State selects PCG to run Adult Protective Services; local prosecutor warns investigators may lose benefits

Rob Roberts, chief deputy prosecutor for Vigo County, told the Vigo County Council that Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) notified prosecutors on May 2 that it had accepted a bid from PCG Indiana (Public Consulting Group) to operate the state’s Adult Protective Services (APS) program.

Roberts said funding that had been proposed to assist county prosecutors through state legislation was “stripped out at the last second,” and described a procurement process that changed after proposals were received. “They then decided to change the criteria and indicated that if you would like to continue with the bidding or the RFP process that you would have to come in at under $6,500,000 per year,” Roberts said, describing successive reductions from the figures several bidders originally proposed.

Why it matters: Roberts told the council that many Indiana counties have historically supplemented APS funding and that rapid implementation by a statewide contractor could affect investigations of endangered adults. “Apparently a phone call was made to the APS directors earlier today. They will no longer be professional employees. They will be receiving 1099s,” Roberts said. “There will be no health benefits for APS investigators or anything like that. So to put it lightly, I'm very concerned about what will happen with the investigations.”

Roberts gave a timeline concern: current contracts expire June 30, and the selected vendor would need to have operations in place by July 1. “For a statewide agency, you have everything in place, within 60 days. I think it's probably gonna take a miracle,” he said, while adding the county will “facilitate and assist as much as we can.”

Roberts also summarized the bidding amounts discussed in the meeting: he said the Prosecuting Attorney's Council and other groups initially proposed contracts in the tens of millions of dollars per year, that the figures were reduced through the RFP process, and that two bidders withdrew after the criteria changed. Roberts described county supplementation as a common practice across Indiana.

No formal council action on APS was recorded during the meeting. Roberts did not propose a specific local policy change; rather, he informed the council and asked whether members had questions. The council did not vote or direct a specific course of action on the record.

Taken together, Roberts’ remarks flag three potential local effects that will merit follow-up: whether APS investigators in Vigo County will be converted to contract/1099 status, whether staffing and benefits changes will affect criminal and welfare investigations of endangered adults, and whether the July 1 operational deadline is realistic for a statewide contractor.

Roberts said county prosecutors will continue to press for funding, and that local officials will attempt to assist with the transition where possible.