Hettrick, Cyr & Associates, Inc. staff includes Investigators who are certified by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DDS) as licensed Investigators (CT DPS License A-904) to perform investigations into cases of Abuse & Neglect. Allegations made through DDS or the Office of Protection and Advocacy (OPA) intakes are performed by DDS certified investigators fulfilling the legal requirements and meeting investigative criteria as established by DDS in order to perform investigations into highly complex and diverse situations including:
Abuse
The willful infliction by a caregiver of physical pain or injury, or the willful deprivation of services necessary to the physical safety of an individual.
Psychological Abuse
Acts that inflict emotional harm, invoke fear and/or humiliate, intimidate, degrade, demean or otherwise negatively impact the mental health or safety of an individual.
Verbal Abuse
The use of offensive and/or intimidating language that can provoke or upset and individual.
Neglect
The failure by a caregiver, through action or inaction, to provide an individual with the services necessary to maintain his or her physical and mental health and safety, including incidents of an inappropriate or unwanted individual to individual sexual contact.
Neglect also includes the failure of a caregiver to respond to incidents of inappropriate or unwanted sexual contact between individuals who receive services from the department.
Neglect is also a situation in which an individual lives alone and is not able to provide for him/herself the services which are necessary to maintain his/her physical, mental health or safety.
Financial Exploitation
The theft or misappropriation of property and/or monetary resource which are intended to be used for or by an individual.
Sexual Abuse
Any Sexual Contact or encouragement of sexual activity between a family member, paid staff or a volunteer and an individual, regardless of consent.
To make an DDS/OPA investigation referral contact Brian D. Cyr at bcyr@hettrickcyr.com or call (888) 805-0300 X13.