National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) Southern California Strike

Your care is our top priority. The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), which represents our nonphysician mental health and addiction medicine professionals (primarily therapists) and other mental health care professionals in Southern California, is conducting an open-ended work stoppage at Kaiser Permanente locations in Southern California.

Please know that your health and well-being remain our focus.

If changes to appointments are necessary, we will notify you in advance to discuss appointment options that take your preferences and treatment needs into consideration. You do not need to call or email your therapist’s office at this time. Please know that we have urgent and crisis services available at all times.

Members will continue to have timely access to individual therapy appointments during the strike. We have comprehensive plans in place to continue providing mental health care, including offering patients the opportunity to be seen by another professional in our extensive network if their regular provider takes part in the strike. If you prefer to wait until your therapist returns to work, you may do so. If you do not want to wait for your therapist, we will meet that need for care.

No facility impacts
Our hospitals, emergency departments, and medical offices are open and will remain open and operating as usual.

Hospital and emergency care
Our hospitals and emergency departments remain open. If you are having a medical emergency, please dial 911 or proceed to an emergency department.

Mental health services
No referral is needed to make an appointment for therapy or counseling. Visit kp.org/mentalhealth to schedule an appointment at the mental health, behavioral health, or psychiatry department nearest you.

Medical care
If you have a routine, nonemergency care issue, we are happy to help you find a convenient care option through kp.org/getcare or by phone at 833-574-2273 (TTY 711), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Member Services
You may also call Member Services, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed holidays). We can help you access crisis intervention and guidance, get referrals, and connect to many other resources.

• English: 1-800-464-4000
• Español: 1-800-788-0616
• 中文: 1-800-757-7585
• TTY: 711

Kaiser Permanente has a long, proud history of working successfully with labor. We work with more than 40 unions and employ the largest number of represented health care workers in the country.

We are also committed to providing an excellent work environment for our mental health and addiction medicine health care professionals, including continuing to provide competitive wages and benefits that are at or above market averages. For Bargaining Updates and details of our offer to NUHW, visit kp.org/NUHWbargaining.