Union: CT staff shortage is ‘full-blown catastrophe’
Staffing shortages in the mental health industry are an ongoing, national reality.
In Connecticut, it is reaching a boiling point with many health workers becoming increasingly frustrated with the state’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). There are more than 600 vacancies in the mental health care industry with DMHAS indicating the need to lower staff levels to cut costs.
This past October, a union of mental health care workers held a press conference in Middletown to put a spotlight on the staffing problem. Workers maintained the lack of staffing and funding puts workers and patients in “serious danger.”
“We’re talking about helping children and adults at a vulnerable time in life,” said Darnell Ford, lead children’s services worker for the Department of Children and Families, who attended the press conference. “Living in crisis can cause significant damage.”
Workers claim a lack of action from the state is the main problem, specifically citing DMHAS Commissioner Nancy Navaretta. In an email, she addressed this concern, noting her organization’s commitment to addressing workforce needs and safety concerns.
“DMHAS remains committed to supporting our workforce by investing in staffing levels to meet the needs of those we serve. We are pleased to report that staffing levels today are higher than they were before the pandemic, thanks to diligent efforts to address our agency’s workforce needs,” she wrote.
She added that their focus is building a “strong, sustainable workforce,” as well as maintaining a safe environment for staff.
“We value the contributions and voices of our employees and will continue to work collaboratively to address both staffing support and safety across our facilities,” she wrote.
Navaretta’s office also provided a chart showing the level of employees hovered around 2,900 in 2017. By August 2024, the level reached close to 3,200.
Mental health workers’ response to that statistic is that staffing is still not sufficient, particularly if there is an emergency .
Tamika James, lead forensic treatment specialist at Whiting Forensic Hospital, also attended the October press conference. She said staffing numbers do not reflect an accurate picture.
James described the staff as “top heavy,” noting there are too many administration positions and not enough trained staff. She said, at one point, there were six directors of nursing on a day shift.
“It’s becoming ridiculous,” she said. “None of these people can provide care. They overly critique you, but what are they doing to help? We need more people to be able to do actual patient care.”
Becky Simonsen, vice president of SEIU 1199 of New England, a union for mental healthcare workers in the state, weighed in, saying claims of added staff since the pandemic are “a deeply misleading half-truth.”
“Any increases don’t come close to addressing the scale of the problem,” Simonsen said. “Today, we’re in the midst of a full-blown catastrophe—680 vacancies in DMHAS alone and over 1,500 state healthcare vacancies across all agencies. That’s nearly a 20 percent vacancy rate—crippling our ability to provide even the most basic care.”
As to funding, Simonsen pointed out that the state’s fiscal guardrails, or as she likes to call them, “roadblocks,” effectively prioritize “cuts over care.” The state has $4 billion set aside for emergency purposes. The union’s point is, isn’t the current situation enough of an emergency to merit using those funds?
“What’s infuriating is the disconnect,” she said. “Billions in surplus sit untouched while the state turns a blind eye to what is undeniably a staffing catastrophe. This isn’t just a policy failure. It’s a crisis that puts lives at risk every single day. Healthcare workers are pushed to their breaking point, and vulnerable patients are being denied the care they desperately need.”
Adding to the current lack of funding is the onset of a new administration in January. Simonsen said her organization is concerned and remains cautious about the future.
“The threat to impose a lifetime cap on Medicaid is estimated to force 30 percent of Medicaid recipients to lose coverage,” she said.
Other concerns are for people who rely on state services and working-class people of all races and genders “who care for the most vulnerable in our state,” she said.