Miami officials issue appeal to J'can woman's relatives

BY ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer senior reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com

Friday, February 17, 2012

THE Dade County Guardianship Programme in Miami, Florida has issued a desperate appeal for any relative of 68-year-old Jamaican Elizabeth Johnson-Stogsdill to come forward and assist in providing information to help them determine if the mentally challenged woman is eligible for government benefits there.

According to information provided by the Jamaican Consulate in Miami to the Foreign Affairs Ministry here, Johnson-Stogsdill has been under the care of the Guardianship Programme since April last year after personnel from the Department of Children and Families Adult Protective Services Division, found her wandering the streets of Miami Dade County and filed a petition for her to be appointed a legal guardian.

The Consulate office said upon being temporarily placed at a local nursing home by the Department, Johnson-Stogsdill was evaluated by court psychologists who all deemed her to be incapacitated, and recommended that the Miami Dade Mental Health/Probate Court appoint her a legal guardian to further meet her needs.

According to Johnson-Stogsdill, she had arrived in the US from Jamaica in January 1969.

"The reason for which the contacts are being sought is for the purpose of obtaining information regarding her legal status in order to apply for government benefits. The Guardianship Programme of Dade County (GPDC) is unable to apply for social security benefits for her, as she is unable to provide the agency with her alien number (green card)," the Consulate said.

Guardianship officials said although Johnson-Stogsdill was unable to provide the agency with any information regarding previous addresses in Jamaica she had claimed to be from Sandy Bay district in Clarendon.

The programme officials said it was unknown whether or not Johnson-Stogsdill migrated directly to Florida from Jamaica, or if she lived in a different state or country prior to arriving to Florida.

In the meantime, the Miami Mission said it was also informed that Johnson-Stogsdill's son, Eddy Harold Stogsdill, born March 10, 1970, may have moved back to Jamaica from the United States recently. It said Johnson-Stogsdill also has a son, Anthony Crooks; as well as a brother, Alfred Johnson, and a sister, Wilel Johnson, who lives in Kingston.

Johnson-Stogsdill is said to have told a case worker that both her brother and sister reside in Kingston, however she has been unable to provide the department with an accurate address in Jamaica for her siblings.