HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

142

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION and the department of human resources development to study and implement parity between occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists within the department of education.

 

 

WHEREAS, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists all work as related services for special education students, and their services are mandated by state and federal law; and

WHEREAS, occupational therapists and physical therapists work side by side on the same integrated educational teams with speech therapists in the Department of Education and are unique by training and skills, but their job responsibilities and duties are essentially equal in nature; and

WHEREAS, speech therapists have operated under a memorandum of understanding entered into between the Department of Education and the Hawaii Government Employees Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 152, AFL-CIO, on August 30, 1989, which affected certain state employees, including speech therapists and social workers, and as a result, there has been a disparity between occupational therapists and physical therapists on one side, and speech therapists on the other, who are in the same bargaining unit 13, working in the Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, in most settings other than the state system, occupational therapists and physical therapists are paid more than speech therapists due to their significantly increased amount of technical and science background. Within the Department of Education, occupational therapists and physical therapists are paid significantly less than speech therapists and work two months more each year. While teachers and other related services are on paid vacation, occupational therapists and physical therapists are limited in their duties without the rest of the integral team; and

WHEREAS, the disparity between speech therapists and other professionals working in the Department of Education with respect to compensation and work schedule has created a problem of recruitment of qualified, permanent occupational therapists and physical therapists for years in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, as a result, the State has spent several million dollars hiring contracted therapists from the mainland who typically spend less than one year in our community, only to leave after countless hours of Department of Education therapists' time to orient, train, and acclimate them to the work situation, essentially acting in the role of senior therapists even when their salary package is lower than that of the contractors; and

WHEREAS, fragmented services of this nature have a negative effect on the quality of services provided to our children, and only adds fuel to the dissatisfaction of parents and advocacy groups who continue to challenge the system, and creates a hostile environment for those permanent therapists who remain; and

WHEREAS, improving the standards of compensation and creating parity among professionals with similar professional roles would considerably improve morale and our ability to recruit and retain qualified, permanent therapists; and

WHEREAS, for the purpose of improving the quality of services to our special needs children, and with the goal of removing the disparity between speech therapists and occupational and physical therapists; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Department of Education and the Department of Human Resources Development are respectfully requested to study and implement parity between occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists working within the Department of Education; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include a review and analysis of the following:

(1) Updating job descriptions relevant to the new roles of occupational therapists and physical therapists as staff specialists, since they transitioned from the Department of Health to the Department of Education in 2001, including review and input from present occupational therapists and physical therapists in the Department of Education;

(2) A classification study specific to occupational therapists and physical therapists within the Department of Education, looking to bring their class specialization from SR20 to SR22, by utilizing the same "distinguishing characteristics" contained in the speech therapists IV description, specifically, Type II, which involves providing services under a non-technical supervisor;

(3) Inclusion of similar shortage differentials including geographic differentials; and

(4) Amending the memorandum of understanding entered into between the Department of Education and the Hawaii Government Employees Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 152, AFL-CIO, on August 30, 1989 to include occupational therapists and physical therapists; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education and the Department of Human Resources Development are requested to report their findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education and the Director of Human Resources Development.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

DOE; Therapists