Trust Services

The Trust Services Program provides payee support to persons determined by the Social Security Administration who need assistance in managing their benefits. Trust also provides guardian / conservator services for individuals determined (by the court) who need assistance to manage their resources. Both of these appointments are carried out by providing consumers budgeting, money management, and individualized bookkeeping services and case coordination.

A Protective Payee provides professional financial management and budget counseling for individuals and families who receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration or Veteran's Administration. Muscatine County Community Services (MCCS) provides a public protective payee service for Muscatine  residents who have been determined by a federal payer to be in need of a protective payee. Referrals are made by the two federal entities noted above.  

Once accepted as a client of the Protective Payee Service, persons may contact our office at 563-263-7512 to schedule an appointment. Enrollment is limited and is based on the applicant's circumstances or urgency.

Responsibility of the Payee Client:
The client is responsible to abide by the rules and regulations established by the Payee Service.  Any client who does not abide by the rules and regulations is subject to discharge from the service.  The Muscatine County Protective Payee Service reserve the right to discharge clients for repeated violation of the Client Responsibility Rules.

The Guardianship Program employs Trust Specialists to engage community services, medical treatments, housing, and benefits, thus enabling these clients to function as normally as possible, considering their limitations. The Muscatine County Courts have removed the decision-making rights of these individuals and given Muscatine County Community Services the authority to make all decisions on their behalf. In typical conservatorship proceedings, an allegedly mentally incapacitated person must be evaluated by a qualified physician or psychiatrist who prepares a report documenting the person's mental capacity that is provided to the court and may be used as evidence.  The Guardianship Program serves as a last resort. All other alternatives have been explored. The agency’s involvement ensures that individuals involved in the program have the resources they need to function in the community and to provide clients with as much autonomy as possible while protecting them from mistreatment or neglect. This is a delicate balance.

The Conservatorship Program employs Trust Specialists who are governed by the state's individual laws. Conservatorships are generally put in place for people who are significantly disabled by mental illness, elderly individuals who lack mental capacity due to medical conditions such as dementia, or individuals with developmental disabilities who lack the capacity to manage their own affairs. In typical conservatorship proceedings, an allegedly mentally incapacitated person must be evaluated by a qualified physician or psychiatrist who prepares a report documenting the person's mental capacity that is provided to the court and may be used as evidence.

Conservatorship is a legal term referring to the legal responsibilities of a conservator over the affairs of a concerned person who has been deemed gravely disabled by the court and unable to meet his or her basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. A conservatorship deals with the person’s financial decisions. A conservator over the estate is responsible for marshaling, protecting, and managing the concerned person’s assets that remain in their estate. A conservator reports to the court that appointed them, and is monitored by the supervising judicial court in the county in which the concerned person permanently resides.