Participant Alerts (Abuse, Neglect, Financial Exploitation)

A participant alert, when ordered by a judge, acts as a communication tool that indicates abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation by a guardian. Alerts can be recorded on both person and organization participant records. Once the alert is created, a visual indicator is added in various areas of GTS such as on the Person and Organization Management screen, the Guardians grid of the Guardianship Case Management screen, and in the search results grid during a case participant search. These indicators are viewable statewide by court staff. Additionally, when an alert is created or resolved, a notification will be sent to all court staff in any county in which the participant is the named guardian and it will include the list of all active cases for that guardian.

Participant alerts are also added automatically to a participant's record by GTS if a case action of 'Guardian Involuntarily Removed' with a Termination Reason of Abuse, Neglect, or Financial Exploitation is recorded on the case.

When a participant alert is created on a participant record, either manually or automatically, it cannot be removed. It can only be resolved and this must be done by the county in which the alert was created. However, other counties are permitted to add comments.

When a guardian that has an alert entered into their participant record, you can choose whether or not they should receive a notification regarding their alert status. If a notification is not sent when the alert is created, they will not get a notification if it is resolved.

Adding a Participant Alert to a Participant Record

A participant alert must be approved by a judge and should not otherwise be added to a participant record. Once ordered, add the participant alert as follows:

Under General Actions on the Dashboard, click the Manage People and Organizations link. The Participant Search screen opens.

Click on the Search By dropdown and select the appropriate option for the type of participant that needs a participant alert.

Based on whether you selected Person or Organization, enter the participant's Last Name and First Name or Organization name and/or EIN. Additionally, you can limit the search to existing guardians or Pennsylvania bar attorneys by selecting the Guardians Only and/or Attorneys Only checkbox.

(Optional) Additional search criteria can be entered to limit the number of records that can be returned in a search.

Click the SEARCH button.

Review the search results and perform one of the following:

a.	If the participant is found, click the Edit Record icon that appears to the right of the individual or organization that you need to view or update. The Edit Person/Organization screen displays.
b.	If the participant is not found, try entering different search criteria and search again. Sometimes using less search criteria can be more effective.

In the Alerts tab, click the Add New Alert icon . The Alert Management popup displays.

Click on the Alert Type dropdown and select the option that best describes the reason for creating the alert. The Description defaults automatically.

Click on the Court Authority dropdown and select the judge or other authority that directed the creation of the participant alert.

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Verify that the Alert Status defaults to Active.

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The Status Date defaults to the current date but can be updated if needed.

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For the Should Guardian Be Notified dropdown, select either Yes or No depending on whether or not the guardian should receive a notification of the alert on their participant record.

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Click the SAVE button. The Alert History, Comments, and Document(s) tabs display.

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Entering comments is recommended. To record one, click the Add Comment icon above the Comments grid. A new, blank row is added to the grid. Record the comment and click the Save icon . Repeat this step to add additional comments.

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Documents that corroborate the alert can be made available through GTS by clicking the Add Document icon above the Document(s) grid. Click the CHOOSE FILE button to upload the electronic version of the judge's order and any other relevant documents. For more information, see Uploading Documents.

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Review all details recorded for accuracy and completeness. Once finished, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the Alert Management screen to return to the Edit Person/Organization screen. The new alert displays in the Participant Alerts grid.

Adding Comments to an Existing Alert

Comments can be added to existing participant alerts by any county staff statewide. A history of all comments is maintained as part of the alert. To add comments to a participant alert, perform the following:

Under General Actions on the Dashboard, click the Manage People and Organizations link. The Participant Search screen opens.

Click on the Search By dropdown and select the appropriate option for the type of participant that needs participant alert comments.

(Optional) Additional search criteria can be entered to limit the number of records that can be returned in a search.

Click the SEARCH button.

Review the search results and perform one of the following:

a.	If the participant is found, click the Edit Record icon that appears to the right of the individual or organization that you need to view or update. The Edit Person/Organization screen displays.
b.	If the participant is not found, try entering different search criteria and search again. Sometimes using less search criteria can be more effective.

In the Alerts tab, locate the alert in the grid that needs to have comments added and click the View Details icon for that row. The Alert Management popup displays.

Click the Add Comment icon above the Comments grid. A new, blank row is added to the grid. Record the comment and click the Save icon . Repeat this step to add additional comments.

Once finished, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the Alert Management screen to return to the Edit Person/Organization screen.

Resolving a Participant Alert

If the situation that caused a participant alert is resolved, as ordered by a judge, or a participant alert is added in error, a resolution should be recorded. Alerts are resolved by adding an updated alert status. To resolve a participant alert, perform the following:

Under General Actions on the Dashboard, click the Manage People and Organizations link. The Participant Search screen opens.

Click on the Search By dropdown and select the appropriate option for the type of participant that needs to have a participant alert resolved.

(Optional) Additional search criteria can be entered to limit the number of records that can be returned in a search.

Click the SEARCH button.

Review the search results and perform one of the following:

a.	If the participant is found, click the Edit Record icon that appears to the right of the individual or organization that you need to view or update. The Edit Person/Organization screen displays.
b.	If the participant is not found, try entering different search criteria and search again. Sometimes using less search criteria can be more effective.

In the Alerts tab, locate the alert in the grid that needs to be resolved and click the View Details icon for that row. The Alert Management popup displays.

Click the Add Status icon above the Alert History grid.

Select a Status of Resolved or Created in Error, as appropriate and click the Save icon in that row. The status is saved and you are automatically returned to the Edit Person/Organization screen. The alert displays the resolution in the Alert Status column.

Reviewing the History of a Resolved Participant Alert

The history of alert statuses and comments for a participant alert remain as part of a participant's record. Court staff can review this information as needed. To review a history of a participant alert, perform the following:

Under General Actions on the Dashboard, click the Manage People and Organizations link. The Participant Search screen opens.

Click on the Search By dropdown and select the appropriate option for the type of participant.

(Optional) Additional search criteria can be entered to limit the number of records that can be returned in a search.

Click the SEARCH button.

Review the search results and perform one of the following:

a.	If the participant is found, click the Edit Record icon that appears to the right of the individual or organization that you need to view or update. The Edit Person/Organization screen displays.
b.	If the participant is not found, try entering different search criteria and search again. Sometimes using less search criteria can be more effective.

In the Alerts tab, locate the alert in the grid and click the View Details icon for that row. The Alert Management popup displays.

Review the details, as needed. Once finished, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the Alert Management screen to return to the Edit Person/Organization screen.