Staffing Page
An independent body
to regulate safe staffing ratios for systems that serve children, adults & elders with disabilities
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We need an Independent Body to Recommend Staffing Ratios for:
Such an independent body should also consider proposed alternatives to the recommended staffing ratios. Additionally, entities should have some leeway for emergent circumstances and standard time frames to come into compliance. |
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Staffing Ratios
Depending upon the State & the Facility or Environment -- Staffing Ratios are often attacked as "TOO RIGID." We agree that Staffing Ratios need to have some FLEXIBILITY-- BUT we need to start with what is reasonably necessary to provide a SAFE ENVIRONMENT for individuals and staff as well as provide whatever services are legally required. If providers or schools want to deviate from that -- then the burden should be on the provider or school to show they can do that in a safe way and still provide legally required services. As far as we're concerned, providers [including State providers such as CDHS, non-profit and for-profit facilities, and schools] can get as CREATIVE & INNOVATIVE as they want to address these needs -- BUT we can't just keep PRETENDING that we're addressing them -- and somehow it is horribly impolite to expect these legal requirements to actually be met. |
National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care
Look, we're never going to be able to fund everything we want.
BUT this attitude in CO State Gov't that we're NOT going to fund what is legally required has to end. That is really a form of CORRUPTION. The issue in most of these problems affecting people with significant disabilities is staffing. We need something like the State Auditor's Office, that is independent, to deal with these issues on a routine basis. |
The Reason Why Grievance Procedures Often Don't Work
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Pretty much almost everyone would like to resolve issues @ the lowest possible level. But MOST problems have a SYSTEMIC COMPONENT. It might be there just needs to be more TRAINING. That's a FAVORITE because it's not really very expensive. BUT the DEEP SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS affecting Systems serving Adults & Children with Disabilities, often involve STAFFING -- and that is much more expensive than training. Further, the lower levels of a GRIEVANCE SCHEME generally have very limited ability to address NUMERICALLY INADEQUATE STAFFING. Additionally, the folks @ the top of that GRIEVANCE TOTEM POLE may be facing considerable pressure to keep things within BUDGET. Further, State Officials & various governmental subdivisions are also under considerable pressure TO DO MORE WITH LESS. So we have A LOT of GRIEVANCES -- so there need to be OVERSIGHT AGENCIES -- generally, MULTIPLE OVERSIGHT AGENCIES. Those agencies MIGHT get to NUMERICALLY INADEQUATE STAFFING -- but there are funding issues and political realities of the oversight agencies to contend with here too. SO ADEQUATE STAFFING EVEN IF REQUIRED by LAW --- is very, very difficult to obtain. Well, there is the LAW -- right? Yeah, but it is awfully expensive -- and most of the people who need it enforced are poor and most middle class people can't even afford it. So from our vantage point -- that's why we have chronic staffing problems in multiple systems and institutions serving vulnerable adults and children with disabilities. Further, those staffing problems are often most pronounced for Adults & Children with the HIGHEST NEEDS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE. We Need INDEPENDENT ROUTINE STAFFING AUDITS of all Systems and Providers, including Schools, that are providing services to Adults and Children with significant disabilities. MORE THAN ANYTHING WE'VE GOT TO STOP PLAYING THESE EVIL GAMES. |
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Staffing: SCHOOL Behavioral Health Edition
SOURCE: BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COLORADO
DATA DESIGN: ERIC LUBBERS, THE COLORADO SUN |
No Colorado school districts meet federal safety standards for behavioral health staffing, investigation shows
https://coloradosun.com/2019/04/12/colorado-school-districts-behavioral-health-staffing |