Editorial: Westmoreland County staffing shortages need decisive action
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On Monday, Westmoreland County officials confirmed that state investigators had found multiple violations at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield.
The 16-bed juvenile detention center has been closed since June. Officials attributed to two reasons: state child welfare investigations and staffing shortages.
Those reasons seem to be inextricably tied together.
“We were cited for having a staff member escort (a teen) to the hospital, which left us understaffed,” said Controller Jeffrey Balzer, chairman of the county Juvenile Detention Board.
Balzer appeared to dismiss the issue as an anomaly.
“I understand you have to have rules and regulations, but there was no thought given that it was a one-time situation,” he said.
That would be reasonable if it were a one-time situation. The ongoing staffing issues point to a larger concern. Four of the center’s violations were regarding staffing issues. Two others related to a juvenile offender testing positive for marijuana and having access to a vape pen. It’s not hard to see that type of problem as also being cured by having enough supervision.
A third investigation disclosed Tuesday revealed a potential riot with outnumbered and improperly trained staff.
“These are serious problems, so we need to address this immediately and head on,” said Commissioner Ted Kopas.
Kopas was just appointed to take over the seat of Gina Cerilli Thrasher, who resigned to take a state position. It’s good that he sees the importance of action regarding the detention center because action is needed.
Director Rich Gordon — former director of the shuttered Shuman Juvenile Detention Center in Allegheny County — said staff has fallen to just four employees. A minimum of 12 are necessary to reopen.
But the county doesn’t seem to be motivated to find solutions. A job fair Wednesday, Aug. 16, will seek warm bodies to fill more than 250 positions across county government. However, more proactive approaches are needed. There needs to be real attention to troubleshooting and problem-solving, considering the way vacant positions are affecting county services.
This is an important example because it involves vulnerable populations with children and safety concerns given that they are involved in the criminal court system.
The closure and lack of an idea when the detention center will reopen point to the problem of not having a firm direction on how to address staffing shortages. The kind of problem impacting juvenile detention today could easily hit other services.
The problem requires more than hoping the right candidates show up at a job fair. There should be a task force or other measure taken to plot solutions. Even if commissioners decided today to close the detention center for good, the Westmoreland County staffing shortage dilemma would remain.