‘Patients are getting ripped off’: California’s mental health workers go on strike

Thousands of mental health workers in California are going on strike to demand that Kaiser Permanente, America's largest non-profit HMO, better provide "desperately needed" services.

As the US grapples with an increase in anxiety and depression brought on by the pandemic, Kaiser patients are waiting months for therapy sessions, according to the union representing the workers.

Starting Monday, more than 2,000 workers, including psychologists, therapists, social workers and counselors, are expected to hold daily rallies at picket lines across the state, from Sacramento to the Bay Area to Fresno, as part of an open-ended strike.

The move comes after a year of failed negotiations between Kaiser, which serves 9 million people in the state, and the union. Kaiser has rejected union proposals seeking to expand the workforce and "improving access to care", according the union, while the company argues the central issues relate to wage increases and time spent on administrative tasks.

Despite reporting record profits last year, Kaiser has just one mental health clinician for every 2,600 patients, the union said. Patients who should receive therapy weekly instead are waiting up to eight weeks, according to the union, and overwhelming caseloads are pushing therapists to leave the company entirely.

"Patients are getting ripped off while Kaiser's coffers are bulging," Sal Rosselli, the president of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, 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 need for mental health services surged during the pandemic as anxiety and depression rose in the US and across the world. In the first year of the pandemic, anxiety and depression increased by 25% globally, according to the World Health Organization. The US surgeon general has warned America's youth are facing a mental health pandemic.

But Kaiser patients aren't getting the care they need, the union says, accusing the healthcare giant of violating clinical guidelines around treatment and state laws. California previously fined Kaiser $4m for problems with its mental health services, including extended wait times. The state is investigating Kaiser's behavioral health services after receiving complaints from patients and providers.

"We're serving a strike notice because our patients aren't receiving needed services," Shay Loftus, a Kaiser psychologist participating in the strike, said in a statement. "We're not willing to be part of a system that disrespects the work we do and prevents us from providing ethical care."

Kaiser argues it's facing the same shortage of workers as other US care providers because there aren't enough mental healthcare professionals to meet the rising demand and that the union is "exploiting current challenges as a bargaining tactic". The company has hired nearly 200 clinicians since 2021 and used virtual care to improve access, according to Kaiser.

"Despite all that we are doing, we, like others, are challenged to meet the demand and know more must be done. We are focused on continuing to find new ways to meet our members' and patients' mental health needs," Deb Catsavas, the senior vice-president of human resources at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, said in a statement.

"This strike is an unnecessary tactic to increase the union's leverage at the bargaining table, making it harder, not easier, to deliver mental health care," Catsavas said.

Patients will continue to receive care from workers who opt not to strike, Catsavas said, adding that "nonurgent" appointments may be rescheduled.