Section 52-8-204 - Office of long-term care ombudsman(a) Within the department there is established an office of the state long-term care ombudsman, which carries out those functions delineated in the Older Americans Act.(b) The office shall designate and contract with, either directly or through the area agency on aging, a local grantee to establish and operate a local ombudsman program in each of the designated planning and service areas. Each local ombudsman program shall carry out the duties of the office in each area through paid staff and trained volunteers. For the purposes of carrying out those duties, and only to the extent required by the Older Americans Act, each local program unit is considered to be a subdivision of the office; provided, that this subsection (b) has no effect upon the character of local government or private agencies or corporations, and they are not considered to be agencies of this state.(c) Paid staff and volunteers must be trained as required by and under the supervision of the office, which shall certify those persons who have been properly trained as representatives of the office; provided, that local program employees and volunteers are not considered to be employees of this state. The office shall maintain a current listing of certified representatives. Certified representatives are immune from liability for acts or omissions committed within the scope of their assigned duties, except for willful, malicious, or criminal acts or omissions or for acts or omissions done for personal gain.Added by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 688,s 2, eff. 7/1/2024.