Overtime abundant for staff of mental health complex

An analysis by Journal Sentinel reporters Meg Kissinger, Steve Schultze and Ben Poston has found two medical directors in charge of care at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex collected overtime totaling more than $300,000 at a time when federal inspectors twice declared patients there were unsafe. Overtime for Behavioral Health Division employees rose 42% in the past four years. High overtime payments were found throughout the department - from a janitor who collected more than $50,000 last year, to the nurse in charge of staff development, who topped $260,000 in overtime over the four years reviewed. Even high-ranking managers, including the medical directors, received overtime - putting the county payment system at odds with similar state-run institutions and other county departments.