The unionized psychologists, therapists, chemical dependency counselors and social workers are demanding that Kaiser Permanente provide “desperately needed” services to its patients, claiming that some wait months for needed therapy sessions.
The open-ended strike is set to begin Monday, the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents 16,000 workers in California and Hawaii, said. Kaiser staffs about one full-time mental health clinician for every 2,600 members, leading to therapists leaving Kaiser at a record rate, the union said.
“Patients are getting ripped off while Kaiser’s coffers are bulging,” union president Sal Rosselli said in a statement. “We don’t take striking lightly but it’s time to take a stand and make Kaiser spend some of its billions on mental health care.”
The strike comes as the country experiences a surge in mental health issues. The World Health Organization said the first year of the Covid-19…
