September 8, 2025 — “I come to work to do my job. I don’t come to get hurt or attacked.”
Those words from Rachelle Charles, a registered nurse at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, express a sentiment shared by everyone who works for New York State. But all too often, PEF members are reporting incidents of workplace violence, harassment, and unsafe conditions on the job.
“At that moment, you’re not even thinking,” said Charles, who was attacked by a patient on May 3, 2025. “He came in, barged his way into the med room and started attacking me unprovoked.”
Charles was in the middle of helping him and other patients when the attack happened. She described the attacker to the police as tall and heavyset. He’s listed on the police report at 6’2”, 320 pounds. He was shouting, she said, and as she tried to de-escalate, he shoved a medical cart at her and began striking her while she ducked and covered her head.
At first, Charles did not want to press charges against the patient. Eventually, after speaking with other PEF members, she changed her mind.
“I decided to press charges because I didn’t want them to put me back on the ward with him,” she said. “I was scared for my life. I didn’t want him to attack me again.”
After taking some time to recover and receive physical therapy for injuries to her right arm and back, Charles made the trip to the Suffolk County Police Station to file her report on May 28. But she did not go alone. PEF Vice President Darlene Williams, PEF Region 12 Coordinator Corinne Testa, Field Representative Andrew Greco, and other PEF members accompanied her.
“They were all very supportive and I was glad to have them there with me, but the police seemed annoyed that the union was with me,” said Charles. “I spoke to an officer alone, but it seemed like he was trying to deflect the situation. At some point, I requested that there be a PEF representative present before I continue the conversation.”
Charles said she was already nervous about talking to the police and filing the report and the dismissive nature of the first officer did not help. Eventually, the police allowed a union representative to be present while Charles delivered her report.
“As a victim, I was made to feel as though being assaulted and harassed was simply part of the job—an unfortunate and unacceptable implication for anyone working in a psychiatric facility like Pilgrim,” said Charles.
It was PEF’s involvement and willingness to stand with Charles that made her feel safe and supported.
“They had my back, and I was happy they were there to witness what I witnessed,” said Charles.
Since visiting the precinct, PEF has worked with the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and local law enforcement. PEF President Wayne Spence engaged with the inspector and deputy inspector from the Third Precinct in Suffolk County. Previously, police would not respond to incidents at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center due to an assumption that safety officers on site would act as “first responders.” Following discussions with PEF, the precinct will now respond to violent incidents at Pilgrim when they are reported.
“Our members are not only workers — they are citizens of Suffolk County and the State of New York,” said Vice President Williams. “They deserve the full protection of local law enforcement, just like anyone else. This development is a major step forward in ensuring their safety, respect, and legal rights.”
For Charles, though she is grateful for the work done by PEF and the support of co-workers and fellow members, she hopes to see a change within OMH and how agency leaders support their nurses.
“I want to see supervisors be more supportive of staff if this happens again. We shouldn’t have to work in fear,” said Charles. “OMH needs to be better at staffing and better at providing safety for the staff. This doesn’t have to keep happening.”