Westmoreland OKs new jobs, more pay for human service staffers

Westmoreland commissioners on Thursday added 32 jobs to the county payroll to expand the fledgling human services department and help ease staffing concerns at Westmoreland Manor.

Commissioners also extended the work day for 10 human services administrators in what officials said was a coordinated effort to enhance public outreach and could potentially lead to expanded hours of operations at the courthouse.

The comprehensive package of actions approved by the salary board during a meeting at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood as part of the county’s annual human services fair included about $1 million in new spending.

Human resources Director Alexis Bevan said most of the new salaries will be paid for through state grants and other reimbursements. Just $298,000 of the new wages will be paid for from the county’s general fund, she said.

The new hires include 11 social service aide positions for the county’s children’s bureau, which officials said will ease the workload of the existing staff.

“This will ultimately save the county money,” said human services Director Rob Hamilton.

The new workers will assist caseworkers in preparing paperwork, provide transportation and provide support services to kids and families under children’s bureau supervision.

Children’s bureau Director Shara Saveikis said her department, which operates with a $40 million annual budget, supervised more than 7,000 youth last year. The department accepts as many as 400 new cases each month.

“The case aides are a real benefit. They can do almost anything caseworkers can do. It’s really a complimentary position,” Saveikis said.

Human service administrators will now be paid to work 7 hour days, a 30-minute increase to their current work schedule.

It’s a move officials said is part of an ongoing effort to expand the county core key services and could signal a move to extended hours of operation at the courthouse. It currently operates weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Most courthouse staff is paid for 6.5 hour work days.

“Our plan is to eventually have county employees work longer hours but we don’t have the money to do that. It’s something we talked about,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes.

Meanwhile, the salary board also created 15 new nursing jobs at Westmoreland Manor, where for years staffing shortages have impacted operations at the county-owned nursing home.

The added positions are included in the self-scheduling program enacted several years ago to help fill vacant positions. The program allows nurses from other facilities to work regular shifts at the Manor.