Michelle Anaya is working to become the guardian of her brother, Jeffrey Fitzgearlds, who has been institutionalized for nearly 20 years under Missouri's public guardianship system.
by Matt Flener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Michelle Anaya is fighting to free her brother, Jeffrey Fitzgearlds, and bring him closer to home.
Anaya has spent years advocating for her brother, who has been under the state of Missouri's care as a ward of the state for nearly two decades.
"I've always been fighting for him, like even in school," Anaya said. "When he'd get teased, I'd fight the other kids."
Jeffrey is one of more than 11,000 people in Missouri living under the state's public guardianship system.
Jeffrey became a ward of the state after doctors recommended professional guardianship to his parents due to his mental illness and behavioral struggles. Now, Anaya is seeking to take over his care following the passing of their parents. She currently sees him during supervised visits at the Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center, located five hours away from Kansas City.
"My brother has been institutionalized for nearly 20 years," Anaya said. "I can literally see my life changing and evolving and growing. And his, it's stagnant. It's in a standstill."
Anaya has asked the court multiple times to allow her to assume guardianship from Alexa Summit, the Clay County public administrator, who oversees Jeffrey's care along with her deputies under judicial oversight. Summit's attorney, citing confidentiality, declined to comment on specific cases.
"While I appreciate the opportunity to respond, we must respect the confidentiality of the individuals whom the Public Administrator's office is tasked to serve as guardian and conservator for," said attorney Paemon Aramjoo, who represents the Clay County public administrator.
Anaya said it is often difficult to get answers from the Clay County public administrator's office regarding Jeffrey's care and her proposal to take over his guardianship. She has also spoken publicly, advocating for more oversight of the office.
She and other advocates lobbied Clay County's constitutional review committee earlier this year to push for more oversight of the Clay County public administrator's office, but ultimately, those changes did not happen.
Advocates across Missouri have echoed similar concerns, saying it is often challenging to get information from public administrators without going through the court system. KMBC 9 Investigates and the U.S. Department of Justice have highlighted issues within Missouri's public guardianship system, where thousands of wards live in nursing homes due to a lack of alternative placements.
KMBC is investigating ways to systemically improve the care of those under guardianship through a series of stories called Paper Prisons. The stories highlight people struggling to navigate a tangled system of legal paperwork, medical records and court orders. KMBC is also seeking answers, perspective and context from those in charge of keeping wards of the state in their care for their recommendations on how to improve the system. Often, those tasked with caring for wards of the state say they do not have enough resources or treatment facilities close to the person's home.
Public administrators have reported growing caseloads and have asked state lawmakers for increased funding and improved laws to better care for Missouri's most vulnerable residents.
Meanwhile, Anaya will keep fighting to bring her brother home.
"He needs natural connection. He needs family," Anaya said. "That's how people feel connected. That's how they have security."
If you know of someone going through struggles with Missouri's public guardianship system, or if you have a case to highlight that explores solutions for Missouri's public guardianship system that could teach lessons to others, please email investigates@kmbc.com.
Full Article & Source:
PAPER PRISONS: Missouri woman fights to bring brother home from public guardianship system
See Also:
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