Current Events > Am I being extra if I report a coworker who was way out of line?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Few months back I started working part time at a women's group home for the mentally ill. Mostly schizophrenia and depression and they're all medicated and relatively "normal" for lack of a better term. More a danger to themselves than anyone else really.
Anyway I was training a new staff member on her 3rd or 4th shift. No joke, she spent a good 80% of the shift bitching about her life and especially her husband. I don't think that's appropriate, this is a happy and positive environment and a couple of the girls are extreme empaths and it was clear as day she was triggering and stressing them out. Like how are you going to bitch about your husband to a woman who only gets to see hers twice a month? How are you going to bitch about the home you just had built to a woman who's suicidal because of her living situation? Unreal. Read the fucking room and know your audience.

Final straw for me was she was bitching about her husband buying guns and wanting her to learn to use them. She says something to the effect of "if someone breaks in and wants to shoot me whatever I don't care at this point." Within direct earshot of a woman who's been on suicide watch for two weeks, what in the ever loving fuck?

Needless to say today I've got the same one right back to saying she wants to cut herself and another who's never said she was suicidal tell me today she is. I asked the one who has been in watch "what do you think of the new staff?" and left it at that so as not to bias her answer. She came back with exactly what I expected, didn't like her vibe and she made her very uncomfortable with the complaining. Also through out she's not thrilled about someone who has panic attacks because she's in an abusive relationship (which the new girl was very vocal about) being her caregiver and I don't disagree with that.
I didn't correct her as it's not my place but did redirect the conversation several times.

So Monday I'm going to report my observations to the house lead and let her figure it out. Am I being extra here or is that a valid compliant? I'm honestly pretty pissed off about it, it's astonishing to me a health care professional (she has a medical background) can lack so much self awareness and is clearly stressing out my girls but doesn't see it.

Do you really need CE's validation for this? It sounds like you already know what you have to do. >___>

But to answer seriously no the co-worker is clearly causing an issue with her behavior and it needs to be addressed

She has a pit bull, doesn't she?

PoundGarden posted...

Final straw for me was she was bitching about her husband buying guns and wanting her to learn to use them. She says something to the effect of "if someone breaks in and wants to shoot me whatever I don't care at this point." Within direct earshot of a woman who's been on suicide watch for two weeks, what in the ever loving fuck?

That's 100% unacceptable.

If she has a habit of doing that, she either needs to learn in a fucking hurry or get shitcanned and torpedoed from working in mental health.

So, my suggestion is generally try to address the issue at the lowest point in the chain first.

Talk to her about it directly. Explain what the issue is, why it is inappropriate, and what can be done to fix it.

If that doesn't work, then take it up the chain to a supervisor. Or HR. Or whatever, depending on how your company is structured.

How is it not your place to say something if youre responsible for training her? That seems like not just your place but your responsibility.

MarcoRubio posted...

She has a pit bull, doesn't she?

Pretty disgusting that you'd use me asking for input on what to do to best help vulnerable people I care about as a chance to attempt to bait me into a pitbull argument.

Feel better about yourself?

Esrac posted...

So, my suggestion is generally try to address the issue at the lowest point in the chain first.

Talk to her about it directly. Explain what the issue is, why it is inappropriate, and what can be done to fix it.

If that doesn't work, then take it up the chain to a supervisor. Or HR. Or whatever, depending on how your company is structured.

Yeah I think I'll say something to the house lead. I just now had a break to check in since I'm filling out two incident reports now so I'm a bit more pissed. I fell like if I have to tell someone that casually stating you don't care if you die is wildly innapropriate and damaging in this setting they wouldn't get it anyway. Things that shouldn't have to be said yknow?

Tenlaar posted...

How is it not your place to say something if youre responsible for training her? That seems like not just your place but your responsibility.

Because we are both DSP. I'm neither a trainer nor in a position of responsibility so a major fuck up like that (if it were my call she'd be gone tomorrow) is the leads responsibility to handle. She was more shadowing me than being actively trained, seeing the job in action. Additionally I'm not going to potentially piss off/offend someone while in this house, I have no idea how she would take the criticism. This is a lady who spent almost 8 hours telling me she can't do anything right, her husband calls her stupid, she sits in the shower and cries etc etc. Not risking a blow up or melt down around the residents, better call was redirect every time she went off.

Traded my cat for a dog many years ago. Best decision I ever made in regards to a pet.

SHE was being extra. Not you.

Own up to what you do not know about mental health with the Day Lead and ask whether new worker is helping the clients.