As the budget process finalizes, your ACSS is tracking key changes that may impact state supervisors, managers, and confidential employees in the Department of State Hospitals (DSH).
In his original 2013 budget proposal, Gov. Brown called for the reduction of staff at Vacaville and Salinas facilites and the activation of the new Stockton California Health Care Facility. In his May budget revise; however, Gov. Brown had proposed eight different changes to his original DSH budget, including adding positions at Vacaville and Salinas facilities.
At an April 3 Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing on the Stockton activation, the Committee addressed the Administration’s efforts to add positions at Vacaville and Salinas in the May revise:
“The SPP (Stockton) will employ a total of 931 clinical and administrative staff. DSH states that it has undertaken outreach and education efforts to affected staff at Vacaville and Salinas, thereby providing information about employment opportunities at SPP. The hiring plan has been phased in over a two-year period to accommodate building activations, licensing and patient movement plans. DSH expects to fill all positions by December 2013. The January 2013-14 budget does not include the savings from staff reductions at VPP (Vacaville) and SVPP (Salinas), however this savings is expected to be reflected in the May Revision.”
In April, both houses approved the Governor’s January proposal to add $100.9 million to activate 514 beds at the Stockton California Health Care Facility. Of this, $67.5 million was for additional staff to complete the activation and $33.4 million was to fund the full cost of 2012-13 positions.
As of June 10th, both Houses of the Legislature had approved a plan to cut $22.6 million and 164.2 positions to reflect staff reductions at Vacaville and Salinas.
Per ACSS Legislative Advocate Ted Toppin:
In talking to both Assembly and Senate Committee budget consultants, they said that they did not include the Governor’s staffing proposals because, by adding positions at Vacaville and Salinas, it was contrary to what had been promised in the January budget and in April’s hearing. According to budget staff, when they sought more information supporting the May revise additions, the Department of Finance could not provide it. Legislative staff told Finance that if they want these new positions, they should propose a mid-year budget adjustment or include them in the 2014-15 budget in January 2014. Finance did not fight for the positions in this budget and said they would come back and make the requests when they had additional information.
As the Legislature makes the full budget information available to the public, we'll keep you in the loop re: any further DSH developments.