Cayuga County's mental health department announced at Thursday night's Health and Human Services committee meeting that it plans to raise the salary of a staff psychiatrist who has agreed to fill the department's vacant medical director position.
The announcement came one day after four mental health workers were laid off from the department. But, according to Kate O'Connell, the department's director, the new medical director and the four laid-off workers are “like apples and oranges.”
The raise for Dr. Stanley Poreba, a staff psychiatrist who will take on administrative responsibilities in addition to continuing care for his patients, will come from a reallocation of funds in the 2009 budget intended to pay a medical director, O'Connell said.
“None of the dollar figures change, just the job descriptions,” she said.
O'Connell responded with an emphatic “no” when asked if the money being put toward the medical director's salary could have been used to prevent the laying off of the four workers.
“It's not that simple,” O'Donnell said.
The department requires a medical director for billing purposes; going without one would be a “horrible practice,” she said. And money was not the sole factor that led to the layoffs.
According to Ann Petrus, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, there were simply too many people in the department with that job title. The employees who lost their jobs were social work assistants.
“It does not affect the care, the people who need it,” she said
Petrus said she supported O'Connell's decision because Poreba is not being given a raise at the expense of other workers. A money game of that nature, she said, would not get by the committee.
“Not,” she said, “while this kitty's around.”
In other news:
* The Health and Human Services Committee agreed to revise its process of mental health diagnostic assessment of children. A contract with Cayuga Counseling Services, Inc. will allow for quicker and less expensive evaluation. The contract would be an alternative to placing children in foster care or in a detention center in order to be evaluated.
“We'll do the diagnostic wherever the kid is,” Elane Daly, director of Health and Human Services, told the committee. “Won't go to foster care, won't go to a detention center.”
Staff writer Sarah Gantz can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or sarah.gantz@lee.net
The raise for Dr. Stanley Poreba, a staff psychiatrist who will take on administrative responsibilities in addition to continuing care for his patients, will come from a reallocation of funds in the 2009 budget intended to pay a medical director, O'Connell said.
“None of the dollar figures change, just the job descriptions,” she said.
O'Connell responded with an emphatic “no” when asked if the money being put toward the medical director's salary could have been used to prevent the laying off of the four workers.
“It's not that simple,” O'Donnell said.
The department requires a medical director for billing purposes; going without one would be a “horrible practice,” she said. And money was not the sole factor that led to the layoffs.
According to Ann Petrus, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, there were simply too many people in the department with that job title. The employees who lost their jobs were social work assistants.
“It does not affect the care, the people who need it,” she said
Petrus said she supported O'Connell's decision because Poreba is not being given a raise at the expense of other workers. A money game of that nature, she said, would not get by the committee.
“Not,” she said, “while this kitty's around.”
In other news:
* The Health and Human Services Committee agreed to revise its process of mental health diagnostic assessment of children. A contract with Cayuga Counseling Services, Inc. will allow for quicker and less expensive evaluation. The contract would be an alternative to placing children in foster care or in a detention center in order to be evaluated.
“We'll do the diagnostic wherever the kid is,” Elane Daly, director of Health and Human Services, told the committee. “Won't go to foster care, won't go to a detention center.”
Staff writer Sarah Gantz can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or sarah.gantz@lee.net
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are 7 comment(s)
yvonne_m_99 wrote on Jul 10, 2009 5:41 PM:
tim5150 wrote on Jul 10, 2009 5:22 PM:
pdt wrote on Jul 10, 2009 11:47 AM:
tome8689 wrote on Jul 10, 2009 7:38 AM:
irritated wrote on Jul 10, 2009 7:29 AM:
FS II wrote on Jul 10, 2009 7:14 AM:
wondertwin wrote on Jul 10, 2009 1:25 AM: