Annual lobbying pays off for PEF nurses
Nurses' Station: PEF acts to protect nurses
PEF leads demonstration to protect patients, RNs
Mental health services still on the line
PEF RNs deliver quality care at Elmira PC

By DEBORAH A. MILES
After flooding Albany with thousands of petitions, letters to lawmakers and phone calls to the governor to protest the proposed budget cuts for mental health facilities, PEF members at Elmira Psychiatric Center are breathing a little easier, for a while.

The members are grateful PEF won its lawsuit for a preliminary injunction against the closure of Elmira and four other psychiatric facilities, and that state lawmakers restored funding. But they also know the battle is not over.

“There is still concern,” said PEF member Naomi Lampman, an RN in charge of the Elmira Adult Services Unit. “We feel like we’ve just started to fight.”

Working while waiting
Waiting for lawmakers to agree upon a final budget that will decide their future, the nurses at Elmira PC concentrate on the work they find challenging and rewarding.

They treat a variety of clients who have bipolar personalities, schizophrenia, depression and other mental disorders. The nurses share a common goal of providing the best possible treatment to Chemung County residents and those in nine surrounding counties.

Some of their clients were once homeless, living in dangerous and substandard conditions. Others who have been treated become non-compliant and refuse to take their medications, which may cause them to be a threat to themselves or others.

“There are other treatment opportunities, but they don’t provide what we provide,” said Lampman. “Other facilities don’t allow the length of stay necessary to obtain the treatment clients need for a full recovery.”

Tending to client needs
Lampman said when individuals are admitted with acute psychosis they need to stay as long as it takes, and the team of doctors, nurses, social workers and others at Elmira PC always put the clients’ needs first.

The in-patient adult unit holds about 80 clients, some living there for years who have placement problems. Most clients who respond successfully to treatment, which varies depending on their illness, return to their families and are often referred to the outpatient clinic for follow-up care.

Clinic keeps clients stable
“The outpatient clinic is a benefit to the community because it keeps people stabilized and away from the revolving door of going back into the hospital,” said Patricia Giadom, another PEF nurse at Elmira.

Giadom provides treatment and individual therapy to 15-20 clients on an average day. She also heads a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group with Janet Stevens, a PEF member and social worker. DBT is a skills training group for “borderline clients” and helps them deal with everyday life situations.

“In DBT, clients are taught to think things out. We help create a scenario and ask them to use their skills to resolve everyday issues, instead of acting on their emotions,” Giadom said.

ACT team gets rave reviews
What the staff at Elmira PC is really excited about is a six-month old outreach program called Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).

“ACT is a new program which serves not just the immediate area but families in outlying regions,” said Norma Jones, a PEF member and inpatient nurse. “It’s a multi-disciplinary mobile team that goes into the community and into the client’s homes.”

Elmira’s ACT team provides emergency crisis care for individuals, and treats people who are noncompliant with treatment recommendations. A greater challenge for the team is providing services to a large, multi-county rural area.

“It’s also been great for the clients who were referred to the clinic, but weren’t coming in,” Jones said. “The ACT team is instrumental to the community. It’s very important to have medications monitored and a support group for clients.”

“All the services we provide to the community are hugely beneficial,” added Lampman. “If it weren’t for the integrated services offered at Elmira, people and their families would have to travel to another psychiatric center, and that distance may be unreasonable. The staff here is fantastic. They are wonderful to the clients and provide an excellent service.”

COMMUNICATOR HOMEPAGE
Inside This Issue:
Features
PEF pushes to plug corporate tax loopholes
Members fight proposal to merge NYSPI
PEF leads demonstration to protect patients, RNs
Annual lobbying pays off for PEF nurses
Union gets preliminary injunction

Departments
President's Message: PEF is major player
You Said It: Member's letters this month
Member Mobilization: Training with rallies
Nurses' Station: PEF acts to protect nurses
Legislative Update: PEF gets record restorations
Health Benefits: Empire Plan Update
Legal Issues: Members win grievance at DOL
PS&T Contract Update: Talks continuing
Member Highlights
Retirees In Action: Huge health hikes threaten
PEF Membership Benefits Program & Travel Corp

Union Matters
PEF RNs deliver quality care at Elmira PC
Full mobilization creates union power in Reg. 5
PEF wins Article 78
Members bring Benson team back for 3rd term
PEF Election Guide: Download Supplement

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