TURNING POINT COUNSELING Workers fear for jobs, service

The union says it has some ideas on how to cut costs besides layoffs.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- An estimated $1.1 million deficit that led to cost-cutting measures by Turning Point Counseling Services, including layoffs and reduction of services, has some of its employees concerned about their jobs and the welfare of mental health services in the community.
Eight Turning Point employees, including six members of Service Employees International Union District 1199, were laid off in March, and up to 17 more could lose their jobs when Horizon House, a residential facility for the mentally ill in Boardman, is transferred from Turning Point to the Burdman Group.
Burdman Group, which like Turning Point is partly funded by the Mahoning County Mental Health Board, operates long-term housing for the mentally ill.
Interviewing
Burdman has begun interviewing Turning Point employees for the positions that will be needed when Burdman takes over Horizon House.
Union spokeswoman Jonnette Welch, a Turning Point employee, said, however, that there are no guarantees the current Horizon House employees will all be kept.
Union members aired their concerns and suggestions at a press conference at 5:30 p.m. Monday outside Turning Point offices on Belmont Avenue.
Regarding Horizon House, Erin Connolly, union spokeswoman, said, "We're hearing that Burdman won't staff at the same level as Turning Point and that the jobs won't pay as much."
Hope Haney, a member of the District 1199 executive board, said the union has some suggestions that could result in savings. They include changing staffing patterns, having fewer people on shifts, and transferring employees to different jobs and departments rather than laying them off.
She called for "open and honest dialogue" between the mental health board, Turning Point board and the union to solve the problem.
"The top of our agenda is to preserve continuity of care for Turning Point's some 3,000 clients. And, we also want to save our jobs," Haney said.
Ron Marian, county mental health board director, said the board hired a Cleveland consulting firm, Rea and Associates, for $6,000 to examine Turning Point's finances and personnel and make recommendations.
Recommendations followed
Among Rea's recommendations were to get a new chief financial officer and reduce personnel, both of which have been done.
Marian said the firm will continue to provide consulting services to help the Turning Point board and its executive director, Joseph Sylvester, turn its finances around.
Sylvester said part of the money problem stems from high employee health-care costs -- $1.2 million -- the six months before and six months after the merger. He said the Turning Point board asked the membership to contribute to health-care premiums, but that was voted that down.
"We would reduce staff through attrition, but we're at the stage now that we have cash-flow problems. We can't continue to ask for advances" from out funding sources, Sylvester added.
"I want the community to know we're thinking things through. We have a good staff, and we're going to do what is best for the community and the clients who need our services," he said.
alcorn@vindy.com