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Mental Health Professionals Strike Over Kaiser's Use of AI
Union says initial screening is being taken from licensed clinicians
Mar. 19, 2026 at 3:15am
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Up to 2,400 psychologists, social workers, and other mental health therapists at Kaiser Permanente in California staged a one-day strike, protesting the company's growing use of artificial intelligence tools for initial patient screenings. The National Union of Healthcare Workers argues the AI-powered system can miss patients at high risk of self-harm or in crisis, and that Kaiser is trying to scrap workload limits that protect time for existing patients.
Why it matters
This strike highlights growing concerns among healthcare workers about the impact of AI on patient care and their own jobs. While Kaiser says AI is meant to reduce administrative burdens, not replace human judgment, the union argues it could negatively affect the quality of mental health services.
The details
The walkout involved clinicians across the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Sacramento, with nurses and other unionized hospital staff joining the picket lines. The union contends Kaiser has declined to put into the contract that AI will not replace therapists, and is trying to steer more care to outside contractors. Kaiser disputes it is using AI to make clinical decisions or cut staff, saying it is expanding its mental health workforce.
- The one-day strike took place on Wednesday, March 19, 2026.
The players
National Union of Healthcare Workers
The union representing the mental health clinicians who staged the strike against Kaiser Permanente.
Kaiser Permanente
The Oakland-based nonprofit healthcare organization that is implementing the use of AI tools for initial patient screenings, which the union opposes.
Katy Roemer
A nurse in adult and family medicine at Kaiser Permanente who shared the California Nurses Association's concerns about the use of AI in patient care.
What’s next
The union and Kaiser Permanente are expected to continue negotiating the use of AI in mental health screenings and services.
The takeaway
This strike highlights the growing tension between healthcare workers and employers over the implementation of AI technologies, with concerns about patient safety, job security, and transparency around the technology's impact on care delivery.
