the Guardianship Handbook in English and Spanish and the order form to receive a paper copy; and the GTS training schedule;

• Brief descriptions of several alternatives to guardianship written to be accessible to the general public and links to other sites with more information on each alternative;

• Resources for preventing, recognizing, and responding to elder abuse and financial exploitation;

• Resources related to legal services, mental health, and more; and

• Information about, and videos of presentations from, the first Pennsylvania Guardianship Justice Summit.

With these new features and an easier-to-navigate layout, the updated OEJC website is an excellent resource for guardians to find information and resources on guardianship and elder justice related topics. Feel free to direct others to the site when they are looking for information, resources, or have questions about elder justice or guardianship in Pennsylvania.

Note: The Guardianship Training Series produced by the OEJC is separate from the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) Essentials video series that is offered to guardians through this Help System. The GTS Essentials video series, by comparison, focuses solely on the application that is used to complete and submit guardianship reports online and is applicable to all guardians.

May 20

GTS Workshops: Summer 2024

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for summer of 2024. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Summer 2024

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

April 1

Selecting a Final Report Reason

Prior to today, some limitations existed that could have prevented a guardian’s ability to identify the appropriate reason for creating a final Guardian of the Person or Guardian of the Estate report. When this circumstance occurred, the only reason available to select related to the death of the incapacitated person. Since the selection of a reason (Part I Question 3) is a required part of the process of completing any final report, some guardians were selecting this lone reason, regardless of whether it was applicable, as their only perceived alternative for completing and submitting the form.

Beginning today, regardless of the circumstances in which a final report needs to be created, the available reasons to select have been expanded to account for all possible scenarios. In addition to the death of the incapacitated person, you can choose from the following:

• The guardian was discharged by court order

• The court entered an order for adjudication of capacity – either partial or full restoration

• A limited duration order expired

• The guardianship was transferred

When completing a final report, please select the appropriate reason based on the circumstances of the guardianship.

November 12

GTS Workshops: Winter 2024

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for winter of 2024. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Winter 2024

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

October 9

New Requirement for Guardians: Annual Review of GTS Profile

As part of the use of the Guardianship Tracking System, all guardians will soon be required to review and confirm the accuracy of their personal information (e.g., contact information, attributes, any trainings/certifications, etc.) maintained under the Manage GTS Profile screen. This represents the introduction of a task that will become an annual requirement for each guardian.

Starting on October 16th, if you are a guardian, the first time you attempt to access your GTS Dashboard, you will be redirected to your GTS Profile automatically to complete this review. You cannot access your Dashboard until you have reviewed your profile and provided your confirmation.

As part of this task, a new Attributes section will display in the Manage GTS Profile screen that requires you to add your social security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number (if applicable). If you do not have a driver’s license, this can be indicated by deselecting the Valid DL checkbox. You must click the Save icon at the far right of the Attributes section to preserve any changes you make.

When you have completed your review, select the I have reviewed my guardian information for accuracy checkbox and click CONTINUE to finalize the process. Your confirmation satisfies the requirement for one year. While all guardians will be asked to confirm their information in this manner on an annual basis, GTS Profile information can be viewed and updated at any time through the corresponding link on your Dashboard.

Please understand that the establishment of this annual requirement is part of a coordinated effort, so your initial confirmation of your profile information cannot be accepted prior to October 16th.

October 9

Recommendation for Professional Guardians: Enter Your National Certifications in the GTS

All professional guardians, which in the GTS is defined as any guardian responsible for a minimum of three guardianship cases, are highly encouraged to add any certification they have earned from the Center for Guardianship Certification to the GTS. Applicable certifications include a National Master Guardian (NMG) or a National Certified Guardian (NCG).

Certifications can be entered in two ways:

• Through your GTS Profile – When a certification is entered, it will automatically display on any subsequent annual reports that you file in the GTS.

• Through an Annual Report – Entering a certification through any Guardian of the Estate Report (Part X, Question 1) or Guardian of the Person Report (Part V, Question 4) will automatically save this information, for future use, to your GTS Profile.

Adding a certification through the Manage GTS Profile screen

The entry of a certification includes the requirement to enter an expiration date. Based on this, and for your convenience, you will receive a GTS notification when:

• you have a certification expiring in the next 30 days.

• you have a certification that has expired. This allows you to update your profile by adding any new certifications you may have earned.

August 28

GTS Workshops: Fall 2023

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for fall of 2023. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Fall 2023

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops, but will be conducted in the 'refreshed' GTS.

June 5

GTS Workshops: Summer 2023

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for summer of 2023. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Summer 2023

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops, but will be conducted in the 'refreshed' GTS.

February 20

GTS Workshops: Spring 2023

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the spring of 2023. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Spring 2023

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops, but will be conducted in the 'refreshed' GTS.

December 19

GTS Workshops: Winter 2023

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the winter of 2023. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Winter 2023

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops, but will be conducted in the 'refreshed' GTS.

December 12

Introducing the GTS 'Refresh'

An update has been made to the GTS that is part of an effort to upgrade the technology that powers the UJS Web Portal. This technology “refresh” is designed to ensure your ongoing security and the best possible experience moving forward.

A short video has been created that summarizes the changes that directly affect you. Please consider taking a few minutes to watch prior to using the refreshed GTS.

Video: GTS Refresh - Overview for Guardians (6 mins)

September 13

GTS Glossary for Guardians

The Office of Elder Justice in the Courts (OEJC), which promotes and educates on best practices in the area of guardianship, has created a glossary of terms to assist the family/lay guardians who use the GTS. While this glossary has benefits for all family/lay guardians, it is an especially useful resource for anyone that is new to the GTS and completing guardianship reports for the first time. Feel free to download or print this document as needed.

GTS Glossary for Guardians

In addition to the link above, this document is also accessible through the GTS Help homepage, which can be found when you click the Help link (pictured below) on any GTS screen.

September 13

GTS Workshops: Fall 2022

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the fall of 2022. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Fall 2022

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

June 13

GTS Workshops: Summer 2022

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the summer of 2022. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Summer 2022

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

April 18

Fundamentals of Guardianship Training - What Family and Non-Professional Guardians Need to Know: 2022 Schedule

The Office of Elder Justice in the Courts (OEJC) and the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) are pleased to announce the Fundamentals of Guardianship training schedule for 2022. This training, which is offered online via WebEx, is specifically designed for family and non-professional guardians and covers the following topics:

• Essential guardianship basics

• The roles and responsibilities of a guardian

• Guardianship best practices

• Guardian informed decision-making processes

This training is presented by a National Certified Guardian. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule and each session offered covers the same information.

Fundamentals of Guardianship Training Schedule for 2022

Note: The Fundamentals of Guardianship training is separate from the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) workshop that is also offered. The GTS workshop, by comparison, focuses solely on the application that is used to complete and submit guardianship reports online and is applicable to all guardians.

November 29

GTS Workshops: Winter 2022

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the winter of 2022. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Winter 2022

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

September 20

GTS Workshops: Fall 2021

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the fall of 2021. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Fall 2021

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

June 14

GTS Workshops: Summer 2021

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the summer of 2021. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Summer 2021

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

April 19

New question on the Inventory Report: Incapacitated Person Deceased?

A new question, “Is the incapacitated person deceased?”, has been added to the top of the Inventory report form in the GTS. You are now asked to answer this question first because your next steps could be affected by your response.

Answering “No”

This response, which is selected by default, confirms that the incapacitated person (IP) is alive and signifies that the rest of the Inventory report form can be completed normally. This selection will apply to most guardianships.

Answering “Yes”

In this less common situation, this response typically indicates the IP has died within 90 days of being adjudicated incapacitated and signifies the need to perform a different set of steps. The Inventory report will not be completed in this situation and the form will prevent any data entry.

In this situation, you will be instructed to contact the appropriate court office to inform them of the death of the IP. After the court records the date of death, the final Estate report and, if applicable, the final Person report are made available for the guardianship and should be completed as directed.

December 7

GTS Workshops: Winter 2021

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the winter of 2021. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Winter 2021

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

September 6

GTS Workshops: Fall 2020

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the fall of 2020. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Fall 2020

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

September 6

Active Cases & Favorites

The Favorites icon, represented by a star () in the Active Cases section of your Dashboard, is a tool that allows you to place an emphasis on certain guardianship cases. While this can be a valuable resource, it’s necessary to understand the effects of making a case a 'favorite'. These include the following:

• For your convenience, it ensures the case always appears at the top of your Active Cases list.

• It limits the Dashboard and e-mail notifications you receive to those cases identified as a favorite.

The influence of the second effect is particularly important. Individuals who see a high volume of cases in this Dashboard section, especially those working for a guardianship agency, bank, or some related organization, may use the favorites feature to limit their Dashboard/e-mail notifications to cases on which they are actively working. The flip side of selecting a favorite, however, is that you will not receive notifications for any cases that are not a favorite.

As a result, if you are not receiving notifications for one or more cases displayed in this section of your Dashboard, and you believe you should be, check to see if you have any favorites selected. If you do, consider adding the appropriate case(s) as a favorite or, if the consequence is manageable, removing all of your existing favorites. In either case, you will start receiving notifications on the appropriate cases from that point forward. This action does not resend any missed notifications so it is recommended that you contact the GTS Help Desk (1-877-227-2672) if you require more information.

The selection of favorites is unique to each person and the choices of one individual do not affect those of another.

June 8

GTS Workshops: Summer 2020

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the summer of 2020. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Summer 2020

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

March 2

GTS Workshops: Spring 2020

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the spring of 2020. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Spring 2020

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

December 2

GTS Workshops: Winter 2020

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the Winter of 2020. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule. GTS Workshop Schedule: Winter 2020

GTS Workshop Schedule: Winter 2020

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

August 26

Guardian of the Estate report: SSA & VA Supporting Documentation

The directions associated to Part VIII, Questions 1(a) and 1(b) of the Guardian of the Estate report, which focuses on Social Security Administration (SSA) and Veterans Administration (VA) benefits, have changed. Previously, if an incapacitated person (IP) received either of these benefits, the guardian, if also acting as the representative payee, was asked to attach the annual report required by the corresponding agency as part of their GTS submission. There are many common circumstances that exist, however, particularly with the SSA, that do not require representative payees to file an annual report. Consequently, this created confusion among some guardians when, after filing their Guardian of the Estate report, they were asked by the court to provide a document they understood to be unnecessary.

Moving forward, when a guardian indicates that an IP receives either of these benefits on a Guardian of the Estate report, the instructions now indicate that the supporting documentation only needs to be attached if a report was required by the SSA or VA. In circumstances where the SSA or VA does not require an annual report, guardians are encouraged to note this information in the Comments section of the Guardian of the Estate report. The courts will take this into account when reviewing submissions.

August 26

GTS Workshops: Fall 2019

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the Fall of 2019. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Fall 2019

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

June 17

GTS Workshops: Summer 2019

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the summer of 2019. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Summer 2019

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

March 18

GTS Workshops: Spring 2019

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the spring of 2019. These workshops, which are offered online via WebEx, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Spring 2019

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in previous workshops.

December 17

GTS Workshops: Winter 2019

The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is pleased to announce its GTS workshop schedule for the winter of 2019. These workshops, offered in both an online and in-person format, provide court-appointed guardians an overview of the GTS and demonstrate how to file inventory and annual reports online. Dates/Times and registration information are included in the schedule.

GTS Workshop Schedule: Winter 2019

Note: The upcoming workshops will cover the same information discussed in the 2018 Fall workshops.