APS Program Operational Plan: Vermont

State/Territory/District Vermont

Contact John Gordon

Budget Allocation $1,995,000 (estimated total of ARPA I and ARPA II)

Timeline AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) OF 2021- Grant 1

August 2021 – September 2023

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 - Proposed Grant 2 

August 2022 – September 2024

Vision 2025

The Vision clarifies what your ARPA Grant 1 Program 

aspires to become and to achieve. It is designed to 

inspire by providing a picture of where the program 

is heading in 3-5 years.

Note: If you are a part of a larger organization, does 

it have its own future vision? If so, you may want to 

adapt it to your own program.

We will use the ARPA funds to shape APS to better reflect today’s reality of individuals 

with vulnerabilities living in the community, from statue revision to differentiated 

response during investigations.

Page 1 
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 2

Mission Statement

Mission and Values statements can be an effective 

tool to educate the public; state and local 

government officials; state government agencies; 

provider agencies; and service recipients asto what 

the Adult Protective Services is and how they do 

business.

Mission Statements answer four key questions 

about your APS Program:

• Who do we serve?

• What needs do they have that we can fulfil?

• How do we meet those needs? How do we 

make the clients' lives better?

• Does it link directly to the Vision Statement?

Note: if you are a part of a larger organization, does 

it have its Mission Statement? If so, you may want 

to adapt it for your own program.

Vermont APS Mission

To stop maltreatment of vulnerable adults through investigations and by 

provision of protective services.
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 3

Guiding Principles / Core Values

Guiding Principles or Core Values guide internal 

processes and client interactions for your APS 

Program.

Note: if you are a part of a larger organization, does it 

have its own set of Guiding Principles or Core Values? 

If so, you may want to adapt it for this program.

Division philosophy:

Balanced and assertive regulation of health care organizations ensure that 

vulnerable Vermonters receive care with dignity, respect, and independence. 

When vulnerable Vermonters are maltreated, there should be an effective 

investigation and protective services put in place to prevent additional harm.

APS principles:

• Protection of vulnerable adults whose health of welfare is threatened

• Provide for a safe and nurturing environment

• Minimally intrusive intervention

• Maintaining self-determination of Alleged Victim
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 4

Goals for Program Improvement

These are goals to be obtained in order to move your APS 

program from current practices to your Vision.

Now that you have new funds targeted for your work with 

APS, what can be enhanced or improved in your current 

program? These goals must meet the APS Formula Grant 

requirements. It is recommended these goals become 

SMART goals (specific, measurable, actionable, and 

timely).

Using the results of your Environmental Scan, identify key 

issues that need to be addressed during this planning 

cycle.

These are goals to move your APS Program from current 

practices to your Vision #1.

• Update statute to better reflect values

• Enhance training on determining decisional capacity

• Increase field assessment capability

• Improve legal strength of investigative reports

• Enhance technology to assist communication when close contact needs to 

be avoided

• Develop forensic accounting capability

• Improved speed of response to reports of maltreatment

• Improved access to information for staff in the field
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 5

Targeted Improvement Projects

Using the results of your Environmental Scan and PESTEL, 

describe the targeted improvements and enhancements 

needed for this planning cycle.

Your improvements should be concrete, measurable, and 

complete.

WHY isthisimprovement needed? 

What Purpose or NEED will it fill? 

What RESOURCES will be used?

What ACTIVITIES will it entail?

What are the direct OUTPUTS of the activities? What are 

the intended results and how will clients benefit?

See example on next page.

• Project 1 - Statute revisions that reflects needs and realities of vulnerable 

adults in VT experience today. Procedures and products that stand up to 

legal scrutiny

• Project 2 - Management of grant projects and improvement initiatives

• Project 3 - More field assessment to increase field presence, capture more 

direct information, and conduct more outreach

• Project 4 - Improved ability to assess decisional capacity in the field

• Project 5 - Improved ability to recognize and address financial exploitation 

in the field

• Project 6 – Improved ability to communicate with individual while 

maintaining distance and reduce documentation time

• Project 7 – Greater resources to address financial exploitation

• Project 8 – Greater Central office capacity to improve intake 

responsiveness and assist in data transitions to improve access to data 

from the field

• Project 9 – Greater investigator capacity
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 6

Purpose/Need 

s to be filled 

by ARPA

Funds

Inputs(Resource 

s Deployed)

Activities Outputsfrom 

Investment

Short-Term Outcomes Long-Term Outcomes

Project 1 -

Statute 

revisions that 

reflects needs 

and realities of 

vulnerable

adults in VT

Starting summer 

2022, funding to 

hire a temporary 

position with 

legal credentials 

to research and

develop

Hire staff for 

development of 

proposed 

statute 

language and 

provide legal

consultation of

Proposed statue 

language to submit to 

legislature

Review and advice on 

policies and 

procedures

Statutory, policy and 

procedural review 

considering guiding 

principles, current 

environment, state of 

art and best practices

Updated state statute which 

drives and supports APS 

operations in service to 

vulnerable adults in VT
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 7

experience 

today.

Procedures 

and products 

that stand up 

to legal 

scrutiny

proposed statute 

language and 

provide internal 

legal review of 

procedures and 

products

procedures and 

products

Investigator productsthatstand 

up to legal scrutiny

Project 2 -

Management 

of grant 

projects and 

improvement 

initiatives

Starting spring 

2022 funding to 

hire a temporary 

position to 

manage projects, 

source 

equipment, and 

acquire and 

coordinate 

trainings

Hire staff to 

manage and 

track various 

grantinitiatives

Develop or acquire 

and deploy trainings 

on capacity 

assessment, 

vulnerability, financial 

exploitation, etc.

Develop structures 

and contract to access 

forensic accounting

Contractstructure to 

deliver trainings.

Procedures developed 

and updated to 

support maintenance 

of expertise

Trainings developed (or 

acquired), delivered, and 

captured. Procedures updated 

and structures developed to 

support staff new found higher 

level of expertise.

Project 3 -

More field 

assessment to 

increase field 

presence, 

capture more 

direct 

information, 

and conduct 

more outreach 

Starting fall 2021 

funding to hire 

three service 

navigator 

positions who will 

conduct

outreach, field 

assessment, and 

in-person

referrals

Continue 

funding of 

positions hired 

under CRSA to 

maintain 

enhanced 

outreach and 

field assessment 

capability

More field presence. 

Enhances ability to 

assess individuals in 

the field and assist 

with in-person 

referrals and service 

applications

More vulnerable 

adults served.

Pressure removed 

from over-taxed 

investigators who had 

been conducting field 

screens previously.

Ability to provide inperson service 

coordination and 

referral in cases where 

maltreatment

potential is minimal

More vulnerable adults served. 

Investigator able to specialize on 

more complicated cases. Ability 

to provide in-person service 

coordination and referral in cases 

where maltreatment potential is 

minimal

Enhance staff knowledge and 

skillslevel to focus resources on 

high-risk clients and reduce 

incidents of maltreatment and 

recidivism
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 8

Project 4 -

Improved 

ability to 

assess 

decisional 

capacity in the 

field

Project manager 

to develop 

options, funding 

to accesstraining 

and license 

products, staff 

time to engage in 

training

Identify,select 

and acquire 

training and 

material to 

assist in 

determination 

of decisional 

capacity in the 

field

Improve consistency 

and documentation of 

evaluation of decision 

making

Training conducted 

Tools deployed

Staff have improved 

ability to recognize 

weaknesses in 

decisional capacity

Staff have the resources and 

ability to more consistently 

assess and document clients’ 

decisional capacity in the field

Project 5 -

Improved 

ability to 

recognize and

address 

financial 

exploitation in 

the field

Project manager 

to develop 

options, funding 

to accesstraining 

and license 

products, staff 

time to engage in 

training

Identify,select

and acquire 

training and 

material to 

assist in 

addressing 

financial 

exploitation

Improve consistency 

and documentation of 

identification 

description of 

financial exploitation 

leading to 

intervention and 

prosecution

Training conducted 

Tools deployed

Staff have improved 

awareness of financial 

exploitation and when 

to involve other

parties.

Staff have the resources and 

ability to consistently identify

and address financial exploitation 

in the field resulting in better 

protection of clients

Project 6 –

Improved 

ability to 

communicate 

with individual 

while 

maintaining 

distance and 

reduce 

documentatio 

n time

Investment

for tablets, app 

integration to 

information 

system and 

related training.

Buy tablets for 

field 

investigators to 

enable 

communication 

while 

maintaining 

distance and 

reduce time 

spent on 

capturing 

evidence and 

documentation

Increase safety of 

interactions for both 

parties by decreasing 

exposure. Decrease 

time needed to 

capture and 

document evidence.

Each field investigator 

has a tablet and is 

trained to use it.

Investigators can use tablets to 

interact with clients when it is 

necessary to maintain distance 

thus decreasing close contact and 

increasing safety.

Tablets integrate with 

information system to allow for 

quick capture of evidence and 

information. More time available 

for client interaction.
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 9

Project 7 –

Greater 

resourcesto 

address 

financial 

exploitation

Arrangement to 

contract with 

forensic 

accountant as 

needed for 

complex financial 

exploitation cases

Identify and 

selectforensic 

accountant

Establish 

relationship to 

contract 

accountant as 

needed

Increase ability to 

ascertain outcomes 

and provide evidence 

in cases of financial 

exploitation

Vendoridentified and 

billing arrangements 

established

Investigator are able to access 

forensic accounting to analyze 

complex financial information 

and inform recommendations 

and interventions

Project 8 –

Greater 

Central office 

capacity to 

improve 

intake 

responsivenes 

s and assist in 

data 

transitions to 

improve 

access to data 

from the field

Funding to hire a 

temporary 

position assist in 

data migration, 

file digitization, 

and intake 

backup

Hire temporary 

staff to bolster 

central office 

and intake 

capacity

Increased accessto 

digital files. Faster 

response time of 

intake

Position approved 

Temporary staff 

selected

Intake is more responsive. Field 

staff have greater access to past 

case information.

Project 9 –

Greater 

investigator 

capacity

Funding to hire a 

temporary 

position to 

supplement 

investigator

capacity

Hire temporary 

staff to bolster 

investigator 

capacity

Increased number of 

investigations 

initiated and 

completed within 

project period

Position approved 

Temporary staff 

selected

Faster response time. Increased 

number of investigations 

initiated and completed within 

project period
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 10

Budget / Spending Plan for ARPA funds – Semi-annually for 3 to 5 years

Budget/Spending Plan will be used to enhance, improve, and expand the ability of APS workers to investigate allegations of abuse, neglect, and 

exploitation. Be sure to use separate line items for each major improvement project.

Operational Plan Submission due by January 31, 2022. 

ARPA 1- First Grant Allocation - August 2021 - September 2023

Description 2022

Period 1

2022

Period 2

2023

Period 1

2023

Period 2 Total

Project 1

Legal

support 40000 80000 75450 195450

Project 2

Project

Manager 50000 50000 50000 150000

Project 3

Service

navigators

150000 150000

300000

Total 90000 280000 275450 645450

ARPA 2- Second Grant Allocation - August 2022 September 2024

Description

2023 Period

1

2023 Period

2

2024

Period 1

2024

Period 2 Total

Project 1

Legal 

support 4550 80000 80000 164550

Project 2

Project

Manager 50000 50000 100000

Project 3

Service 

navigators 150000 150000 300000
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 11

Project 4

Training –

Decisional

capacity 100000 100000

Project 5

Training –

Financial 

exploitation 95000 95000

Project 6

Mobile

Technology 50000 20000 70000

Project 7

Forensic

accounting 20000 20000 20000 20000 80000

Project 8

Temp

Program 

Specialist 50000 50000 50000 50000 200000

Project 9

Temp

Investigator 60000 60000 60000 60000 240000

Total 180000 254550 505000 410000 1349550

Summary of ARPA 1 + ARPA 2 Expense

2022

Period 1

2022

Period 2

2023

Period 1

2023

Period 2

2024

Period 1

2024

Period 2 Total

Summary 0 90000 460000 530000 505000 410000 1995000