By DEBORAH A. MILES
Representatives from various state unions were among those who testified in Albany at the state Department of Labor February 3 about the Workplace Violence Prevention Law and pending regulations requiring public employers to adopt workplace violence prevention plans.

PEF statewide Health and Safety Chair Kathy D’Arminio told an audience of 20 people, including Dave Ruppert, assistant director of the division of safety and health at DOL, the law’s passage in June 2006 motivated many state agencies to meet with union representatives to begin developing workplace violence prevention programs.

D’Arminio said none of the agencies have raised any concerns about sharing information with unions in the development or implementation of these programs. At a previous hearing, New York City representatives said information sharing may jeopardize security or counterterrorism efforts.

“Frankly, that issue has proven in practice to be a straw man,” D’Arminio said. “The proposed risk evaluation and determination methods used by the agencies such as the state Department of Correctional Services and the Division of Parole do not constrain any security or counterterrorism measures.”

D’Arminio’s testimony reinforced the necessity for agencies to work with unions.

“The state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is an excellent example of an agency where
the law and the pending regulations made a significant impact,” D’Arminio said. “OCFS, an agency whose mission combines security and rehabilitation, has serious workplace violence problems. In some of the youth detention facilities, the staff’s annual rate of assault-related injury exceeds 30 per 100 employees.

“This has taken a terrible toll on staff and on the agency’s ability to deliver its services. Prior to the Workplace Violence Prevention Law, OCFS was unwilling to work with PEF and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) to tackle this serious problem. Since the law’s passage, OCFS has formed a management-union committee and developed a policy statement, and some work-practice changes have already been made. There is also an enhanced emphasis on training,” D’Arminio said.

PEF Director of Occupational Health and Safety Jonathan Rosen commented on the hearing.
“PEF has been addressing the
issue of workplace violence for more than a decade,”

Rosen said. “We need to get this finalized and get effective programs in place in all state facilities.

“PEF commends DOL for doing an excellent job in drafting these important regulations designed to protect the well-being of public employees.

Compliance with these regulations will have a significant impact on reducing injury, lost work time and the negative effects of workplace violence. It is urgent they be adopted and finalized as soon as possible.

By DEBORAH A. MILES
The Capital District Psychiatric Center (CDPC) in Albany has adopted an Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP) to provide emotional support to workers who have been assaulted on the job.

The program has been operating for almost two years. It has made a considerable difference in reducing the number of assaults and the recovery time for victims.
“Four years ago, the Assault Performance Improvement Committee at CDPC had identified a significant increase in the number of assaults on staff,” said Juanita Goyette, a PEF Division 231 member and nurse administrator.

“Not only was there an increase in the number of assaults, but the severity was becoming worse. PEF’s health and safety department helped by bringing in focus group facilitators from the University of Michigan. CDPC hired Dr. Jack O’Connor to coordinate ASAP.

“To get a successful program together, training and team building are important,” said O’Connor, a PEF member and psychologist. “In the training, volunteers learn the program is about giving-back. It’s not a clinical intervention. When we provide a compassionate response to people in this line of work, it makes a difference in terms of how people do after the assault.”

O’Connor invited a Massachusetts-based psychologist and originator of the ASAP model, to train the CDPC volunteers. They learned the importance of providing follow-up service for assaulted employees, as well as the steps to take following an assault, such as calling family or friends and assisting with paperwork.

The volunteers at CDPC are PEF and other union members and range from doctors and nurses to mental hygiene therapy aides.

“It’s been a wonderful program and it has had significant success at our facility. We still continue to have assaults, but what we see in terms of data is our employees who do get assaulted return to work sooner,” Goyette said. “Many of the employees feel they are supported by their co-workers, people who are trusted and at the same level of risk.”

“Since the program has started, the climate at CDPC has changed,” O’Connor said. “There is a sense that people are being cared for, and there is a more compassionate response to incidents that are hurtful to people. The program helps to diminish the likelihood of any long-term effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder. And, the number of assaults has gone down.”

Goyette said other agencies where workplace violence is a problem should look at the ASAP or similar peer-based trauma response programs.
“You don’t have to be a social worker, psychologist or registered nurse to be a volunteer,” Goyette said. “When employees take the training, they learn they do not have to function in the role of a therapist.

“People need to realize that just because we are in the profession doesn’t mean we are immune to having emotional responses,” Goyette said. “We really need to be cognizant that people with whom we work will need support when violence occurs. Facilities need to invest the time and energy providing that to employees.”