VERITAS ATHENA (meaning truth and wisdom) is a company of highly motivated professionals dedicated to the needs of elderly and disabled citizens of our community who cannot care for themselves. We are dedicated to the best life possible for these citizens. We understand that the decisions to be made can be very emotional, especially when an aging family member is involved.
VERITAS ATHENA is experienced at the potential legal and personal consequences and understand that these types of decisions require a special level of sensitivity and compassion. We use a structured approach that provides many levels of solutions, including mediation, power-of-attorney, protected arrangement, or court ordered guardianship and conservatorship. We take great pride in the detail and hands-on work we do with each client whom we serve.
PERSONAL ASSISTANCE: Along with a team of support professionals we seek to provide you or a protected person the strength that comes from intimately knowing you as an individual. We provide a single point of contact that then works with our team from day one. Our network of staff professionals then makes recommendations and provides the physical or financial services detailed in the personal plan, all of which is coordinated through our personal assistance.
VERITAS ATHENA is committed to the reforms recommended as part of the study performed by the New Mexico Supreme Court Commission on Adult Guardianships. In addition, all staff are trained in the provisions of SB 19 – Guardianship, Conservatorship, and other Protected Arrangements Act – as codified in NMSA § 45.
Pursuant to all state statutes and regulations, VERITAS ATHENA is fully licensed and bonded for every case.
Services Offered
MEDIATION
Our skilled mediators can assist families in charting an acceptable course for the future. Issues of care, finance, and daily life can be structured in an atmosphere of open information. Using mediation can avoid the court process altogether, or in instances where court directives are in place can fully inform the court about needed changes.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
For some individuals these services represent a form of care and coordination that does not need a process involving the court. VERITAS ATHENA can act as attorney-in-fact for either financial matters or healthcare matters, or both. When VERITAS ATHENA is designated as attorney-in-fact many, if not all, decisions concerning either health care or financial wellbeing can be made and executed quickly according to the person-centered plan.
VA OR PRIVATE FIDUCIARY
This service is provided as a cooperative effort between VERITAS ATHENA and the Veterans Administration based upon an assessment by the VA that the veteran has been assessed as a protected person. At the request of the VA, and on behalf of the protected person, an account will be set up within VERITAS ATHENA to receive funding, pay legitimate outstanding billings, and manage all financial affairs. All transactions are then reported to the VA for concurrence and auditing purposes.
REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE
For some individuals, financial management is preeminent and can be managed by a steady, reliable hand. VERITAS ATHENA can provide these services in cooperation with the Social Security Administration by collecting benefits and ensure all living expenses are paid on a regular basis. VERITAS ATHENA will reach out to ensure benefits such as retirement, disability, or supplemental income are received and then make all payments for the protected person’s budget and lifestyle. This service is provided on a private pay basis or as a cooperative effort between VERITAS ATHENA and the Social Security Administration. All of these accounts are bonded by us and audited by the Social Security Administration.
TRUST
For some individuals deciding where and how to shelter personal funds can be difficult and confusing, especially with proprietary products. VERITAS ATHENA is able to provide accomplished financial trust arrangements based on your own individual assets and needs. The types of trusts that we are most adept at administering are spendthrift or settlement protection trust and special needs trusts.
GUARDIANSHIPS & CONSERVATORSHIPS
This is where the vast majority of VERITAS ATHENA services are provided. In some instances, and when other options have been exhausted, the court must appoint a guardian or conservator (or both) with responsibility to insure sound, careful decisions for a protected person who cannot continue to care for themselves. VERITAS ATHENA works closely with the court. The court process can be highly emotional with many distinct voices. Our trained and experienced legal personnel help you to understand the potential legal, financial, and personal consequences while ensuring that the decisions of the court are followed and maintained. One person or a professional fiduciary can serve as both guardian and conservator for a protected person, or different people can serve in each role. Who serves in these roles is a decision typically made between the family and VERITAS ATHENA based on the protected person’s estate planning documents.
AUDITS & OVERSIGHT
There are many good actors in a protected person’s life who can be valuable and trusted confidants. VERITAS ATHENA can provide training and assistance for families who are concerned that their conservatorship duties be consistent with lawful requirements and that are focused for the benefit of the protected person.
We also know that there are bad actors in the world … and that protected persons are especially vulnerable. VERITAS ATHENA has extensive experience in ensuring that a protected person’s sources of revenue or assets are accounted for accurately AND protected. We have experience in ensuring that the protection of limited resources maximizes for the benefit of our protected person clients. We are able to audit the services of vendors who provide services to protected persons. Upon request VERITAS ATHENA can independently review actions and expenditures of other vendors in a knowledgeable manner.