For consumers who do not have a close family member or friend to assist them should they become incapacitated or unable to make sound life judgments, a licensed professional fiduciary may be able to assist.
The Professional Fiduciaries Bureau (PFB) was created by legislation that passed and was enacted into law in 2007 to regulate non-family member professional fiduciaries, including conservators, guardians, trustees, personal representatives of a decedent’s estate, and agents under durable power of attorney as defined by the Professional Fiduciaries Act.
Professional fiduciaries provide critical services to seniors, persons with disabilities, and children. They manage matters for clients including daily care, housing and medical needs, and also offer financial management services ranging from basic bill paying to estate and investment management.
Non-family member professional fiduciaries don’t necessarily come from a defined career path or college degree field.
“Many professional fiduciaries enter into the profession following their own personal experiences with taking care of a loved one,” Bureau Chief Rebecca May said. “They understand it isn’t a responsibility to take lightly.”
Individuals seeking licensure as a professional fiduciary must meet certain educational and experience requirements and: complete thirty (30) hours of approved education courses (one (1) hour must be in cultural competency), pass an examination, be fingerprinted, and pay fees. Once licensed, professional fiduciaries must earn fifteen (15) hours of continuing education credit (two hours of instruction must be in ethics or cultural competency every year, or alternatively a total of two hours of instruction in both ethics and cultural competency combined every year) each year for renewal.
PFB’s overall vision is that the well-being of consumers receiving professional fiduciary services is safeguarded, with the mission of protecting consumers through licensing, consumer education, and enforcement of the Professional Fiduciaries Act and promote and uphold competency and ethical standards across the profession.
Please visit the PFB website for more information.
The Professional Fiduciaries Bureau (PFB) within the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is responsible for the licensure and regulation of non-family-member professional fiduciaries, including conservators, guardians, trustees, personal representatives of a decedent’s estate, and agents under durable power of attorney, as defined by the Professional Fiduciaries Act. The Act was established in 2006 by Senate Bill 1550 (Figueroa, Chapter 491, Statutes of 2006).
Professional fiduciaries provide critical services to seniors, people with disabilities, and children, including daily care, housing and medical needs, and financial-management services ranging from basic bill paying to estate and investment management. Professional fiduciaries are responsible for the well-being of their clients and coordinate overall care for their clients’ medical and/or financial needs. A professional fiduciary is not necessarily an expert in all service areas and may hire other persons to handle duties for the trusts or estates. However, as the ultimate decision-maker, the professional fiduciary has the responsibility to ensure appropriate and adequate services are provided for their clients.
Mission: To protect consumers through licensing, consumer education, and enforcement of the Professional Fiduciaries Act and promote and uphold competency and ethical standards across the profession.
Vision: The well-being of consumers receiving professional fiduciary services is safeguarded.
Values:
- Consumer Protection
- Diversity
- Equity
- Professionalism
- Responsiveness
- Teamwork
- Transparency
Visit PFB’s website at: https://www.fiduciary.ca.gov/, and connect with PFB on Facebook and Twitter.
CONSUMER RESOURCES:
- File a Complaint against a Fiduciary
- What You Should Know Before Hiring a Professional Fiduciary
- California Department of Insurance Senior Gateway – https://seniors.insurance.ca.gov/
- California Veterans Affairs – https://www.calvet.ca.gov/
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/resources-for-older-adults/
The California Board of Chiropractic Examiners is holding a special board meeting on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 6:00 PM. Please click the image below to view the agenda and instructions to attend.
Click image to view agenda.
The Physician Assistant Board (PAB) protects and serves consumers through licensing, education, and objective enforcement of the Physician Assistant laws and regulations. The Board is supported entirely by fees imposed upon the professional community it regulates and received no reimbursement from taxpayers or from the General Fund. Physician Assistants are highly skilled professions who, under the supervision of a physician and surgeon, provide patient services ranging from primary medicine to very specialized surgical care.
Mission: To protect and serve consumers through licensing, education, and objective enforcement of the Physician Assistant laws and regulations.
Vision: To assure that health care needs for all persons are met in a compassionate, competent, and culturally sensitive manner. Physician Assistants can better contribute to this outcome as they are increasingly recognized as quality providers and as their utilization is expanded.
Values:
- Accountability – We are accountable to the people of California and each other as stakeholders. We operate transparently and encourage public participation in our decision making whenever possible.
- Customer Service – We acknowledge all stakeholders as our customers, listen to them, and take their needs into account.
- Effectiveness – We make informed decisions that make a difference and have a positive, measurable impact.
- Efficiency – We diligently identify the best ways to deliver high-quality services with the most efficient use of our resources.
- Employees – We are an employer of choice and strategically recruit, train, and retain employees. We value and recognize employee contributions and talent.
- Integrity – We are honest, fair, and respectful in our treatment of everyone, which is demonstrated through our decision-making process.
- Unity – We draw strength from our organizational diversity as well as California’s everchanging cultural and economic diversity.
Visit PAB’s website at: https://www.pab.ca.gov/, and connect with PAB on Facebook and Twitter.
CONSUMER RESOURCES:
The mandate of the Respiratory Care Board (RCB) is to protect and serve the consumer by administering and enforcing the Respiratory Care Practice Act and its regulations in the interest of the safe practice of respiratory care. Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners (RCPs) regularly perform critical lifesaving and life support procedures prescribed by physicians that directly affect major organs of the body. RCPs provide care directly to the patient in either a hospital setting or the patient’s home. Patients may be suffering from lung cancer, emphysema, asthma, or cystic fibrosis, or may be premature infants whose lungs have not yet fully developed. More than 44,000 RCP licenses have been issued in the State of California.
Mission: RCB’s mission is to protect and serve consumers by licensing qualified respiratory care practitioners, enforcing the provisions of the Respiratory Care Practice Act, expanding the availability of respiratory care services, increasing public awareness of the profession, and supporting the development and education of respiratory care practitioners.
Vision: The Board’s vision is that all California consumers are aware of the Respiratory Care profession and its licensing Board and receive competent and qualified respiratory care
Values:
- Ethical – Possession of the morals and values to make decisions with integrity that are consistent with the Board’s mandate and mission.
- Diversity – Recognize the rights of all individuals to mutual respect and acceptance of others without biases based on differences of any kind.
- Dignity – Conduct business honorably without compromise to the Board or individual values.
- Individual Growth – Strive to continually excel and learn both personally and professionally.
- Quality – Strive for superior service and products and meaningful actions in serving stakeholders.
- Flexibility – Provide sincere considerations of other interests, factors, and conditions and be willing and/or able to modify previous positions for the betterment of the Board, its mandate, and mission.
- Teamwork – Strive to work cooperatively and in a positive manner to reach common goals and objectives.
- Efficiency – Continually improve our system of service delivery through innovation, effective communication, and development, while being mindful of the time, costs, and expectations stakeholders have invested.
Visit RCB’s website at https://rcb.ca.gov.
CONSUMER RESOURCES:
Dispose of Unused, Unwanted, or Expired Prescription Drugs Safely!
With studies indicating a majority of abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, clearing out unused medications from home medicine cabinets is essential. On April 22, consumers can drop off unwanted medications safely at collection sites participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Collection sites will be available from on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To find a location near you, go online to www.deatakeback.com and enter your ZIP code or county, city and state. Collection sites will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of participants and hosts.
Drug Take Back Day is sponsored nationwide by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted.
Consumers also can visit the California State Board of Pharmacy online anytime to find pharmacies offering on-site collection bins and/or envelopes for mailing back unused medications. To find a participating pharmacy near you, go to www.pharmacy.ca.gov, scroll down to “Important Information for Consumers,” and click on Drug Take-Back: Find a Drop-off Location.
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The California Board of Occupational Therapy (BOT) was created in 2000 with the passage of the Occupational Therapy Practice Act (OTPA). It licenses Occupational Therapists and certifies Occupational Therapy Assistants in California. It also investigates allegations of violations of the OTPA by licensees and certificate-holders.
Mission:
To protect California consumers of occupational therapy services through effective regulation,
licensing and enforcement.
Vision:
The California Board of Occupational Therapy, as a model consumer protection agency, aspires
to be recognized for our valued commitment to all of our stakeholders.
Values:
- Consumer Protection: We make effective and informed decisions in the best interest, and for the safety of
- Efficiency: We diligently identify the best ways to deliver high quality services with the most efficient use
of our resources. - Fairness: We treat people equally and make decisions without favoritism or prejudice.
- Integrity: We are committed to honesty, ethical conduct and responsibility.
Commitment: We take responsibility and are accountable to the public. - Transparency: We hold ourselves accountable to the people of California. We operate openly so that
stakeholders can trust that we are fair and honest
Visit BOT’s website at www.bot.ca.gov. Connect with BOT on Facebook and on Twitter.
CONSUMER RESOURCES
- OT Schools in California
- OTA Schools in California
- State Verification Links
- Professional Organizations
The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau advocates consumer protection and licensee compliance through proactive education and consistent interpretation and application of the laws governing the death care industry.
The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau licenses and regulates funeral establishments and funeral directors; embalmers and apprentices; cemetery brokers, salespersons, and managers; cremated remains disposers, crematories, hydrolysis facilities, and crematory managers; and privately owned cemeteries in California.
Mission: The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau advocates consumer protection and licensee compliance through proactive education and consistent interpretation and application of the laws governing the death care industry.
Vision: Empowering California consumers to make informed end-of-life decisions in a fair and ethical marketplace.
Values:
- Accountability: We accept personal responsibility for our actions, exemplifying high ethical standards, and always strive to improve our effectiveness.
- Collaboration: We value partnerships. We foster the public’s trust through open communication and work in a cooperative, respectful, and courteous manner.
- Fairness: We treat people equally and make decisions without favoritism or prejudice.
- Trust: We communicate with credibility and truthfulness. Our communications are open and authentic with all stakeholders.
- Compassion: We employ empathy, integrity, respect, and understanding when serving consumers.
Visit CFB’s website at www.cfb.ca.gov, and subscribe to CFB’s newsletter. Connect with the Bureau on Facebook.
CONSUMER RESOURCES
- FAQs for consumers
- Filing a complaint
- Verify a license
- Peace of Mind Brochure
- Consumer Guide to Funeral and Cemetery Purchases
- Pre-Need Q&A
The California Board of Occupational Therapy is holding a special board meeting on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 3:00 PM. Please click the image below to view the agenda and instructions to attend.
Board Remains Committed to Improving Language Access
The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (Board) continues to develop ways to provide language access to its diverse licensee populations. For several years, the Board has offered examinations in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. Effective March 1, 2023, the Board now offers examinations in Simplified Chinese.
Although the Board does not provide interpreters, candidates can request authorization from the Board to use an interpreter for the barber, cosmetologist esthetician, electrologist, and manicurist exams. Following an increase in the number of interpreters requested for the Simplified Chinese language, the Board began working with its examination vendor to have the examination translated into the language.
“The Board is happy to be increasing our goal of improved language access. The addition of Simplified Chinese to our examinations will provide better access to the community and reduce the language barrier for students and licensees in the barbering and cosmetology industries,” said Calimay Pham, Board President. “The Board is proud of its ongoing efforts to break language barriers.”
The Board hopes to continue expanding language accessibility for those who have chosen the barbering and cosmetology industry as their career.
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萨克拉门托 – 美容美发委员会（以下简称“委员会”）继续拓展各种方式，为多元化的持证人群提供语言覆盖。多年来，委员会考试采用的语种有英语、西班牙语、越南语和韩语。自2023年3月1日起，委员会的考试语种增加了简体中文。
虽然委员会不提供口译员，但考生可以向委员会申请授权书，准予在理发师、全科美容师、护肤美容师、电蚀医师和美甲师考试中使用口译员。随着越来越多的考生申请使用简体中文口译员，委员会开始与考试服务商合作，将考试内容翻译成简体中文。
委员会主席Calimay Pham表示，“委员会非常乐于推进我们的语言服务范围。将简体中文纳入考试语种，有助于美容美发业的学员和持证人更好地步入社区，并减少语言障碍。
不断地努力打破语言障碍是我们的骄傲。”
委员会希望继续为选择美容美发行业作为职业的人员扩展语言覆盖范围。