The Board of Supervisors agreed unanimously last week to reconsider their decision on an item formally designating Dr. Jenine Miller as the head of the combined Public and Behavioral Health departments. On May 7, the board narrowly voted to ask for a full review before creating the position. Some board members said their understanding was that the two departments had been integrated on a temporary basis, and that they had not been privy to detailed plans.
At the meeting two weeks ago, public and behavioral health employees presented the Board with a letter, signed by most of the staff, extolling Dr. Miller’s leadership and pleading with the Board to offer her what they view as fair compensation for her work. Union representative Patrick Hickey requested an investigation into allegations that some staff were pressured into signing the letter of support. Hickey’s letter was publicized, causing outrage. MendoFever quoted from both letters.
Over the past two weeks, allegations of misconduct and character deficiencies flew, including an anonymous letter accusing Supervisor Glenn McGourty of abusing his position, which he denied, adding that it was based on information that is protected by confidentiality.
At last week’s meeting, Dr. Miller gave a presentation outlining the combined duties of the two departments; which areas have already been integrated; and an estimate of cost savings as a result of the integration.
Miller appears to have significant staff support. Half a dozen employees lined up at the podium to ask supervisors to reconsider their request for more information before officially creating the new position that Miller would occupy.
Akesh Eidi, the president of SEIU 1021, told supervisors that the union’s executive board “has not taken a position on creating a Director of Health Services or a merger of Public Health and Behavioral Health.” He also requested an investigation into how Hickey’s request for an investigation was publicized, which he maintains had a chilling effect on employees’ right to free speech and compromised their right to an impartial and confidential investigation. He noted that the letter presented to the Board in support of Dr. Miller was written by a union member, whose due process rights he claims were violated by the leak.
“The public comment and subsequent naming of individuals involved in the petition has resulted in palpable fear, in both Public Health and Behavioral Health,” he announced. “No fewer than 16 members who work at (the Public Health building on) Dora Street expressed to me directly that they are now afraid to come here, speak to you, or express any opinion on board activities for fear of being the next target. Several managers expressed to me the same, and no, I will not name names because they fear retaliation from this board. Because the list of who could have released Mr. Hickey’s email is very small.”
The letter concludes with an offer of union “engagement…to ensure that employees fully understand their rights to free speech and to confidential personnel matters.”
Marta Moreno Sanchez, an ethnic services coordinator for Public Health, believes Miller has been treated unfairly, and demanded to know who exposed her boss to scathing public criticism. “Why are you making an example of my director?” she inquired, adding that she and other unnamed staff are beginning to wonder if Dr. Miller is being subjected to discrimination. “Will Public Health and Behavioral Health now be publicly torn apart and publicly shamed? Because that’s what’s been happening now,” she concluded.
McGourty said he, too, had been exposed to unjust public accusations. He alleged a serious breach of fundamental professional ethics at the department whose leadership was being so hotly defended. “I realize that some people from Behavioral Health have been quote, unquote, outed into the local quote unquote press,” he declared. “The same thing has happened to me, on confidential information. That should not have happened. And it was submitted anonymously. I just want to let you know, you hurt my family. It’s really unfortunate, because it had to come from Behavioral Health. Nobody else would have known.”
For her part, Dr. Miller presented a timeline of Board direction to integrate the two departments going back to September of last year. The resolution to approve her new classification as director of the combined department took place on December 19, and in February of this year, the budget deficit plan included the integration. She said administrative staff has been reduced by 13.5 full time equivalent positions, with an estimated savings of nearly $1.8 million. She also expects that further efficiencies will bring more funds into the combined department.
She told the Board that the department was able to leverage realignment money for the first time in many years, which means the county will be able to bring in more state and federal money that has been available but which hasn’t flowed into the county coffers because “we haven’t utilized our funding correctly.” She added that the department has not done an analysis of all its efficiencies yet, but she expects to be able to save more and bring in more money using other strategies as well, such as billing Medi-Cal more efficiently.
Supervisor Dan Gjerde made a motion to reconsider the Board’s decision about creating the director position for the combined department on the next agenda. Supervisor Ted Williams seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
