Tuesday, August 23, 2005
News
Community mental health will outsource employees
By CHERYLL WARREN Argus-Press Staff Writer
Supported independent living in Shiawassee County soon will assume another look.
The Shiawassee County Community Mental Health Service Authority Board Monday night, by a vote of 7-3, approved a motion to outsource the community living supports (CLS) program.
The program currently provides the majority of direct care staff to supported independent sites.
Supported independent living provides help for individuals with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes in the community.
"It was the most difficult meeting I've ever had to vote at," said board member John Pajtas.
"For me, it was especially hard," said board chairman Dean McConkey, who agreed with Pajtas. McConkey was at one time an employee of SCCMH in the supported employment program - a program which brought him into a close working relationship with many individuals served by SCCMH direct care staff.
McConkey and Pajtas both voted in favor of outsourcing.
About 70 people packed the room at SCCMH's WIN Center, the day program location run by the agency at 1484 N. M 52 in Owosso.
Turnover in staff and unfamiliar people coming into the homes of consumers with new provider companies was a concern of many consumers, as well as staff, who spoke on their behalf Monday night.
"I don't want any more strange people in my apartment any more," said Ernie, a consumer who spoke to the board. "I don't like it."
"The CLS program is a success," said CLS staff worker Lynn Sanderson, "because we've not just been here for a paycheck. We don't just work with mild-mannered consumers. We also work with aggressive consumers. Our bodies may be replaceable. Our experience is not."
"We need to go further up the ladder and talk about best value," said board member Jaime Pavlica, who advocated taking the financial challenges facing direct care programs to the state and national levels. "This is a huge issue. There is only so much funding." Pavlica, who voted against the outsourcing move, identified a moral obligation as underlying his vote.
A total of 79 direct care staff have already been providing their services in residential settings through contract agencies. Most of the staff employed through the two provider agencies who have been contracting with SCCMH for direct care services currently staff group homes in the area, as well as a limited number of supervised independent living sites. The majority of the supported independent living sites in Shiawassee County have been directly operated by SCCMH.
The decision to outsource the program will affect 87 full- and part-time SCCMH employees providing direct care services to supported independent living sites.
Two provider agencies have contracted in the past with SCCMH for residential CLS services. They are McBride and Christian Home Services of Mt. Pleasant and Alternative Services, based in Livonia. Both provide full benefit packages to their employees, with health insurance provided on a menu basis.
Alternative Services pays direct care staff at rates generally between $7 and $8.50 per hour, and up to $9 an hour for CLS staff who assume limited supervisory duties. McBride and Christian Home Services currently pay $8 an hour in this area for CLS direct care staff. Both companies claim strong staff retention rates. High turnover rates of CLS staff is recognized nationwide as a concern in the direct care field.
Besides Pavlica, Doadie Sumner and Nancy Best voted against outsourcing. Along with Pajtas and McConkey, other votes in support of outsourcing came from Jan Orrin, Vicki Bocek, Dick Gilna, Rikki Russell and Emily Simmons. Jerry Walden abstained from the vote because of conflict of interest and Don Trap was not present.
"The board feels strongly that we have talented employees and, therefore, have negotiated a severance package for the CLS employees who may be displaced by this decision," said a board spokesperson in a statement. "The decision to contract out the CLS service is not a negative reflection on the dedicated service the CLS in-home staff have provided over the years."
Although the possibility of CLS staff being hired by contracting agencies has been discussed, most CLS staff members say the difference in wages would make that possibility prohibitive for them. SCCMH's wage currently paid to long-time CLS staff is between $9.04 and $11.58 an hour.
Besides contract services, self-determination, a process by which consumers determine and control their own budget for services, is yet another method of providing direct care staff in a home.
"In the past year, as CLS staff positions have gone vacant, six consumers of CLS service have transitioned to private providers and these have gone smoothly," continued the board statement. "Any new contractors, along with the existing contract providers, are required to provide the same level of training and requirements will be closely monitored for compliance."
SCCMH projects it may be able to save $1.2 million in three years through its decision to outsource.
"The board feels that this decision will have long-term implications on the authority's ability to continue providing services to the community," continued the board statement.
The Shiawassee County Community Mental Health Service Authority Board Monday night, by a vote of 7-3, approved a motion to outsource the community living supports (CLS) program.
The program currently provides the majority of direct care staff to supported independent sites.
Supported independent living provides help for individuals with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes in the community.
"It was the most difficult meeting I've ever had to vote at," said board member John Pajtas.
"For me, it was especially hard," said board chairman Dean McConkey, who agreed with Pajtas. McConkey was at one time an employee of SCCMH in the supported employment program - a program which brought him into a close working relationship with many individuals served by SCCMH direct care staff.
McConkey and Pajtas both voted in favor of outsourcing.
About 70 people packed the room at SCCMH's WIN Center, the day program location run by the agency at 1484 N. M 52 in Owosso.
Turnover in staff and unfamiliar people coming into the homes of consumers with new provider companies was a concern of many consumers, as well as staff, who spoke on their behalf Monday night.
"I don't want any more strange people in my apartment any more," said Ernie, a consumer who spoke to the board. "I don't like it."
"The CLS program is a success," said CLS staff worker Lynn Sanderson, "because we've not just been here for a paycheck. We don't just work with mild-mannered consumers. We also work with aggressive consumers. Our bodies may be replaceable. Our experience is not."
"We need to go further up the ladder and talk about best value," said board member Jaime Pavlica, who advocated taking the financial challenges facing direct care programs to the state and national levels. "This is a huge issue. There is only so much funding." Pavlica, who voted against the outsourcing move, identified a moral obligation as underlying his vote.
A total of 79 direct care staff have already been providing their services in residential settings through contract agencies. Most of the staff employed through the two provider agencies who have been contracting with SCCMH for direct care services currently staff group homes in the area, as well as a limited number of supervised independent living sites. The majority of the supported independent living sites in Shiawassee County have been directly operated by SCCMH.
The decision to outsource the program will affect 87 full- and part-time SCCMH employees providing direct care services to supported independent living sites.
Two provider agencies have contracted in the past with SCCMH for residential CLS services. They are McBride and Christian Home Services of Mt. Pleasant and Alternative Services, based in Livonia. Both provide full benefit packages to their employees, with health insurance provided on a menu basis.
Alternative Services pays direct care staff at rates generally between $7 and $8.50 per hour, and up to $9 an hour for CLS staff who assume limited supervisory duties. McBride and Christian Home Services currently pay $8 an hour in this area for CLS direct care staff. Both companies claim strong staff retention rates. High turnover rates of CLS staff is recognized nationwide as a concern in the direct care field.
Besides Pavlica, Doadie Sumner and Nancy Best voted against outsourcing. Along with Pajtas and McConkey, other votes in support of outsourcing came from Jan Orrin, Vicki Bocek, Dick Gilna, Rikki Russell and Emily Simmons. Jerry Walden abstained from the vote because of conflict of interest and Don Trap was not present.
"The board feels strongly that we have talented employees and, therefore, have negotiated a severance package for the CLS employees who may be displaced by this decision," said a board spokesperson in a statement. "The decision to contract out the CLS service is not a negative reflection on the dedicated service the CLS in-home staff have provided over the years."
Although the possibility of CLS staff being hired by contracting agencies has been discussed, most CLS staff members say the difference in wages would make that possibility prohibitive for them. SCCMH's wage currently paid to long-time CLS staff is between $9.04 and $11.58 an hour.
Besides contract services, self-determination, a process by which consumers determine and control their own budget for services, is yet another method of providing direct care staff in a home.
"In the past year, as CLS staff positions have gone vacant, six consumers of CLS service have transitioned to private providers and these have gone smoothly," continued the board statement. "Any new contractors, along with the existing contract providers, are required to provide the same level of training and requirements will be closely monitored for compliance."
SCCMH projects it may be able to save $1.2 million in three years through its decision to outsource.
"The board feels that this decision will have long-term implications on the authority's ability to continue providing services to the community," continued the board statement.