BENNINGTON \u2014 The United Counseling Service (UCS) Board of Directors announced today that longtime Chief Executive Officer, Lorna Mattern, has stepped down. Julie Pagliccia, who currently serves as the Director of Quality and Performance Improvement, will serve as interim CEO, effective immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cLorna\u2019s leadership over the last ten years has shaped the agency into the respected and valued community provider it is today,\u201d said UCS Board Chair Bob Thompson. \u201cShe\u2019s been a committed and dedicated leader, especially in her many years in the Children, Youth, and Family Services Division, and as CEO she helped create some of the first of its kind programming, including Psychiatric Urgent Care for Kids (PUCK) and more recently a Youth Intensive Outpatient Program. We are grateful for her long service to UCS and the Bennington region, and wish her the best as she enters her next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julie Pagliccia will serve as interim CEO. She joined UCS in 1999 and has served as a school-based clinician, community services manager, Director of Northshire Services and most recently as Director of Performance and Quality Improvement, a position she\u2019s held since 2024. She stated \u201cUCS is a critical service provider in Bennington County, and our clients and our community depend on us for essential care in developmental, substance use, and mental health services. Hand-in-hand with the UCS team, I\u2019m committed to continuity and a smooth transition for everyone we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thompson added \u201cThe Board has full confidence in Ms. Pagliccia and her commitment to a strong relationship with our service providers, community partners, and the state. We are assured she is the right interim leader for this moment, as the agency navigates the changing health care, human services, and regulatory environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
United Counseling Service (UCS) is committed to helping individuals and families in Bennington County live healthy, meaningful lives. Our work spans mental health, substance use treatment, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and early childhood development. UCS is a private, non-profit community mental health center that has been an essential part of Bennington County\u2019s Integrated healthcare system since 1958.<\/p>\n