THETFORD — The Selectboard approved a proposal to hire a part-time social services coordinator to help Thetford residents connect with resources.

The plan calls for contracting with the Bugbee Senior Center in White River Junction, where Mona Elliott is employed as a social services coordinator.

Thetford would contribute $25,000 annually for 10 hours of Elliott’s time per week.

Half of Thetford’s contribution would come from the town’s Farm Trust, a private fund, which is used to help Thetford residents experiencing financial difficulties.

The other half would come from taxpayers.

Among Elliott’s responsibilities would be to help residents fill out paperwork for fuel assistance, 3SquaresVT (the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and other programs they might qualify for.

“The programs are already out there,” said Selectboard member Steven Tofel, who has long been advocating for such a role in Thetford. “You just need somebody to connect them.”

The five-member Selectboard unanimously approved the proposal at its Nov. 4 meeting. The town attorney is in the process of working out a contract between Thetford and the Bugbee Senior Center, Town Manager Brian Story said.

The goal is to have Elliott begin working in Thetford toward the start of 2025.

About a year ago, Selectboard members began having discussions about hiring a social worker after hearing from town officials, including Service Officer Jessica Eaton, who assist residents who are struggling.

While town officials may be able to help residents respond to an emergency, such as writing a check from the Farm Trust to cover an overdue electric bill, they don’t always have the capacity to guide residents through the process of applying for assistance programs through the state or other nonprofit organizations.

“They need more assistance with that which is understandable,” Selectboard Chairwoman Sharon Harkay said. “If someone is totally overwhelmed with a situation it’s hard for them to make that move to advocate for themselves, to pick up that phone and start that process.”

Originally, the board considered hiring a part-time social worker, but as discussions continued, the idea evolved.

“It would have been a pretty significant lift for us to add those tools to our regular town operations,” Story said. “Finding a group that is doing things like this, they’ve got the better infrastructure for supporting it.”

Bugbee already provides services — including home-delivered meals — to Thetford residents.

Town officials began discussing the possibility of a potential partnership with Bugbee director Mark Bradley over the summer. Sometimes, it can be a challenge for Thetford residents to get to the Bugbee to meet with Elliott — or long-time social worker Eleanor Zue who is set to retire at the end of the year — to discuss social services, such as how to apply for Medicare.

“Someone who knows their way around the system can be very effective in getting people to systems that already exist,” said Tofel, who is a member of Bugbee’s board of directors and a home-delivered meals volunteer. “If the town had to start from scratch with somebody, it would be far more difficult.”

Elliott currently works about 15 hours a week at Bugbee. When the Thetford contract is finalized her workload will increase to about 25 hours per week.

“Having her up there at least once a week is going to make it easier for her to meet with people,” Bradley said. “It works out great for the coordinator. It works out well for the town.”

The approach, Story said, will be similar to how the community nurse program operates in town.

Sunny Martinson, Thetford’s community nurse, is employed by Community Nurse of Thetford, a nonprofit organization, and is funded in part by town funds, in addition to donations from individuals and other nonprofit organizations.

“We’re happy with how the nursing program has gone so we thought that a similar program could work well with the social services,” Story said.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.

CORRECTION: Thetford community nurse Sunny Martinson is an employee of the Community Nurse of Thetford nonprofit organization. The town of Thetford gives the organization money annually to help fund the service. A previous version of this story named an incorrect employer for Martinson.