Social Worker Safety: Time for Action Is Now
The recent murder of Ward 86 Social Worker Alberto Rangel was shocking and horrifying to our community.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, frontline staff have been demanding UCSF and the city improve workplace safety and create safe-staffing levels across all of our public health settings. The recent DPH report which details recommendations for safety improvements at Ward 86 and beyond sends a sobering message to us all: improving safety cannot wait.
The events of last December highlight UCSF’s inaction when it comes to servicing their outpatient public health settings. While UCSF is the employer for hundreds of frontline behavioral health staff who are critical to preventing community violence, they have long refused to invest the safe-staffing demands of their workers with their funds directly. UPTE-represented social workers have been ringing the alarm bell about the shocking levels of underresourcing and understaffing on its campus for years. Since the incident, social workers and the broader UC health community have engaged in rallies, marches, press conferences, town halls, and direct conversations with DPH and UC leadership to address the critical need for improved staffing.
The time for UCSF to take action is now.
We, the undersigned community allies, support our frontline staff’s urgent call for change. Supplying safe staffing levels, equity, and justice for our most vulnerable workers must be a joint commitment between all of our stakeholders. UCSF must now do everything in their power to advocate for safer working conditions and foster a true partnership with the city to invest in saving lives.
Signed,
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