To the Editor:
We all know how important mental health has become. From adults to children, prioritizing mental well-being is now a national conversation. More people than ever are seeking treatment for a wide range of mental health issues, from anxiety and depression to traumatic brain injuries and lifelong disabilities. But while the demand for mental health services has skyrocketed, the staffing to meet that demand hasn’t kept pace.
I’ve been a Mental Health Assistant II at Connecticut Valley Hospital since 2008. When I started, I was part of a class of 50 new hires. Today, I’m the only one left in my unit. Many of my colleagues have walked away, pushed out by chronic understaffing, high-risk conditions, and a system that offers little opportunity for growth or support. And who can blame them?
The patients I work with are geriatric individuals who can’t live in traditional nursing homes due to their psychiatric conditions. Many are confused, frustrated, and prone to agitation, especially when their needs aren’t being met. These needs range from assistance with bathing and eating, to constant supervision for some residents who require around-the-clock monitoring.
But meeting those needs is becoming impossible. When I started, we had eight staff members on a shift, just enough to provide the supervision required to keep everyone safe. Now, management has cut that number down to five. This means two people are now expected to do the work that five were handling before, more than doubling our workload. This is dangerous.
Understaffing is leaving our workforce overworked, exhausted, and burned out. It’s no surprise that most new employees don’t last more than three years, some even less. This leads to a constant revolving door of inexperienced, untrained staff. And while management cuts corners to save money, the risks are growing. We’re approaching a breaking point where the safety of both staff and residents is being compromised. What happens when we can’t keep up?
Many of our residents have no families to return to, and for those who do, they often lack the resources or training to care for them properly. If we can’t provide the necessary care, these vulnerable individuals will have nowhere to go and no one to ensure their safety. It’s not a matter of if something terrible happens but when.
This crisis isn’t just a staffing issue, it’s a liability, a moral failure, and a growing public safety concern. Our state’s decision to slash staffing levels is making an already dangerous situation worse. Without immediate action to restore and increase staffing at our state facilities, we’re putting the lives of both staff and residents at risk.
We need to stop the damage now. Connecticut can’t afford to keep ignoring this crisis. We need to adequately staff our state agencies to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of both the residents we serve and the workers who care for them. Lives depend on it.
Stephan Bobb
Hartford, CT