What:
Meeting to discuss forming a telehealth mental health worker co-op
When:
Oct. 2, Sunday 3pm
Where:
Zoom (click here to register)
Background:​
There is a growing movement within the mental health field to form worker cooperatives instead of capitalist enterprises. Two noteworthy examples are Phoenix Mental Health in Minneapolis, and Alliance Collective in New York. SF Well Clinic here in California is converting into a worker cooperative in San Francisco right now.
What exactly is a worker co-op? A worker co-op is a business enterprise where workers control production through democratic governance. Each worker gets a vote on all matters related to finance, scheduling, and workplace conditions. Worker cooperatives are more common in Spain, Italy, France, Venezuela - and are slowly becoming more common in the US as an alternative to the for-profit healthcare model.
If you are a therapist, psychologist, social worker, clinical counselor, etc. consider joining our upcoming zoom meeting as we week to form a statewide telehealth worker cooperative in California. A few of us in different parts of California are interested in forming a statewide telehealth worker cooperative, and if you're a psychotherapist, psychologist, social worker, clinical counselor (etc), you're invited to this zoom meeting.
In most top-down community mental health and group practices settings there are no democratic controls within the workplace, leading to burnout, corrosion of trust, and running contrary to egalitarian values. Joining this discussion about the possibilities of a worker co-op might be for you if you are interested in bringing values of collectivism and community into your work.
In this meeting we'll explore how other mental health worker cooperatives currently operate, openly discuss our fears and hopes, excitement and skepticism, and begin exploring each others interests, visions, values and building the trust and relationships that could bring a statewide telehealth collective into reality.
A better world is possible. Let's build it together!
