They kick us to the curb - Employee reacts to sudden closing of Valley mental health

NEW TONIGHT EMPLOYEES OF A MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE IN PALM SPRINGS SAY THEY WERE GIVEN JUST 3 WEEKS THAT THE FACILITY WOULD BE CLOSING. NEWS CHANNEL 3'S SAMANTHA LOMIBAO IS LIVE TONIGHT AT "R-I MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE" NEAR NORTH PALM CANYON AND RAQUET CLUB -- WHERE AN EMPLOYEE SPOKE WITH HER ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THIS MOVE. SAMANTHA -- JOHN/KAREN TOMORROW MARKS THE LAST DAY FOR EMPLOYEES HERE AT R-I MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE. AFTER JUST FINDING OUT 24 DAYS AGO THAT THIS LOCATION WOULD BE CLOSING. IT'S A MOVE THAT'S LEFT MANY OF THE SCRAMBLING FOR A NEW JOB AND OTHERS. WITH NOWHERE TO GO. CURB JESSICA HURST PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST, RI MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE "I FELT VIOLATED, I FELT USED, I FELT LIKE I DIDN'T MATTER. THAT NONE OF US MATTERED TO THIS COMPANY. THAT WE'RE DISPOSABLE PEOPLE. PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST JESSICA HURST HAS BEEN WITH R-I MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS. "WE SUPPORT PEOPLE FROM THE BOTTOM AND TRY TO GET THEM ON THEIR NEXT LEG OF THEIR JOURNEY. THAT'S OUR GOAL." AND ON JUNE 6TH HURST AND ABOUT 25 OTHER EMPLOYEES WERE TOLD THEIR LOCATION WOULD BE PERMANENTLY CLOSING ON JUNE 30TH.

"THREE WEEKS TO GET OUR STUFF TOGETHER AND FIND OTHER EMPLOYMENT OR FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO MOVING FORWARD." SHE SAID THIS LOCATION SERVES UP TO 300 PEOPLE A MONTH GIVING FREE CARE TO THOSE SUFFERING WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE. "THEY'RE GONNA BE LOST. THEY'RE GONNA BE LOST. THEY COME TO US BECAUSE THEY TRUST US AND FOR SOME PEOPLE IT TAKES 2 OR 3 TIMES TO JUST GET THEM IN THE DOOR. BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED AND THEY DON'T TRUST ANYBODY." AND BY SHUTTING DOWN THE LOCATION SHE SAID LEAVING MANY OF THEM WITH NOWHERE TO GO. "THEY'RE GONNA BE COMMITTING CRIMES AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING TO JAIL FOR STUPID STUFF. AND THE HOSPITALS ARE GONNA BE OVERFLOODED, AND THE ERS ARE GONNA BE CRAZY FULL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST TRYING TO GET HELP." OVER THE PAST YEAR HURST TOLD ME THEY'VE BEEN CONSISTENTLY SHORT-STAFFED. WITH MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES WORKING OVERTIME TO KEEP THE PLACE RUNNING. "WE STRIVE TO HAVE PEERS HERE BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. I'VE LITERALLY BEEN ALONE IN THIS BUILDING WITH GUESTS THIS LAST WEEK. JUST ME, NOBODY ELSE HERE BUT ME." SHE SAID EMPLOYEES WERE ALSO PROMISED A BONUS THAT WOULD BE 3- PERCENT OF THEIR GROSS PAY FROM OVER THE LAST YEAR. BUT THIS WEEK THEY RECEIVED AN EMAIL STATING THAT BONUS IS

NOW PAY RAISE.. THAT ONLY APPLIES TO ANYONE WHO CONTINUES TO WORK THROUGH JULY. WHICH BEGINS A DAY AFTER THE PALM SPRINGS LOCATION CLOSES. "NONE, NONE OF US." TOMORROW WILL BE THE LAST DAY FOR THIS LOCATION AND IT'S EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO R-I MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE FOR COMMENT BUT WE HAVE NO YET HEARD BACK. LIVE IN PS, SL, NC3. DEVELOPING STORY