WASHOE COUNTY NEWS RELEASE
The Washoe County Senior Services Department has completed the successful transition to established non-profit legal services agencies for the Senior Law Project.
Due to reduced County revenue and federal and state budget cuts during the recession, the Senior Law Project services were cut in half by 2012. Following a review of the program, recommendations from the Senior Services Advisory Board and approval by the Board of County Commissioners, the Department worked with the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division (Nevada ADSD), the primary funder of the Senior Law Project, to consider qualified legal services agencies to restore the Senior Law Project to previous levels of service.
Nevada ADSD conducted a competitive process in March of this year with a panel that reviewed the applications on behalf of ADSD Administrator Jane Gruner. With that input, Gruner then awarded contracts to two providers, separating the provision of legal services to seniors.
“Washoe Legal Services was selected to provide ward representation services, where an attorney is appointed by the court to represent indigent seniors during hearings on a petition for guardianship,” said director of Washoe County Senior Services Grady Tarbutton. “Nevada Legal Services was selected to provide consumer legal services for seniors and opened an office at the Washoe County Senior Center located at Ninth Street and Sutro in Reno July 1.”
Tarbutton added both projects began serving seniors immediately and successfully and offer the services of attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries to meet the needs.
“So far, they have hired eight employees, which is the same number employed by the Senior Law Project in 2008 before it was reduced to five employees by 2012,” said Tarbutton.
Contact: The Senior Law Project of Nevada Legal Services, (775) 334-3050
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed noon-1 p.m.
Location: 1155 East Ninth Street, Suite 25, Reno at the Washoe County Senior Center
For more information on WCDSS, please visit www.washoecounty.us/seniorsrv.
