Hemet, CA–A group of care professionals are gearing up for a worksite action outside of the Riverside County Hemet clinic to highlight the urgent need to ramp up the security measures at the clinic. The worksite action, known as a Safety Check, arrives on the heels of countless reports of serious safety breaches at the clinic over the past year including physical altercations with individuals under the influence and those struggling with mental disorders.
On December 15, 2016, SEIU Local 721 filed a group grievance on behalf of Hemet Clinic care professionals against Riverside County to implement proper safety measures within 15 days of the filing. The legal filing cites County employees’ growing fear of being fatally attacked while on the job, and the serious need to better protect the patients they serve.
“We are entrusted to provide quality services to the County’s most vulnerable population, yet we’re constantly looking over our shoulder because there have been one too many break-ins and security lapses at the clinic,” said Hemet Clinic Behavior Specialist Leslie Hille. “We are urging the County to establish and enforce real safety measures to protect us all.”
At the Safety Check, Care Professionals will publicly offer solutions to remediate the worsening problem and offer a safe space for other clinic employees to step forward and share their own experiences.
The Hemet Clinic serves patients with unique needs including those recovering from addiction, those struggling with mental disorders and parolees/ex-offenders. Healthcare professionals are consistently working in an environment where patients can be mentally unstable, suicidal or homicidal, making basic safety measures indispensable.