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At Friday’s all-employee VSH meeting with State officials, Sec’y of the Administration Spaulding seemed surprised by employee accusations that members of the Shumlin Administration were on-record earlier in 2011 talking about wanting to build a new 40-plus-bed hospital in central VT. He shouldn’t be. VSEA found these press quotes and shares them with you:

April 6, 2011 (Times Argus): “We’re targeting between 40 and 45 (beds),” [Mental Health Commissioner Chrstine Oliver] said, noting that plan was contingent on the ability to develop additional beds elsewhere in the state.

June 28, 2011 (Free Press) — "That is what we are working on right now," Oliver said. The Department of Mental Health is now considering replacing the 54-bed Vermont State Hospital with a new psychiatric hospital adjacent to Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. 

Just three days after the Governor announced his plan for the future of Vermont mental health, there was sadness, anger, frustration and fear in the VFW Hall yesterday, as a large group of Vermont State Hospital caregivers met with State officials, including Secretary of the Administration Spaulding, to learn more about what will happen to the patients in their care and what will happen to their job. Unfortunately, the employees left the Hall with little more knowledge then they entered with.

Following official meeting, VSEA President and Director meet directly with VSH employees to talk strategy and campaign development! Coming soon!

“Outside of possibly staffing a new 15-bed facility, there is really no mention in the plan of what will happen to a majority of hundreds of existing VSH caregivers,” said [VSEA Director Mark] Mitchell. “And the [VSH] caregivers believe—as does VSEA—that they are really the only Vermonters with the specific training and experience needed to provide the highest level of therapeutic care to these particular patients with the most severely acute mental health diagnoses in the state."

Monday, December 19
Montpelier
Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.
5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 21
White River Junction
Hotel Coolidge, 39 S. Main St.
5:00 p.m.

"It is time to stop playing defense against the often absurd and always misguided attacks on public employees. There are alternatives to austerity. All that we need is the political will to demand them."

Note: Dr. Friedman is also an economic advisor for VSEA bargaining teams