Efficiency and effectiveness of the state’s mental health system, including at the three mental health facilities, came under the legislative microscope Tuesday at a hearing before the House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.
Greg Davis, a psychiatric security nurse at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake and a member of Local 782, told the committee in his hospital there are many questionable management positions that don’t deliver direct services.
“I can’t say we have extra money laying around, but we could redeploy staff resources so we have more frontline workers on the wards…,” Davis said. “We can have 14 management staff that provide no direct care, or we can have 42 additional direct-care staff-it’s a no brainer to me.”
Federation Lobbyist Matt Zuvich said at Western State Hospital, members want to make sure the economy doesn’t dilute the efforts to cut the unacceptable level of patient assaults on staff.
“Because it’s neither efficient nor economical to allow the assaults to continue,” he said. “In tough economic times, assaults suck up state dollars in terms of workers’ comp. payouts.”
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More money for direct care employees and less for managers is a great idea, but it won't reduce patient assaults unless there is a real effort by all to change the culture and to implement proven methods that work to reduce both staff and patient injuries and trauma. And of course direct care workers can't do that unless supported by management which will be an uphill battle most places but has occurred in a few states.
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