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Page 2 <br /> <br />S~. ecialized Recruiting of Male Health Care Staff <br /> <br /> Due to existing collective bargaining agreements, Personnel rules <br />and regulations, etc., the Department of Personnel is unable at this <br />time to approve the Department's request for specialized recruiting. <br />Eleanore Hoover, Personnel Director for DPW, will meet with Dr. Young <br />to discuss possible alternatives for solving the problem at Anoka State <br />Hospital. Mr. Boland said a major problem is the salary being offered. <br />He suggested that if this is a specialized treatment area the Department <br />should consider creating special jobs with higher pay. But the hospital <br />must first identify specific categories of patients and what programs <br />they need. After that, the rest will follow. Also, students at local <br />colleges might be hired out of salary savings to work nights. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lightburn commented that current staff who meet the special re- <br />cruitment criteria could be trained to handle the difficult patients, <br />but until reorganization into units is completed the number of these <br />people available to assist on any one shift may range from 2 to 10. The~re <br />are currently very few vacancies at Anoka. Mr. Boland added that the <br />Department has requested 100 positions for MI staff for the entire syst~ <br />but so far there has been no support for this request. <br /> <br />Staffing <br /> <br /> John Zakelj and Maria Gomez from the Department of Public Welfare <br />have agreed to work part time as staff for the committee. Negotiations <br />are currently underway to secure the services of another mental health <br />professional who could provide assistance to Bill Lightburn and the <br />staff on this project. <br /> <br />Summarization of Problem Areas <br /> <br /> From the statements of problems and issues received from members <br />since the last meeting, Mr. Lightburn compiled a list that was distrib- <br />uted to the members. The concerns identified, in most cases, followed <br />the list of problem areas for Anoka State Hospital on the Diagram~ of <br />Issues distributed at the first meeting. <br /> <br /> Mr. Blomquist expressed concern about the increasing numbers of <br />patients needing containment at Anoka State Hospital and recommended <br />that anybody connected with committing people to this hospital should <br />be contacted about the situation. Dr. Young said the staff people will <br />have to reassess the role of secure units and look at admissions, <br />whether appropriate or not, discharg'e procedures, etc. <br /> <br /> Mr. Boland reported that in about a month a person will be hired <br />as a forensic coordinator and will be contacting the courts as a liaison <br />with judges. <br /> <br /> Mr. Parachini advised that the c0mmitt.ee will have to look at the <br />role of Anoka State Hospital in the counties it serves. This should be <br />the principal responsibility of this committee - the role and function. <br />of ASH and where it fits within the area it serves. It is incumbent <br />upon the counties to sit down and look at their relationship with Anoka. <br />This could happen by means of the Task Force in Hennepin County. A <br /> <br /> <br />