Kaiser Permanente mental health staff strike over screening process changes and AI concerns
Kaiser Permanente replaced licensed clinician screening with unlicensed staff and automated e-visits for first-time mental health patients starting January 2024, reportedly causing longer delays for high-risk cases. In February 2026, about 2,400 mental health workers struck over the screening changes and concerns Kaiser plans to use AI to replace licensed therapists.
What happened
Kaiser Permanente introduced a new screening process for first-time mental health patients beginning in January 2024, replacing licensed clinician triage with unlicensed clerical workers who ask scripted yes-or-no questions to assess severity and urgency. The system also includes e-visits, online questionnaires patients complete before scheduling with a licensed professional.
Approximately 2,400 mental health care workers represented by the National Union of Health Care Workers conducted a one-day strike on 9 February 2026 to protest the screening changes and express concerns that Kaiser has plans to use AI to replace licensed therapists.
Reported impact
Licensed therapist Ilana Marcucci-Morris reported observing patients with increasingly severe mental health issues in her Oakland clinic, with five licensed therapists stating that high-risk cases experienced longer delays for care after the new assessment process rolled out.
Marcucci-Morris noted that patients who previously would have received appointments within days were now waiting a week or two longer, and expressed concern: 'Thank God they're still alive.'
Index analysis
The shift from licensed professional screening to unlicensed lay operator screening and automated e-visits represents a departure from previous clinical triage protocols at Kaiser.
Workers expressed concerns about AI replacing jobs and worsening work conditions, with management reportedly pressuring clinicians to use AI-assisted charting to process more patient visits in less time.
Governance controls
Kaiser Permanente stated it delivers 'timely, high-quality care to meet members' needs' and denied that automation is taking place, despite workers and their union stating otherwise.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.