Mental Health workers in the state of California had a meltdown of their own and walked off the job on strike. “Patients are getting ripped off,” they say. It seems that all of the ire is focused like a laser on Kaiser Permanente, who happens to be America’s largest non-profit HMO. They haven’t been providing “desperately needed” services.
Counselors go on strike
Thousands of California mental health counselors and support workers are heading for the picket lines. They’re demanding America’s largest non-profit HMO provide “desperately needed” services that the patients aren’t getting now.
The strike couldn’t come at a worse time because America is currently struggling with “an increase in anxiety and depression brought on by the pandemic.” With need at an all time high, services are being rationed.
A major reason for the strike is the fact “Kaiser patients are waiting months for therapy sessions.” The union representing workers says that’s not good for anyone.
As of Monday, August 15, “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.” It won’t be over until they get some relief.
The strike doesn’t come as any big surprise because negotiations haven’t been going anywhere. For more than a year Kaiser hasn’t been willing to consider the needs of workers and patients, even though they’re responsible for “9 million people in the state.”
Kaiser keeps saying no to things like expanding the workforce and “improving access to care.” It’s not that they don’t want to hire more workers, the company shoots back, it’s that those workers want too much money.
Record profits reported
The workers are out on strike because they can’t figure out why the suits can’t share some of the profit with them. For a non-profit company it’s odd that they reported “record profits last year.”
They made all that extra money because, according to the union, “Kaiser has just one mental health clinician for every 2,600 patients.” That’s not a real promising ratio.
California is full of touchy and heavily armed patients who “should receive therapy weekly.” Instead, they get therapy, weakly, “waiting up to eight weeks.” Meanwhile, “overwhelming caseloads are pushing therapists to leave the company entirely.”
Bottom line is that “patients are getting ripped off while Kaiser’s coffers are bulging.” Most of the union members agree that’s a good enough reason to go on strike.
The way Sal Rosselli, president of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, puts it, “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.”
They have to go on strike now before people start shooting each other in the mall and running over their neighbors with the family sedan. Oh wait, that’s already happening. Even so, “Kaiser patients aren’t getting the care they need.” That actually violates “clinical guidelines around treatment and state laws.“
