Montrice Pierce, a direct support assistant 2 at Hudson Valley DDSO,
completes paperwork on the job. Like many direct care workers across the
state, Pierce has been struggling with the effects of understaffing, both on
and off the job. (Photo by Jessica Ladlee)
ALBANY — CSEA continues to work with Gov. Kathy Hochul and elected state leaders to address the long-standing staffing issues plaguing human services agencies like the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and the Office of Mental Health (OMH).
Unfortunately, the pandemic and associated mandates have only worsened short staffing problems for union members providing direct care, increasing the reliance on mandated overtime into crisis proportions in some areas.
Union wins temporary overtime increases
In recognition of the crushing burden of mandatory overtime that so many workers are absorbing, CSEA and New York State recently agreed to a temporary increase in overtime for thousands of union members employed as direct care workers and support staff at both state agencies, among others. Workers in eligible titles at both agencies are temporarily receiving 2.5 times their regular salary rates for any overtime worked through early next year.
“CSEA fought to get these temporary overtime increases for workers to acknowledge the immediate crisis in staffing you are experiencing, and to recognize the sacrifices you continue to make to provide vital services throughout this exceptionally difficult time,” CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan said in an announcement to the workers. “I appreciate Governor Hochul’s willingness to work with us to recognize our workers and find long-term solutions.”
This victory is only one step in helping address the pervasive problem of understaffing in direct care.
We must invest in staffing
While public demand for direct care services remains high, direct care workers are forced to do more with less amid severe understaffing. Not only can’t the state increase services, there’s a real possibility it can’t sustain existing ones.
CSEA has continued to remind elected leaders of these shortages for years. Recently, CSEA Legislative and Political Action Director Fran Turner testified on our union’s behalf regarding OPWDD’s staffing crisis to the State Senate Committee on Disabilities. CSEA Legislative Director Joshua Terry recently testified before the State Assembly Standing Committee on Mental Health about OMH’s staffing levels.
Both testimonies noted the need to invest in staffing, since OPWDD has lost 15 percent of staff since 2010, and OMH has seen a 25 percent reduction of workforce levels since 2000. The staffing problems stem from issues with both recruitment and retention.
These lower staffing levels, combined with years of budgets cut to the bone, have resulted in fewer workers, an over-reliance on mandated overtime and little-to-no work/life balance for direct care employees. It’s a vicious cycle, with these working conditions leading to personal difficulties for many workers, many of whom opt to leave, in turn leading to even more mandated overtime.
“Needed services are lagging and now New York is at a real crisis point,” Turner said in her OPWDD testimony. “It’s not just a crisis in the developmental disabilities community, but for any area that uses direct care workers, including home care, nursing homes, and care for people with mental illness. There are too few employees willing to enter these fields while the number of people in need of services continues to grow.”
The testimonies noted that the average OMH employee worked 220 hours, or 5.5 additional workweeks, of overtime in 2020, while the average OPWDD employee worked enough overtime that year to equal six additional workweeks.
Long-term solutions needed
New York State has long recognized the need to improve recruitment, and has been working with our union to do so. Recently, CSEA successfully came to an agreement with the state to hire new recruits working as Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) trainees in OMH and Direct Support Assistants (DSA) trainees in OPWDD at the full performance rates for those positions. This means instead of coming in at a lower trainee salary grade, they will get hired at the higher starting salary grade, as if they had completed their trainee period. This should serve as an incentive to get more workers hired into these needed positions.
CSEA is recommending state officials implement several additional measures to address long-term staffing needs and potentially recruit new employees.
Increasing worker pay: As many direct care workers are paid at or near minimum wage, our union is recommending that the state increase direct care worker pay to make the positions more enticing to potential employees.
Pension reform: CSEA urges the state to reform Tier 6 of the state pension system to serve as a recruitment and retention incentive, creating more of a financial incentive for workers to stay in direct care.
Career ladder: Our union recommends the state investigate additional ways to subsidize the cost for direct care workers to gain additional training to become a certified nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse or registered nurse. This would create a career path for direct care workers to achieve long-term goals, with an incentive to stay in the field.
— Janice Gavin
