Q&A
Services and support for DOC staff who experience sexual assault
1:50:29
·
130 sec
Council Member Stevens presses DOC officials on the specific services and support provided to staff members who experience sexual assault. The discussion reveals gaps in current support systems and plans for improvement.
- Stevens expresses frustration with the lack of concrete information about mental health services and staff support
- DOC Commissioner acknowledges more work needs to be done in this area
- The care unit, staffed by veteran officers, is mentioned as a resource for staff
- DOC is exploring additional training programs, especially for the care unit
- Stevens criticizes the lack of urgency and concrete plans for supporting staff
Althea Stevens
1:50:29
And what services are providers to the person?
1:50:32
Because I I hear, like, there's a obviously, there's a procedure.
1:50:34
Right?
1:50:35
Because we have to write that judgment.
1:50:36
But I'm your staff member.
1:50:38
This happens to me.
1:50:39
That's that's, like, well because I I don't wanna hear, like, how also how you're, like this is traumatizing.
1:50:45
Right?
1:50:45
Like, what happens?
1:50:46
What mental services are available?
1:50:48
Do they get time off?
1:50:49
Like, what does this look like?
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:50:51
So I can tell you that there's more work for us to do here.
1:50:57
Right?
1:50:58
With the care unit, the care unit, their veteran officers, their peers, and their veteran correction officers throughout facilities.
1:51:07
So people are aware of who they are.
Tasha Carter Beasley
1:51:09
They Objection.
Althea Stevens
1:51:10
When you started off that there's more work for us to be do here.
1:51:12
So then what are you doing then?
1:51:13
Because I'm here at the head of it.
1:51:15
I am Tell me what you're doing.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:51:17
I am
Althea Stevens
1:51:17
just tell me it's more work time.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:51:18
I am invest I am actually look into additional programs, you know additional trainings, especially for the care unit.
Tasha Carter Beasley
1:51:27
Mhmm.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:51:27
Because part of the thing is the care unit.
1:51:29
There are veteran officers.
1:51:30
They dispatch.
1:51:31
They go out and talk to their colleagues, but they also need the adequate trainings as well.
1:51:35
So right now, we're looking at exploring additional training for them.
1:51:39
They have
Althea Stevens
1:51:40
an idea of what those trainings would look like and where they are, who who like, if you're saying that there's something I'm looking into.
1:51:45
Do you have the trainings?
1:51:46
You've already been researching?
1:51:47
Do you have are looking at
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:51:48
Doctor Doctor Johnson can talk a little more on that because right now they have they're they're trained on trauma informed suicide prevention, but they need additional training.
Althea Stevens
1:51:58
So where would that come from?
1:51:59
Is it that you need additional funding?
1:52:01
Like, why hasn't it been implemented?
1:52:03
Like, what what is the sense of urgency around?
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:52:05
It is a sense of urgency, and we're looking at it right now.
1:52:08
I'll I'll turn over to
Althea Stevens
1:52:09
We'll start looking at it.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:52:11
Months ago, even before I became commissioner, to be honest, because the reality is we have a lot of things that happen.
1:52:19
Our staff are also facing traumatic events
Sandy Nurse
1:52:22
Yeah.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:52:22
On a daily basis.
1:52:23
And it you know,
Althea Stevens
1:52:24
people work in the care unit.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
1:52:26
We it's approximately, I believe, 10 individuals in the care unit, we're also looking to even staff it up some more.
1:52:35
But I'll turn it over to Doctor Johnson to talk about some of the things that we are
