The Nevada governor’s misguided decision to close an important psychiatric facility for children is an unnecessary disruption to critical patient care, according to the AFSCME members who work there.  

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo’s administration announced the temporary closure of Desert Willow Treatment Center, further upending the lives of vulnerable youth in crisis and putting hundreds of jobs at risk.  

“The state’s decision to temporarily close the facility has created chaos for patients who need stability and staff who need consistency in an uncertain economy,” said Terra Carter, an AFSCME member and Nevada state employee. “Many now face unemployment ahead of the holiday season, a traditionally slow period of hiring both in the public and private sectors.”  

Carter spoke on behalf of the AFSCME members who are concerned about the patients of Desert Willow but were told by management to not speak publicly about the closure and feared retaliation.  

AFSCME Local 4041 members have raised safety issues at Desert Willow for years and believe improvements can be made without hurting families and public service workers. Union members met with management and presented issues and solutions, and they have spoken at state legislative hearings about the frequent safety issues they have experienced. 

Local 4041 members recently hosted a press conference where members of the Nevada State Assembly and the leader of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance shared their concerns about the harm the closure will cause Nevada families.  

“Desert Willow serves Nevada’s highest-needs kids, children often in acute psychiatric crisis with nowhere else to go, and they are cared for by some of the state’s most dedicated staff,” said Nevada State Assemblywoman Erica Roth. “Closing Desert Willow is a cruel and indefensible choice by the Lombardo administration that abandons children in crisis and the dedicated staff who care for them.”   

Elisa Cafferata, executive director of Children’s Advocacy Alliance, said that while youth treatment programs need improvements, cutting services and jobs is not a solution.    

“Children’s Advocacy Alliance is here because the message needs to come through loud and clear: Nevada must prioritize children’s mental health and well-being, not just talk about it,” Cafferata said. “We have to see significant investment in children’s mental health in our next state budget and in the next state legislative session. Our children’s future is on the line, and we can’t afford not to.”    

AFSCME members will continue to stand together to hold the state accountable and to ensure their rights are respected as state workers are reassigned or terminated from state service during this transitional period.