The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 33 : Human Services

Chapter 069 : Reports of Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults

Subchapter 001 : Reports of Abuse of Vulnerable Adults

• § 6916. Annual report

  On or before January 15 of each year, and notwithstanding the provisions of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d), the Department shall report to the House Committee on Human Services and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare regarding the Department’s adult protective services activities during the previous fiscal year, including:

  (1) the number of reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult that the Department’s Adult Protective Services program received during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (2) the Adult Protective Services program’s timeliness in responding to reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult during the previous fiscal year, including the median number of days it took the program to make a screening decision;

  (3) the number of reports received during the previous fiscal year that required a field screen to determine vulnerability and the percentage of field screens that were completed within 10 calendar days;

  (4) the number of reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult that were received from a facility licensed by the Department’s Division of Licensing and Protection during the previous fiscal year;

  (5) the numbers and percentages of reports received during the previous fiscal year by each reporting method, including by telephone, e-mail, Internet, facsimile, and other means;

  (6) the number of investigations opened during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (7) the number and percentage of investigations during the previous fiscal year in which the alleged victim was a resident of a facility licensed by the Department’s Division of Licensing and Protection;

  (8) data regarding the types of maltreatment experienced by alleged victims during the previous fiscal year, including:

  (A) the percentage of investigations that involved multiple types of allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or a combination;

  (B) the numbers and percentages of unsubstantiated investigations by type of maltreatment; and

  (C) the numbers and percentages of recommended substantiations by type of maltreatment;

  (9) the Department’s timeliness in completing investigations during the previous fiscal year, including both unsubstantiated and recommended substantiated investigations;

  (10) data on Adult Protective Services program investigator caseloads, including:

  (A) average daily caseloads during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (B) average daily open investigations statewide during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (C) average numbers of completed investigations per investigator during the previous fiscal year; and

  (D) average numbers of completed investigations per week during the previous fiscal year;

  (11) the number of reviews of screening decisions not to investigate, including the number and percentage of these decisions that were upheld during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (12) the number of reviews of investigations that resulted in an unsubstantiation, including the number and percentage of these unsubstantiations that were upheld during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (13) the number of appeals of recommendations of substantiation that concluded with the Commissioner, including the number and percentage of these recommendations that the Commissioner upheld during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (14) the number of appeals of recommendations of substantiation that concluded with the Human Services Board, including the numbers and percentages of these recommendations that the Board upheld during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (15) the number of appeals of recommendations of substantiation that concluded with the Vermont Supreme Court, including the numbers and percentages of these recommendations that the Court upheld during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years;

  (16) the number of expungement requests received during the previous fiscal year, including the number of requests that resulted in removal of an individual from the Adult Abuse Registry;

  (17) the number of individuals placed on the Adult Abuse Registry during the previous fiscal year and comparisons with the two prior fiscal years; and

  (18) the number of individuals removed from the Adult Abuse Registry during the previous fiscal year. (Added 2019, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Oct. 5, 2020.)