Mental health therapists at Kaiser Permanente clinics statewide will go on unrestricted strike starting next week.

According to a National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) press release, staffing shortages have caused patients to wait months for treatment sessions. Mental health clinicians hope the strike will prompt health care providers to address the issue of access to care.

It was the second strike in Hawaii this year, with clinicians leaving their offices and picketing.

“Clinicians will continue to strike for as long as it takes for Kaiser to deal with the staffing crisis,” said Matthew Aerts of the National Union of Health Professionals.

The strike outside the Kaiser facility will begin at 6:00 am on Monday, August 29th. Kaiser Hilo Clinic therapists will go on strike from 8am to 2pm on September 1st.

“It’s more difficult than ever for Kaiser patients to access mental health care, and Kaiser’s proposal at the negotiating table will make matters worse,” said Dara, a clinical psychologist at Kaiser’s Hilo Clinic. Wallsten said, “The only option we have at this point is for Kaiser to go on strike for as long as necessary to meet patient needs and to close the clinic’s understaffing.”

Kaiser spokesperson Laura Mott released a statement addressing the mental health clinicians’ strike plan.

“At a time when the need for mental health care is so critical, we are sorry that the National Union of Healthcare Workers has once again called on our dedicated and caring mental health professionals to stay away from Hawaii patients. ‘ said Mott. Email Big Island Now. “We remain committed to providing quality care and will work with unions through the negotiation process to finalize new agreements.”

Kaiser and the union are currently negotiating a deal. Mott said providers remain committed to negotiating in good faith and reaching a fair and equitable agreement.

“We have the utmost respect and appreciation for mental health professionals and are dedicated to supporting their important work,” Mott said. We take the potential very seriously and have plans in place to ensure that our members and patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care.”

Mott said the strike was a negotiation tactic NUHW has used every time it negotiated a contract with Kaiser Permanente for the past 12 years.

The Hawaii strike comes as more than 2,000 therapists in Northern California enter the third week of an unrestricted strike to get Kaiser to improve access to mental health care.

According to the release, Kaiser’s 57 psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, medical social workers, case manager nurses, and chemical addiction counselors are working with seven medical facilities on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. We serve 266,000 Kaiser members in our call centers.

In Hawaii, a clinician joined NUHW four years ago to advocate for better access to mental health care, but NUHW is frustrated because frustrated therapists leave faster than Kaiser can hire new ones. , stating that it will only increase the wait time. Kaiser, which reported $8.1 billion in profits last year, has boasted to state regulators that it is gearing up for mass hiring, but has warned clinicians that wage freezes and new hires have been imposed. to agree to the abolition of pensions to Hire new therapists and keep the ones you still have.

“We go on strike for our patients,” said Rachel Kaya, a psychologist at Kaiser’s Maui Lani Clinic. And all you get from Kaiser is lip service, if Kaiser is serious about expanding the mental health workforce, single us out for cuts they haven’t asked for from any other union in Hawaii. It wouldn’t have happened.”

NUWH also placed Kaiser’s certification status in Hawaii under “corrective action” because the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) violated national standards for providing access to mental health care. claimed to have been downgraded.

According to Kaiser, this is not the case. According to information posted on Kaiser’s website, “Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has performed well in its recent periodic NCQA accreditation survey (completed in May 2022), with all applicable services completed in May 2025. We have successfully achieved full NCQA accredited status for 3 years until March 11th.”