The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors last week unanimously renewed a $1.6 million, one-year contract with Grafton Integrated Health Network to run the county’s youth shelter and group home facilities.

The vote came eight days after a former Grafton employee was arrested on charges of strangulation, assault and battery and preventing the victim from contacting law enforcement. Investigators said Melissa Rosario, 41, of Maryland, assaulted a teenager and the prevented the victim from calling 911 to report the incident. Other staff restrained Rosario and removed her from the facility, and the company immediately terminated her and reported the incident to Loudoun Child Protective Services, which worked with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office to investigate.

Grafton cooperated with the investigation, and the teenager was not seriously injured, according to the report. Rosario was taken into custody April 11 by the Jefferson County (WV) Sheriff’s Office and was held at the Eastern Regional Jail pending extradition to Virginia. She arrived in Loudoun on Monday and is being held without bond.

According to a county staff report, the shelter serves about 162 at-risk youth every year and is designed to provide a safe environment for youth during court-ordered stays of up to 90 days. There are 26 beds between the youth shelter and group home.

The $1.6 million dollar contract, effective July 1, extends Grafton’s agreement to June 2019. It is the first of four optional one-year extensions in a contract awarded June 2017.

rgreene@loudounnow.com