Ayotte says she wants to act on recommendations made in AG's report on SYSC

Ayotte says she wants to act on recommendations made in AG's report on SYSC

Responding to a new report from the Attorney General's Office, New Hampshire officials say they're trying to reverse staffing trends and dysfunctional management at the Sununu Youth Services Center.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she's acting on the recommendations in the report.

"I want everyone to understand we're going to implement those recommendations," she said.

Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Weaver addressed the findings Wednesday at a meeting of the Executive Council in Manchester.

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"Affirming that the facility is not doing anything illegal, which, I think, is first and foremost very important, that children were not being harmed by staff," Weaver said.

Weaver said she agrees with the finding that the staffing is at a critical point. The vacancy rate for youth counselors is at 53%, and several key supervisory positions are also unfilled.

The council's tabling of a support staffing contract caused another reduction in available workforce on July 1.

"I was required to mandate overtime for particular positions in the department," Weaver said. "I put a call out to everyone in my department to help. I put my senior team in there. I've been down there. It's been everybody trying to keep it afloat. The challenge is we just don't have enough staff for the kind of acuity we're seeing in the facility."

"I think that tabling this contract at the last meeting – I didn't agree with it then," Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill said. "I really hope we can pass this today, because we've already made a dangerous situation even worse."

The council approved the support staffing contract Wednesday on a 5-0 vote.

Ayotte said she's particularly interested in getting body-worn cameras for staff members to more quickly sort out accusations of misconduct in the future.

"I think that will be important to protect not only the residents, but the staff, and then there won't be any questions about what happens if we have everything, every interaction on camera," she said.