Kaiser Patients Highlight Mental Health Struggles During Strike

Zoom Conference Highlights Struggles in Mental Health Care Amid Kaiser Strike

A virtual press conference was held today, drawing attention from a dozen news outlets, to highlight the ongoing challenges faced by patients seeking mental health care during the Kaiser Permanente workers' strike. The event, accessible here, featured four patients sharing their experiences.

Coverage by Courthouse News provided insight into the situation:

For months, mental health care provider Yesmine Florines struggled through to get mental health treatment at a Kaiser facility in Southern California for herself for postpartum depression and suicidality.

“It’s very difficult because I feel like I’m playing the runaround for eight, nine, now going on 13 months where I have not been able to get a regular provider,” she said Monday during a press conference on Zoom of mental health care patients at Kaiser Permanente facilities in Southern California.

These patients are part of a larger group, exceeding 500 individuals, who have reached out since October to detail their difficulties in accessing mental health services. The decision to host the event on Zoom facilitated wider media coverage, even reaching a public radio station based in Georgia, an area where Kaiser maintains a substantial presence.

During the conference, NUHW Researcher Fred Seavey explained violations committed by Kaiser during the strike. Sal Rosselli, President Emeritus of NUHW, provided an overarching view of the ongoing struggle, while Jeremy Simpkin, a case manager with experience in both Northern and Southern California, offered insights from a provider's perspective.

The event extended beyond an hour, engaging the press in a question-and-answer session. The full conference is available for viewing here.

Updates from the Picket Line:

• Member-led toy drives and numerous children were present on picket lines throughout Los Angeles.
• Fox-5 San Diego covered the press conference and captured footage of the San Diego picket line.
• Note that there will be no picket lines on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this week and the following week.

More details about the ongoing strike can be found in the post Kaiser mental health strike: Day 64 on the NUHW website.

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