Averte, A Trivium Life Services Company

Averte clinical staff are kind, compassionate and responsive. They truly care about the people in need of their services as well as their family members. As soon as I reached out for help, Steve called me within an hour and then was planning a visit within days to assess the situation (which was a 2.5+ hour drive). The team wraps their services around the person in need until they are stable. Amy, the Clinical Program Coordinator even took time from her vacation to talk to me prior to my family members discharge. That kind of support is invaluable during a time of crisis stabilization and the level of support is reassuring for everyone involved. One should never hesitate to reach out for help and if you are lucky, the help will come from Averte.

My adult son and I did exhaustive research on community-based residential treatment plans that could capably provide applicable programming and psychiatric care, while delivering a clear step down plan. Averte checked all the boxes… I loved the fact that Steve started our discussion from a position of "how can we help your son ? " , Rather than "what's wrong with him".

If you are seeking adult community-based residential treatment, you should definitely give consideration to Averte.

My daughter has been at Averte (aka Merry Meadows) for several years with a serious mental illness. We could not have asked for a better place for her. The quality of the clinical team and the the staff are absolutely first rate. The seriousness and the kindness with which they go about their business on a daily business are really all that can be asked for. In fact, I really doubt that there is a better place in the country to care for mentally ill people.

Caring for a family member with a mental illness may be the biggest life challenge you face. It may also be a source of more compassion than you ever thought you would have or witness.

On hearing, at our first meeting, the history of our family's struggle, Averte Director Steve Schramm declared, It sounds as if you're ready, and if you are, so am I! And that was the beginning of what has become a profound relationship.

How do you navigate the territory of mental illness? What name do you give it? What difference does a name make? How do you support your loved one in making decisions, planning, setting goals? How will this all play out in the short run? In the long run? And in the meantime, what do we all do?

Guided by Averte therapists, doctors and staff, we work together. We listen deeply. We co-create an individualized program for our son. His skills and interests draw him to an art class, regular gym work-outs, volunteering at a local senior center, stacking wood for a neighbor.

Skillful therapy with Liz Macaulay yields insights, fresh goals and trust. White and Green Mountain hikes with Steve Baum offer steady companionship. Over time, increased self-esteem leads to looking for jobs with Amy. Drs. Noordsy and Keller make themselves available both at the Hanover House and at Dartmouth Hitchcock. Team meetings, conference calls, medications prepared and pre-packed for home visits, attending a beloved grandfather's funeral, all comprise the personal care we experience.

Averte has stood by us. Call it professionalism. Call it active compassion. Call it life. We're grateful our paths have come together.

Averte staff are very kind and the administration very responsive. Averte takes pride in their treatment program as well as their environment. The renovations and new wellness center are fabulous.

Do not send any loved one to Averte, formerly known as Merry Meadow Farm. They are running a scam. They’re running two separate businesses out of the same farmhouse. One is a retirement facility funded by Medicaid. The other claims to be a long term treatment facility for young adults. It looks like they’ve modified that to all ages on their website. Dr Noordsly has nothing to do with them. I never once saw or heard from Elizabeth McCauley. Amy didn’t even have her degree when my son began his stay there. They had absolutely no specialists at all other then Amy with her newly minted degree, and a different psychiatrist than the one on the new website. They had Noordsy listed as their psychiatrist years after he’d left.

When my 22 year old son stayed there, I was told the place was booked and they had one room left for him. In fact, he was the only young adult there. The other residents consisted of 4-5 people who were in the retirement side of the business. I could not carry on a normal conversation with any of them due to their disabilities. However, Amy constantly told me they were running group therapy with all these people who never existed or who could not possibly have participated.

The night staff actually told me what was going on. They told me the reason why my son couldn’t stay awake past 6:00. He was being given non-prescribed medication. He could not keep his eyes open past 7:00. No experts, no. Groups. They falsified documents. One stated that he was at the gym when he was in Boston with me.

Mr. Schramm, who runs the place yelled at me when I asked about their advertised step-down program. It was one of the top things on my list when I was looking for a facility. Suddenly, they didn’t have one and I was crazy to think such a thing. That was the week I got my son out of there.

Amy said she saw him every week, but it was actually every other week.

The occupational therapy consisted of telling my son to buy a local paper, look for a job under the help wanted, call them up and ask for a job. All by himself. The OT was just an employee. Totally untrained.

The staff refused to give him his medication when he was late.

I Reported them to the State of Vermont several times. I don’t know how they stay in business.

If you care about your loved one stay away from this place. My son came home much worse than when he got there. Fortunately, he’s now doing very well after a stay at Pasadena Villa.