Japan’s first mental health workers sign union contract

The Albuquerque Community Safety Authority signed its first collective bargaining agreement with the union in March. Crystal Little, vice president and bargaining committee member for the ACS Agency, said the department cited a lack of support for employee well-being, stability and mental health.

The coalition is the first government in the country to deploy first responders with a background in mental health to respond to nonviolent calls, said Shelley Miera, ACS behavioral health response officer and negotiating committee member. He is representing the institution. Miera said emergency personnel are dispatched through a 911 call.

“One of our primary goals is to ensure our voices are heard, with a focus on the safety and health of our responders,” Little said.

The union was first organized in 2022, Little said. Its main goal is to work with the city of Albuquerque to establish consistent safety procedures and earn first responder status, he said.

“We are not yet at a (first responder) state. If for any reason there is an incident where a responder is assaulted or a responder is in danger, we have no , you don’t have that kind of security knowing something is going to be done and you have the legal support you need.”

In the case of an assault, the city will assist first responders and take steps to classify the incident as an “assault on a health care worker.” New Mexico Statute 30-3-9.2. Miera said ACS officers lack support from the city when assaults occur.

In March, the union representing the Communications Workers of America (ACS) and CABQ reached an agreement. collective agreement. The agreement provides that if an ACS employee is injured on the job, they will not have to pay for necessary emergency transportation.

The agreement also established a labor-management committee meeting between departmental management and the union. Miera said the meeting could create an open dialogue and resolve concerns between the two sides.

“We had a brainstorming session and said, ‘This is the problem we’re facing, this is what we need, this is the idea we have, and how we can solve it,’ and we came up with something we could agree on. ,” Miera said. “The management team and management were happy to allow us the opportunity to attend these meetings and speak on matters pertaining to management rights in order to boost morale and increase cohesion across the department. .”

The agreement also allocated increased wages to employees working swing shifts (shifts between day and night shifts) or night shifts. Miera said ACS responds to incidents 24/7, and each shift presents its own challenges.

“We get into the afternoon, followed by the night shift…If someone calls in because they’re having a mental health crisis, people have more options during the day to reach out to others. is probably not necessarily imminent,” Miera said.

Little said one of the union’s goals is to ensure employees receive proper training given the uncertainty faced by employees responding to each call.