INNOVATIVE “CRITICAL INCIDENTS” TRAININGS START IN REGION 5

DSHS Children’s Services workers often get blamed when something goes wrong in high-visibility “critical incidents.”

But in a commendable joint effort, the union and DSHS management in Region 5 (Pierce and Kitsap counties) have started joint trainings on protocols to follow in critical incidents.

“After the outcry from our members that followed the recent critical incidents, management and the union worked hard in our union-management communication committees to come up with a way to address the needs of the staff in Region 5,” WFSE/AFSCME Field Representative Amy Achilles said.

The joint training covers protocol, management’s roles and responsibilities, the peer support program, the rules around public disclosure and the role of WFSE/AFSCME in helping members through a critical incident.

The first joint training took place May 9 in Bremerton.

Two sessions were scheduled May 21 in Tacoma.

“One member told us that it was amazing to see management and the union joining together to provide the staff with the information they need following a critical incident,” Achilles said.