Gov. Mark Dayton, state officials and state hospital employees
Governor Mark Dayton is calling on the legislature to approve additional funding for state hospitals and mental health facilities, and brought front-line workers to the Capitol today (Wed) to help make his case. Jackie Spanjers from the Anoka Regional Treatment Center says they’re inadequately staffed and don’t have training or tools to handle an increase in patients with aggressive behavior. She says patients “kick, scratch, bite and choke us. They spit on us and chase us with weapons. They yank our hair and hit us with furniture.” Spanjers says because of new state rule, they’re seeing many more patients with mental illness transferred from jails. Governor Dayton is asking lawmakers to appropriate $177 million to improve patient and worker safety at state facilities.