The Vermont Attorney General’s office has settled with Upper Valley Services, a service provider for adults with developmental disabilities, over allegations of false claims and neglect, including one incident where a client drowned.
The settlement requires Upper Valley Services to make changes to its operations and leadership as well as pay at least $112,000 in damages and penalties, according to a press release from the attorney general’s office on Wednesday.
“Vermonters put their trust in designated agencies, like Upper Valley Services, to provide care and services to vulnerable members of their communities,” Attorney General Susanne Young said in the press release. “It is the responsibility of these agencies to ensure that the needs of vulnerable adults are appropriately and safely met with dignity and respect so that tragedies like those uncovered by the … investigation do not occur.”
Upper Valley Services is a designated agency for Orange County and Moretown, meaning it is responsible for coordinating services for people with developmental disabilities, such as placing them into Vermont homes to receive care. It has offices in Bradford, Moretown and Randolph, according to its website.
The agency is responsible for placing clients with “shared living providers,” people who take care of clients in their home in exchange for payment.
Upper Valley Services said in a statement Wednesday that it has committed about $300,000 to improving its administration and quality...
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