Kingsboromembersfedup,readytofight
By SHERRY HALBROOK contempt,scapegoating,harassment
Whenyoucombinedecrepitand andbullying.Thecreativityand
outdatedfacilitieswithdemoralized involvementofthestaffarenotjust
staff,it’sdepressing.Sohowcanthat discouraged,theyaredisdained.”
environmentbetherapeuticforpeople “Ittakesatremendoustollonour
whosufferfromdepressionorother members,whooftenfeeltheymust
mentalillness? workextrahoursandweekendsto
It’saquestionthatfillstheminds makeupforthelackofstaff,”Parker
anddogsthedaysofstaff,including said.
approximately340PS&Tmembers,at Ithasbeendifficultfortheunionto
KingsboroPsychiatricCenter. defenditsmembers,hesaid,because
TheU.S.CentersforMedicareand theyoftenaretooafraidofretaliation
MedicaidServices(CMS)surveyors BrooklynStateHospitalandthento tofilegrievancesandstanduptothe
havepickedupontheproblemsat KingsboroPC,”Bakersaid.“Thisplace abuse.
Kingsboro.Thestatestandstoloseup hasgreatneeds,buttheyseemtobe “Weneedmoreresources,butwe
to$22millioninMedicaidfundingifit continuallyoverlooked.Wecan alsoneedmorerespectforthestaff,”
failstocorrectproblems,mainly speculatewhythathappens,butwe saidPEFExecutiveBoardmember
relatedtoinadequateand don’tknowwhyandwewouldliketo GladysFrancis,asocialworkassistant
inappropriatetreatment,citedinthe know. 2atKingsboro.“Atameeting,asocial
federalsurvey. “Tenyearsago,wewerepromiseda workerjustsaid,“Wearealwaystold
Themorethan2.5millionpeoplein newrehabilitationcenteratKingsboro. whenwedosomethingwrong,butwe
BrooklyndependonKingsboro Wenevergotit.Whathappenedto alsoshouldbetoldwhenwedo
PsychiatricCenterastheirpublic that?”Bakerasked.“Theycan’teven somethingright.Weneedmoreofa
sourceforadultmentalhealthservices. keepasimplethinglikeanelevator teamapproach.”
Withlessthan300beds,thisfacility runningintheold,two-storyrehab
servesthestate’smostpopulous center.” Timeforaction
county(KingsCounty),butmembers Atleastadozengeriatricpatients UnderBaker’sleadershipandwith
sayitseemsalwaystobethelastin weretransferredfromKingsboroto thehelpofPEFRegion11Coordinator
lineforresources. PilgrimPCandotherfacilitieslastyear JemmaMarie-Hanson,PEFis
becausetheycouldnotreceivethe mobilizingatthelocal,regionaland
Likepoorstepchildren appropriatetherapiesandservicesat stateleveltofocusattentiononthe
“Fordecades,Kingsborohasbeen Kingsboro. problemsatKingsboroandget
shortchangedonresourceswhenyou “Thedisparityinresourcesmakesit solutions.
compareittosomeoftheotherstate hardertocreateappropriatetreatment “Wehavebegunmeetingwithour
psychiatriccentersdownstatesuchas plansfortheclients,”Bakersaid.“The statelegislatorsandlocalpolitical
BronxPC,CreedmoorPC,Manhattan, stateOfficeofMentalHealth(OMH) leaderstomakethemawareofthis
PCandPilgrimPC,”saidLarryParker, shouldlookatthisproblemandcorrect situation,”Parkersaid.
councilleaderofPEFDivision252at it.” “Wealsowillasktomeetwiththe
Kingsboro. commissionerofmentalhealthand
“Whyisthat?”askedPEFVice Staffscapegoated othertopadministratorstotrytogeta
PresidentPatBaker,asocialwork Instead,OMHmanagementat morecooperativeeffortbetweenlabor
assistant3onfull-timeunionleave Kingsboroisblamingthestafffor andmanagementtodealwiththese
fromherjobatKingsboro.SheisPEF’s everything,saidPEFleaders. issues,”Bakersaid.
labor-managementcoordinatorand “We’veofferedtoworkwith Theunionsrepresentingother
chairsPEF’sL-Mteamatthestate managementtoresolveissues,”said bargainingunitsatKingsboroare
OfficeofMentalHealth. PEFfieldrepresentativeJackie concernedaboutmanyofthesame
“Kingsborositsinthemidstofavery Cataldo. issues,Parkersaid,andPEFisworking
largeanddiversecommunityandithas “TheKingsboroexecutivedirector withthemtocoordinatearesponse.
playedauniqueandimportantrole intimidatesandmicromanagesthe “PEFhasassignedamobilizerto
thereformorethanacentury,evolving staff,”Bakersaid.“It’satoxic,hostile workwithDivision252toupdatethis
fromLongIslandStateHospital,to workenvironmentbuiltonopen division’sfullmobilizationstatus,”
Bakersaid,“soourmemberstherecan
“T
respondimmediatelytoanyrallies,or
hedisparityinresourcesmakesitharderto
otheractivities.”
Theproblemsaren’tsimple,and
createappropriatetreatmentplansforthe
achievingthesolutionswon’tbesimple
either,theleaderssaid.
clients...thestateOfficeofMentalHealth(OMH)
“It’sallinterconnected,”Parkersaid
ofthelackofresourcesandthehostile
shouldlookatthisproblemandcorrectit.” environment.“Itaffectsbothpatient
careandstaff.Itaffectseveryfacetof
Page10—TheCommunicatorFebruary2010
— Patricia Baker, PEF Vice President
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