AFSCME members who work in state-run mental health facilities are taking a beating from violent patients, according to recent statistics and an incident reported earlier this week. 

On Monday night, a security counselor at St. Peter was violently beaten by a teenage patient.  He smashed her head into a brick wall and kicked her as she had a seizure.
 68 staff have been injured by violent patients in six months at the state security hospital in St. Peter, according to the attached OSHA injury log (January – June 2015).  The number and severity of the injuries is unprecedented in the history of the state hospital.
 
AFSCME Local 404 leaders Matt Stenger and Tim Headlee spoke up for their coworker in St. Peter. They made safe staffing a top news story among many media outlets:

FOX-TV: Minnesota security hospital staff member assaulted by patient

KARE-TV: Security hospital inmate attacks, injures staff member

KSTP-TV: Patient attacks staff member at security hospital

WCCO-TV: St. Peter hospital worker hurt after attack by patient

KEYC-TV: Teen assaults female staffer at security hospital

MPR: Patient assaults staff member at Minnesota Security Hospital

Star Tribune: Teen at Minnesota Security Hospital bashes counselor’s head against wall

Mankato Free Press: Security hospital employee assaulted by patient

St. Peter Herald: Security hospital staff member seriously injured in assault

Daily Journal: Human Services investigates after patient, 16, assaults staff at Security Hospital

AP: Patient assaults staff member at Minnesota Security Hospital

Bring Me the News: Hospital worker suffers seizures after attack by teenage patient