1. A. The local department of social services shall:

   1. (1) Review the service plan and the effectiveness of the service given;
   2. (2) Decide whether to continue the service at least every 6 months; and
   3. (3) Decide whether to extend voluntary service beyond the initial 6 months. Extension of service is permissible with supervisory approval and specific documentation of the need to extend the service and if the criteria for termination are not met, as listed in §B of this regulation.

2. B. The local department of social services shall terminate services for any recipient of Adult Protective Services when:

   1. (1) The goals and objectives outlined in the service plan have been attained and the adult is not at risk;
   2. (2) The adult's service needs are not protective in nature and can be met by another local department program or a community service;
   3. (3) The adult decides to terminate and the local department determines that there is neither sufficient risk nor evidence of incapacity to warrant court action;
   4. (4) The adult refuses voluntary services and the court dismisses a petition to provide services or to appoint a guardian of the person;
   5. (5) The court revokes a guardianship and the adult refuses voluntary services; or
   6. (6) The court appoints as guardian another agency or individual and that guardian does not wish the local department to continue services.
3. C. Services provided without a court order may be terminated if a recipient has moved from the local department of social services jurisdiction or is placed in a Maryland Department of Health facility for a period exceeding 30 days.

4. D. Local Department.

   1. (1) The local department may request termination of its status as guardian when the circumstances or capacity of the adult changes so that the local department determines that guardianship is no longer necessary.
   2. (2) The local department may not justify termination of guardianship solely because a disabled adult has been placed in a licensed and regulated facility which assures the adult's needs are met (including a nursing home or State mental hospital) until the placement has continued for at least 6 months.

5. E. Written Notice.

   1. (1) The local department of social services shall send a written notice of its intent to deny, reduce, suspend, or terminate services at least 10 working days before the action is taken.

   2. (2) The notice shall include:

      1. (a) The action to be taken;
      2. (b) The reason for the action;
      3. (c) The specific regulation supporting this action; and
      4. (d) The right to and method for an appeal for a fair hearing.

Authority: Family Law Article, §§14-101—14-404, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: August 8, 1980 (7:16 Md. R. 1593)

Regulations .10E and .11 amended effective October 6, 1986 (13:20 Md. R. 2209)

Chapter revised effective October 31, 1988 (15:22 Md. R. 2555)

Regulation .10B amended effective August 19, 1991 (18:16 Md. R. 1811)

Regulation .15A amended effective February 18, 1991 (18:3 Md. R. 302)

Recodified from COMAR 07.02.16 to 07.06.14, December, 1992

Regulation .11 amended as an emergency provision effective October 1, 1997 (24:19 Md. R. 1334); amended permanently effective December 1, 1997 (24:24 Md. R. 1669)

Regulation .12B amended effective January 17, 1994 (21:1 Md. R. 29)

Chapter revised effective December 10, 2001 (28:24 Md. R. 2127)

Regulation .01 amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .02B amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .05 amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .07A amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .09B amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .11 amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .12A, E amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .13D, E amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .15A amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Regulation .16B amended effective July 28, 2008 (35:15 Md. R. 1347)

Chapter recodified from COMAR 07.06.14 to COMAR 07.02.16, effective June, 2009