February 15, 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aaron Donovan for SEIU Local 509
Cell: 617 678-9197 adonovan@seiu509.org
Union files lawsuit over the Privatization of DMH Case Management Services
WATERTOWN – The shifting of state case management duties to the private agencies and the accompanying layoffs of over 100 case managers has caused a serious break in the continuity of service for many of the state’s individuals living with mental illness.
Mental Health advocates, community organizations and human service workers are uniting for the re-hire of case managers that were laid off during the privatization of services in 2009.
“We were troubled when 100 case managers were abruptly let go, causing relationships with clients to be abruptly severed,” said Rick Glassman of the Disability Law Center, a private, non-profit organization responsible for providing protection and advocacy for the rights of Massachusetts residents with disabilities. “DLC is concerned that the Community Based Flexible Supports (CBFS) model adopted thereafter has lacked the staffing and resources necessary to provide quality community based options for people with mental health needs, required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Caregivers represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 have filed suit regarding the legality of the privatization arrangement that the Department of Mental Health (DMH) established with the layoffs.
Proposals for privatization in Massachusetts must be submitted to the Office of the State Auditor in accordance with Chapter 296 of the acts of 1993, commonly known as the “Pacheco Law.” Despite this requirement, when DMH contracted-out these services, the agency ignored a finding of the auditor’s office, creating a fractured system and leaving many of the state’s most vulnerable citizens cut off from experienced case managers who had provided them services for years.
DMH Case managers coordinate, monitor and provide services for individuals with mental illness. They provide essential support services that allow these individuals to live as independently as possible in the least restrictive setting.
“When DMH transferred case management duties to the private sector and laid off all of those case managers, it really created a disruption in services and a loss in the community,” said Paul Desaulniers, a union steward and private-sector caregiver in Pittsfield. “Bringing those experienced case managers back would restore vital services to the individuals we care for.”
SEIU Local 509 is a labor union representing over 13,000 public and private sector human service workers across Massachusetts.
