November 25, 2024 — On September 17, PEF Registered Nurse Peter Shiffman was brutally attacked by a patient at South Beach Psychiatric Facility. Shiffman was struck on the side of his face and fell. He was rushed to Staten Island hospital and placed on a ventilator.
After hearing of the attack on the second-to-last day of the PEF Convention in Syracuse, union leadership mobilized immediately, setting up meetings with members and putting plans into action to pursue solutions to the problem of increasing violence at South Beach and other facilities.
On November 19, PEF facilitated a meeting that brought together members at South Beach, the commander and officers from the Staten Island precinct of the NYPD, and representatives from the Staten Island District Attorney’s office. PEF President Wayne Spence, Vice President Darlene Williams, Region 9 Coordinator Gabriela Franklyn and Region 11 Coordinator Bernadette O’Connor were also in attendance. The meeting was a chance to not only review what went wrong at South Beach, but also for the NYPD and DA’s office to hear from South Beach employees who witness acts of violence almost daily at the facility.
“The members really spoke up and talked about their personal attacks and expressed a lack of care from management when they’re assaulted,” said Vice President Williams. “They really felt like they had a chance to be heard.”
Members have had a hard time speaking up and reporting incidents due to the culture at South Beach, according to O’Connor. She thanked President Spence for demanding change and giving union members an opportunity to be heard.
The police officers in attendance reminded members to call 911 when an incident happens, but the district attorney was shocked that the system in place at South Beach failed to protect members when they needed it most.
“We made sure that the conversation we were having was focused on getting a better understating of procedures,” said O’Connor. “But we also wanted to discuss changing things because the procedures are not working.”
South Beach does have safety officers on location who are supposed to be the first line of defense for nurses and other staff. Members said that help comes too late, or sometimes, not at all.
When representatives from the district attorney’s office heard that members are either not trained or not trained regularly on how to deal with dangerous individuals, they agreed that the system is broken.
Vice President Williams said the representatives voiced support for new policies at South Beach and the other facilities in the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) system.
“That really put the members at ease,” said Williams. “We believe that there should be more secure ways for all staff in these facilities to deal with these individuals.”
At the meeting, PEF and the representatives discussed the possibility of having a “secure care unit” or a designated place to deal with patients who may potentially attack staff or put themselves or others in danger, much like currently exists in DOCCS facilities.
O’Connor is hopeful that South Beach can be a proving ground for positive change across OMH.
“A lot of the systems we have are broken,” said O’Connor. “Our members know what works because they deal with it every day. Special staff and training should be provided to deal with these circumstances.”
PEF is now focused on the next steps. With the backing of members and the encouragement of the District Attorney, PEF is setting up a meeting next month with OMH management and the governor’s office.
PEF is also focused on how best to support Shiffman. Following his discharge from the hospital in late October, he is still having memory issues, according to his family. The attack left him often confused, easily agitated and unable to sit and concentrate.
“The Peter of now is not the Peter from before,” said Williams. “He is a good nurse. He did not deserve this.”
Shiffman’s alleged assailant did not show up for a November 1 court hearing and as of this writing has not undergone an independent psychological evaluation. A new court date has been set for December and the accused individual was ordered to submit for evaluation. O’Connor said that PEF and the state must stay the course and commit to justice for Shiffman and his family.
“Peter’s family is distraught and shaken up. His coworkers are so disheartened,” O’Connor said. “Since the attack, we have been doing the best we can to make sure members feel supported and empowered, and we will continue to do that.”
Editor’s note: In the State’s next Legislative Session, beginning in January, PEF will be pushing for changes to policies and procedures to try and increase member safety and mitigate workplace violence at facilities like South Beach. Stay tuned for how you can help advance PEF’s priorities!