A professional who investigates financial assets, properties, and resources of hospitalized retarded and brain-damaged clients to protect financial interests and provide reimbursement of hospital costs. Responsibilities include:

• Visits and interviews or contacts by mail or telephone relatives, friends, former employers, pension funds, fraternal and veterans organizations and government agencies.
• Records documentation of financial resources in patient files.
• Analyzes data accumulated, such as disability allowances, medicare, medicaid, social security pension, dividends, interest, and insurance, and determines ability to pay for hospitalization.
• Determines additional sources from which reimbursements can be obtained.
• Prepares reports and enumerates amounts and sources of reimbursements, including public assistance from social agencies in behalf of patients and families.
• Reviews patients' records to ensure that reimbursements are maintained.
• Applies for appointment of conservators to financially protect patients with assets over statutory limits and submits names of appointees to courts.
• Occasionally attends court hearings to protect patient interests.