Kaiser to Boost California Therapist Numbers Under New Contract

Kaiser Permanente will be required to hire more mental health therapists and increase crisis services under a new four-year contract ratified by the therapists’ union Thursday.

The agreement, which covers about 2,000 therapists for the nonprofit HMO in Northern California and the state’s Central Valley, concludes the longest strike of mental health workers in history.

The standoff began in August with the therapists protesting Kaiser’s inability to provide regular and timely behavioral health care to members, with some patients waiting months for follow-up treatment after an initial assessment.

“It took much longer than it should have to reach this agreement, ...