Special Episode: Curt and Katie talk about the recent NUHW- Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Worker Strike. Katie interviews a National Union of Healthcare Workers representative, Dr. Kenneth Rogers. We then both reflect on the interview and a statement from Kaiser Permanente, especially related to the implications for the profession as a whole. It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age. In this episode we talk about: The implications of the strike for all mental healthcare workers A statement from Kaiser Permanente An interview with Dr. Kenneth Rogers, shop steward and member of the bargaining team for NUHW The focus of the strike – looking at what the Union is requesting What a shop steward is, how the union works, what the bargaining table looks like The bureaucracy and distance that impacts the bargaining The different perspectives of each side The complexity of the decision making, the strategy of Kaiser Permanente The possibilities that Katie sees related to state-of-the-art mental health services The goal of transforming the model of care The inefficiencies that lead to lower productivity, the focus needed to improve care The positives in the current Kaiser proposal The hope of coming together to work on the future of mental healthcare The lack of parity in how mental healthcare workers are treated versus other professionals in Kaiser, looking at the perceived payment philosophy NUHW goal for the mental health system of care – solely getting to the basic standard of care The lack of trust between Kaiser and NUHW and the complexity of the decision-making Rogers’ reflections on the survival guide tips and the impact of the strike on clinicians and patients, advice for the striking clinicians The strong desire on both sides for this “wasteful strike” to be over Reflections from Curt and Katie The progress made with repeated short strikes (or lack of progress) The goals and the intersection that seems to be lost in the bargaining process Perspective on the problem from both Curt and Katie The business assessment on lost revenue The impact of Kaiser’s payment philosophy on other workplaces (Curt busting out some economic theory from Richard Thayler) The importance of the union work on wages in other workplaces Parity for mental health professionals and what that means for mental health parity Call to action to stay informed, step up and advocacy   Resources mentioned: We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Kaiser Permanente Statement: Statement regarding NUHW’s Planned Strike December 16-20, 2019 from: Arlene Peasnall, Senior Vice President and Interim Chief Human Resources Officer Despite the National Union of Healthcare Workers’ (NUHW) decision to strike, it is important our members know that our hospitals and medical offices remain open. Our commitment to patients comes first. We are working hard to deliver the high-quality care and services members and patients need. Anyone in need of urgent mental health or other care will receive the services they require. Where necessary, we will call members to reschedule some non-urgent appointments. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this unnecessary strike. We have been jointly working with an external, neutral mediator to help us reach a collective bargaining agreement with the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). The mediator recently delivered a proposed compromise to both sides that we are seriously considering; however, the union has rejected it and announced plans to strike instead of working through the mediated process. This is NUHW’s sixth noticed strike within a single year. We believe that NUHW’s repeated call for short strikes is disruptive to patient access, operational care and service and is frankly irrespo