After pay hike, turnover drops at state mental hospital

The administrator at the Human Services Center in Yankton says hiring and staff retention have improved since a pay raise and a rapid hiring fair last year.

The state-run mental health facility in Yankton has struggled with turnover and staff shortages for years, with employees working mandatory overtime to deal with the needs of the 1,800 people served annually.

The facility came under close scrutiny after an Argus Leader Media investigation outlined an uptick in attacks against employees by patients. The facility lost an employee every three days on average since 2008, the investigation showed.

Overall turnover since July has dropped to 10 percent, Administrator Troy Jones told lawmakers during a budget briefing for the Department of Social Services Monday.

Investigation: Patient attacks take toll on state mental hospital

Turnover for direct care staff now sits at 13 percent, Jones said, an improvement over the 24 percent logged for direct care for state fiscal year 2016.

There are now 36 and a half open positions in direct care, Jones said, a drop from the 59 open slots the month before an Oct. 26 hiring fair. Fifteen mostly entry-level people were hired, Jones said.

HSC still needs 11 nurses, eight and a half mental health aides, seven counselors, three psychiatric social workers and nine clinical staff.

Mandatory overtime is still an issue, Jones said, but “we are looking at doing away with that in the very near future,” Jones said at Monday’s meeting of the Joint Appropriations Committee.

Rep. Jean Hunhoff, R-Yankton, asked Jones if the hospital ever turned away patients on the weekend. Jones said the units might consolidate on weekends, but that no one is turned away.

Hunhoff then asked if the lack of a weekend pay differential – which employees get at the South Dakota Developmental Center in Redfield – has had an impact on staff retention. HSC had requested a shift differential, but Gov. Daugaard didn’t put it in his FY 18 budget, Hunhoff pointed out.

“Why was the request made if now I’m hearing you’re not having problems with weekends?” she said.

The request was made as HSC struggled with turnover last year, but Jones suggested a pay raise approved by last year’s legislature might be enough.

“We wanted to see if that would actually make an impact on our ability to attract and recruit and retain individuals,” Jones said.