Wellpath executive outlines competency-restoration role as Vermont debates secure forensic facility

Dr. Robin Hodgeges, senior vice president of mental health for Wellpath, told the Senate Health & Welfare Committee that Wellpath has operated correctional-health services and jail‑based competency‑restoration programs in multiple states and can adapt services to Vermont’s statutes.

"My name is Dr. Robin Hodgeges. I am the senior vice president of mental health for Wellpath," she said, summarizing the company’s experience and the scope of services it provides, including medical, mental‑health and substance‑use care. She said Wellpath serves “roughly 148,000 patients a day” and that competency restoration typically includes daily engagement through education, medication management and psychiatry.

Why it matters: lawmakers are considering S193, a bill that would authorize placement of people found incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of mental illness into a secure forensic placement outside the state hospital system. Committee members pressed for clarity on whether the placement must be a separate building, how clinical standards will be set and how the state will ensure continuity of care for people with serious mental‑health needs.

Committee members repeatedly raised concerns about clinical oversight and trauma‑informed care in correctional settings. Senator Cummings asked how the state will know it is “paying for” meaningful treatment rather than mere documentation of contacts; Dr. Hodgeges said treatment plans should be individualized and that care intensity should mirror hospital processes when clinically appropriate. She described mental‑health units, credentialed staff, individualized treatment plans and chart reviews by regional clinical leadership.

The committee also asked logistical and procurement questions. Dr. Hodgeges declined to guess the exact number of Vermont‑based mental‑health providers available across correctional facilities but offered to provide those figures through the DOC. Summer, identified as the Department of Corrections communications director, told the committee the current DOC contract with Wellpath began July 1, 2023, is three years long and is set to end July 1, 2026, with potential one‑ or two‑year extensions; she said the department has used contract amendments to address changing care needs.

Lawmakers pressed on vendor track record and liabilities. A senator asked about pending lawsuits and the status of Wellpath’s Chapter 11 filing; Dr. Hodgeges said the company has emerged from bankruptcy and declined to provide a Vermont lawsuit count.

Members and agency counsel explored policy mechanics. Legislative counsel and agency representatives noted the draft definition of "forensic facility" in S193 currently authorizes a locked placement but does not require a standalone building; committee members discussed whether statutory language should require specific clinical protections and whether rulemaking or an amended effective date would be needed so the department can adopt rules before placements begin.

The committee did not vote on S193 on the record during this hearing. The chair said members will continue work on the bill and possible amendments next week, including language addressing clinical protections and the timing of rulemaking.

What’s next: committee staff will circulate proposed language and technical edits; lawmakers plan to revisit S193 before crossover deadlines to resolve effective‑date and rulemaking questions.