Senate Study Supports State Psychiatric Technicians' Furlough Concerns

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Also Included In: Mental Health
Article Date: 15 Oct 2009 - 15:00 PDT

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State-employed Psychiatric Technicians welcomed a new study issued by the California State Senate outlining the negative effects of Governor Schwarzenegger's furloughs on taxpayers and the state budget.

The study highlights how the governor's furlough order is costing money and causing staffing troubles in California's 24-hour facilities, such as the many state hospitals, prisons and developmental centers where Psych Techs assist clients, inmates and patients. The entire study is available at http://tinyurl.com/yjpfqrn.

"From the beginning, we've been expressing concerns about furloughs and other staffing cuts' effects on California taxpayers," said Tony Myers, state president of the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians and a Lanterman Developmental Center Senior Psychiatric Technician. "But we're also concerned about our clients, who rely on us to give them quality care 24/7 regardless of what state budget figures say, and our families and local businesses, who are feeling the financial fallout of the governor's cuts."

As licensed and certified level-of-care nursing staff specializing in therapeutic and medical care for people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses, Psychiatric Technicians' concerns about furloughs and other staffing cuts are threefold:

- For clients and patients - Recent layoffs at state developmental centers, continuing hiring freezes and unpaid furloughs throughout the state are impacting Psychiatric Technicians' ability to provide adequate staffing, which can affect quality of care in 24-hour state facilities.

- For staff - As with many Californians, ongoing pay cuts are hurting members' families as well as efforts to recruit and retain a quality workforce to serve the state's most vulnerable populations.

- For Californians - Any increased mandatory overtime to cover staffing gaps means increased costs to taxpayers, while unpaid furloughs mean less patronage for local businesses.

CAPT is seeking to fully lift the state's hiring freeze at 24-hour facilities and the reduction or elimination of furloughs. Union counsel recently filed a lawsuit outlining how Governor Schwarzenegger's unpaid furloughs violate several labor laws and orders. The document is available online at http://www.psychtechs.net. The union also is holding rallies at a different 24-hour facility each week.

Source
The California Association of Psychiatric Technicians