OMR members at Valley Ridge fight to maintain jobs, quality services

By SHERRY HALBROOK
In April 2003, then governor George Pataki and state Sen. Tom Libous opened a brand new, state-of-the-art facility costing $17.5 million in the small town of Norwich, Chenango County.

The Valley Ridge Center for Intensive Treatment (VRCIT) was heralded as having “the very latest in technology and security innovations” and representative of the state’s commitment to continuing “New York’s record of excellence in meeting the needs of our citizens with developmental disabilities.”
Times have changed.

In October 2009, PEF members who work at the facility are struggling to maintain staffing and services as the state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities moves to consolidate Valley Ridge’s operations with those of Broome Developmental Disabilities Services Office.

While members of the news media portray state leaders as “trimming the fat” from state government, employees at Valley Ridge find themselves trying to keep a grip on the standards of quality and service that have earned their worksite a reputation for competence and professionalism.

“We are told the state ‘wants to export the excellence’ achieved here at Valley Ridge, but to us it feels more like a hostile takeover,” said Jim Moffitt, Executive Board member and the council leader of PEF Division 403 at Valley Ridge.

Announced plans to redeploy three members to Broome along with three unfilled staff vacancies have crystallized the members’ fears and led them to put placards in their car windows October 8 to let their new facility director Carl Letson, visiting from Broome DDSO where he’s based, know how they feel.

Among the messages Letson saw on his way from the parking lot to a labor-management meeting with Moffitt and other members were, “Stop Redeployments,” “Keep Jobs at CIT,” and “Export the Excellence, Not the Jobs.”

“I think it helped,” Moffitt said. “We were told no more redeployments are being considered and two of the three who were supposed to be redeployed will remain at Valley Ridge, although the staff development specialist will now be training throughout the county.”

Moffitt said he is still pressing for an answer on whether OMRDD will try to fill the three vacant PS&T positions.

Valley Ridge is no typical DDSO. It is the second of two facilities in the state specially designed to house and provide intensive and individually customized treatment to 60 persons with developmental disabilities who have been placed there by the courts because of offending and criminal behaviors.

Located on 23 acres, Valley Ridge was described by OMR Commissioner Thomas Maul when it opened seven years ago as exemplifying “a nationally recognized treatment program (that) includes clinical services ranging from basic living skills to intensive anger therapy and relapse-prevention services. The intensive treatment needs of the individuals ... served at Valley Ridge dictate they are provided with the highest quality specialized programming and care within a safe environment.”

“These are very challenging clients at Valley Ridge, and the staff, across all bargaining units, is tightly knit,” Moffitt said. “Every job here counts, and every member matters.