COPE voting link | COVID training | Public comment: Call out Kaiser

(10/21) Voting link for COPE endorsements

We were glad to see you at yesterday’s 10/19 COPE meeting. For those of you who missed it, you can view the recording of yesterday’s session HERE.

Members can vote now until 2pm on Thursday 10/21 at this link: https://surveyhero.com/c/v3binwkv on:

1. Whether to endorse California Domestic Workers’ Coalition PTO Ordinance and
2. Whether to join UESF in opposing the recall of SF Board of Education commissioners.
   
   (Presentations from California Domestic Workers Coalition Director, Kimberly Alvarenga, and United Educators of San Francisco President, Cassondra Curiel, are also included in yesterday’s recording).

(Friday, 10/22), 1-2pm, Training on COVID-19 Workplace Safety Enforcement and Advocacy

Your state affiliate, the California Federation of Teachers, will be running a short but important training this Friday, 10/22, from 1-2pm on COVID-19 Workplace Safety Enforcement and Advocacy. If you’re interested in participating, please let Spencer know at sjackson@aft2121.org. The link for attending is here.

This training will cover the basics of enforcing your department’s Return to Campus plan (see the posted ones here), the terms of your union’s COVID Impacts Agreement (see here), and other issues such as what to look for in your department’s Return to Campus Walkthrough. The training will also cover the most effective means of advocating for workplace safety as a union. As counselors, librarians, and educators, we’re committed to organizing a safe return to in-person instruction, and this training is part of that process, so please come learn about how you can work to ensure CCSF returns to campus safely.

(Thursday, 10/21) Have you struggled to receive care at Kaiser?

Have you struggled to receive timely access to Kaiser behavioral health services? NUHW is calling on you to testify!

1. Call in at approximately 11am to give a public comment on item #2 of the Oct 21, Government Audit and Oversight meeting
2. Please RSVP to John Avalos javalos@nuhw.org with your name and email.
   PUBLIC COMMENT CALL-IN: 1 (415) 655-0001 / Meeting ID: 2493 244 7467 # #
   WATCH SF Cable Channel 26, 78 or 99 (depending on provider) WATCH www.sfgovtv.org
3. More info: Detailed NUHW study summarizing the problem.

Please speak to your own personal experience of accessing care and if lack of access has impacted your well being– emotionally, financially, socially, etc. Kaiser claims that patients can get non-urgent mental health appointments within the ten business day legal standard.

• Is that your experience?

• How long have you had to wait to get mental health care from Kaiser?

• How have difficulties accessing care impacted your recovery, or treatment? your community? your job or family?

• Have you had difficulty navigating the intake and assessment process for mental health care?

• Have difficulties led you to give up seeking care from Kaiser or seek care elsewhere?

• Have you or anyone you know sought mental health care from city-funded services even though you are a Kaiser member?

Example talking point:

“She has sought mental health services from Kaiser but was unable to get individual treatment. Because of this she has decided to pay out of pocket for private therapy, a great financial burden, in order to be able to go about her life. She observes that Kaiser’s intake system puts all the onus on patients to struggle to get care, which is made harder the more severe their mental health issues are.”