Frequently Asked Questions

About The Notice

1. Why did I get a Notice?

You received the Notice because you are part of a group, known as a Class, that will get money from an upcoming class action Settlement if it gets approved by the court.

If you’ve worked as a registered nurse, licensed vocational nurse, licensed psychiatric technician, or mental health worker/technician in the Nursing Department at Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital between December 6, 2018, and November 25, 2024, you need to make a choice.

The Notice provides a summary of the terms of the proposed Settlement, details the rights you hold as a part of the 'class,' and guides you to make a knowledgeable decision regarding your next steps.

The Notice is an important legal document. You should read it in its entirety.

If you don't understand anything in the Notice or need help, please email info@SBHHSettlement.com or call (888) 369-3780.

2. What do I do next?

Read the Notice to understand the settlement and decide if you want to:

Keep reading to understand the details of the settlement and what each option would mean for you.

3. What are the most important dates?

Learning About The Lawsuit

4. Why is there a settlement?

Kristal Morris filed a class action lawsuit in 2022 alleging that Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital (“SBHH”) failed to provide her and current and former registered nurses, licensed voca¬tional nurses, psychiatric technicians, or mental health workers or technicians in the Nursing Department at Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital proper meal and rest periods and failed to pay overtime wages between December 1, 2021, and December 8, 2022. The lawsuit also alleges that SBHH failed to provide these employees with accurate wage statements and failed to pay employees all their wages due when they quit or were terminated.

The lawsuit alleges that the other defendants — Signature Healthcare Services, LLC (“Signature”), Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare – Santa Rosa, LLC (“SBHH”), Villa Oaks, LLC dba Villa Oaks – Santa Rosa, LLC, Villa Oaks – Anaheim, LLC, Villa Oaks – Av, LLC, Villa Oaks – Bakersfield, LLC, Green River Management, LLC, Kebok – Rancho Arroyo Grande, LLC, Livermore Life Properties, LLC, Riverside Life Properties, LLC, Roseville Life Properties, LLC, San Jose Life Properties, LLC, Vista Life Properties, LLC, and Soon Kim — all worked in concert with SBHH and are responsible for the alleged violations.

These Defendants deny that they did anything wrong.

Where can I learn more? Get a complete copy of the proposed Settlement Agreement and other key documents here.

5. Why is there a settlement in this lawsuit?

After carefully analyzing the legal claims and defenses, the evidence in this case including time punch and payroll records, and considering the risks and expense of further litigation, the attorneys representing the Parties in the case have agreed to a settlement to avoid the cost, delay, and uncertainty of continuing the lawsuit.

The Settlement is not an admission of any wrongdoing by the Defendants, and the Court has not decided which side is right. Instead, both sides have agreed to the Settlement to ensure a resolution and provide benefits to eligible class members.

By settling the lawsuit, class members can receive compensation for the alleged Labor Code violations sooner rather than later and avoid the risks and costs of continuing the case, including the risk that class members would receive nothing if the case went to trial and the Defendants won.

6. What happens next in this lawsuit?

The Court has not decided this case in favor of either side. The Court has only preliminarily decided that the Settlement is sufficiently fair and adequate to provide you with an opportunity to review the Settlement and decide whether to object or exclude yourself.

While the Court has approved the Notice, the Court must still grant final approval before any payments can be distributed. Please be patient. The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing to decide whether to approve the Settlement:

Where: Department 22 of the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse located at 720 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

When: October 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.

You are not required to attend the Final Approval Hearing. However, you may attend at your own expense if you wish. You may also ask the Court for permission to speak at the hearing to express your views about the Settlement.

To join by Zoom link: https://saccourt‐ca‐gov.zoomgov.com/my/sscdept22.

To join by phone: (833) 568‐8864 / ID: 16184738886

If the Court does not approve the Settlement, or if the parties terminate the Settlement Agreement, the Settlement will be void and the lawsuit will continue.

Important Note: The hearing date may change without further notice to the Class. For current information about the hearing date and additional Settlement details please check this website.

Learning About The Settlement

7. What does the Settlement provide?

Defendants have agreed to pay $2,300,000 as full and final settlement of the claims in this case. This money will be used to pay for costs and fees approved by the Court, including the Class Counsel’s fees and expenses, the cost of administering this settlement (expected to be approximately $12,000), and “service awards” up to $29,000 to the named plaintiffs in this case—Kristal Morris, Amy Coronado, and Jonah Gojar¬—to compensate them for their time and effort in bringing this action and serving as class representatives. The remainder will be distributed to class members such as yourself. Your individual share will be calculated based on the formulas set forth below in question 8.

You will have 180 days to cash your checks. If you do not cash your check within 180 days, your check will become invalid. Any checks that remain uncashed after 180 days will be donated to Legal Aid At Work. You will still be bound by the terms of the settlement even if you do not cash your check.

As part of the settlement, you will release the defendants in the Action, their members, shareholders, directors, predecessors, successors, assigns, insurers, reinsurers, officers, employees, supervisors, managers, agents and attorneys, from any and all claims based on the facts alleged in the Second Amended Complaint, including but not limited to claims for unpaid overtime, meal and rest period violations, meal period premiums, rest period premiums, waiting time penalties, and accurate and complete wage statements, or arising under Labor Code §§ 201, 202, 203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 516, 1194, 1194.2, 1199 or Sections 11 and 12 of the applicable IWC Wage Order between December 6, 2018, and November 25, 2024.

You will not release any other claims, such as claims for vested benefits, wrongful termination, violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, unemployment insurance, disability, social security, workers’ compensation, or claims based on facts occurring outside the Class Period, or any claims for civil penalties arising under the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004, Labor Code section 2699, et seq.

8. How much will my payment be?

The expected amount you will receive was included in the mailed Notice. However, the amount you'll receive depends on several things.

First, the administrator will subtract from the total settlement fund the attorneys’ fees and costs, administration costs, and payments to the class representatives as approved by the court. This creates the net settlement fund.

The net settlement fund will then be allocated across the claims alleged in the case based on the relative strength of each claim as follows:

• 60% will be allocated to pay the unpaid overtime claims;

• 30% will be allocated to pay the meal and rest period claims;

• 5% will be allocated to pay the wage statement claims; and

• 5% will be allocated to pay the waiting time penalty claims.

As set forth in detail below, the administrator will calculate the number of work weeks you worked during each of the following periods that are applicable to the different claims asserted in the case:

• Meal and Rest Time Period: From December 6, 2018, to November 25, 2024

• Unpaid Overtime Time Period: From December 1, 2021, to December 8, 2022

• Wage Statement Time Period: From December 6, 2021, to November 25,2024

The Administrator will then adjust the number of work weeks you worked in each time period as follows:

1. If you're a class member and you didn't sign an arbitration agreement, your work weeks will be multiplied by 1.27. This is intended to make up for the inclusion of the claims of those class members who are subject to arbitration agreements whose claims are inherently riskier given the arbitration agreement; and

2. Your work weeks will also be multiplied by the average hourly rate based on payroll data for your title.:

Once the administrator has calculated each class member’s adjusted work weeks, the administrator will then calculate your proportion of the adjusted work weeks for each claim. Your share will then be that proportionate share for each claim multiplied by the amount of the net settlement fund allocated to pay that claim.

By way of example, to calculate the share of the settlement allocated to the unpaid overtime claim for a class member who worked as an RN, who did not sign an arbitration agreement, and who worked 40 weeks during the Overtime Time Period, the administrator would multiply 40 x 1.27 x 52.57. The administrator would then divide that value by the sum of these values for all class members to calculate that class member’s proportionate share of the amount of money allocated to the unpaid overtime claim for that class member.

The Administrator would make similar calculations for the meal and rest period claims and the waiting time claims.

The share of the wage statement allocation will be calculated by multiplying the number of workweeks worked during the Wage Statement Time Period by the arbitration multiplier and dividing that value by the sum of these values for all class members. This calculation does not include the average hourly rate because the wage statement penalties are calculated strictly based on the number of pay periods irrespective of hour rates.

The sum of these calculations for each claim will net that class member’s share of the Settlement overall.

Please review the Notice that was sent to you for your Workweeks calculations and estimated Settlement Payment.

If you think the number of work weeks you worked is wrong or held a different job title, you can send the Administrator the proof necessary to verify that you worked more work weeks or held a different job title in the relevant time periods. You can mail this proof to the administrator at:

Morris v. SBHH
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 26170
Santa Ana, CA 92799

Your dispute must be postmarked by August 9, 2025, and must include the case name and number (Kristal Morris v, Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, LLC, et al., Case No. 34-2022-00330937), your full name, address and telephone number, and email address (if you have one); and an explanation setting forth the reason why you believe the number and/or job title based on Defendants’ records is incorrect. If you have any records to substantiate your dispute, please include them in your dispute.

Deciding What You Want To Do

9. How do I weigh my options?

You have four courses of action that you can take at this time.

1. You can contest the number of workweeks you worked for Defendant as set forth in FAQ 8.

2. You can tell the court that you do not believe that the Settlement is fair or reasonable. If the court doesn't agree with your objection, you'll still have to accept the Settlement, and you'll get your payment without doing anything more.

3. You can exclude yourself from the Settlement and be free to file your own claims against any of the Defendants. You will not be bound by the settlement and your share of the settlement will be redistributed among all the other participating class members.

   1. Please be aware that there are important deadlines that may apply to your claims. You should consult with an attorney before determining that you would like to exclude yourself from the Settlement; or

4. You can do nothing and get your share of the settlement automatically. Settlement payments can be received electronically if you opt to receive one (see FAQ 11) You will be bound by the release and will not be able to bring any claims on your own that were alleged in this case between December 6, 2018, and November 25, 2024. Payment will only take place after the Court finally approves the Settlement and Defendants fund the Settlement Fund. The Settlement provides that Defendants have until March 17, 2026, to fund the Settlement. Please be patient.

10. What are the consequences of doing nothing?

If you do nothing, you will automatically get your share of the Settlement as determined by the Administrator. You will be bound by the release and will not be able to bring any claims on your own that were alleged in this case between December 6, 2018, and November 25, 2024. Payment will only take place after the Court finally approves the Settlement and Defendants fund the Settlement fund. The Settlement provides that Defendants have until March 17, 2026, to fund the Settlement. Please be patient.

Please see the Settlement Agreement, which can be found here, for a full description of the claims and persons who will be released if this settlement is approved.

Settlement payments can be received electronically if you opt to receive one (see FAQ 11)

11. How do I opt for electronic payment?

To opt for electronic payment, you may submit your online payment election here to register how you would like to receive your payments electronically. You will need your Unique ID and PIN from your Notice.

12. Do I have a lawyer in this lawsuit?

In this type of lawsuit, known as a class action, the judge chooses certain people, who are called Class Representatives, to represent everybody else and lawyers, who are called Class Counsel, to work on the case and protect everyone else's interests.

If you want to be represented by your own attorney, you may hire one at your own expense.

As part of the approval process, the Court certified a class in this case and appointed the legal representatives and lawyers that are representing you in this Action.

Class Representatives: Kristal Morris, Amy Coronado, and Jonah Gojar

Class Counsel: Valerian Law, P.C. and Hunter Pyle Law P.C. These law firms negotiated this settlement on your behalf. You will not be charged for their services.

13. Do I have to pay the lawyers in this lawsuit?

The money used to cover the costs and fees of the lawyers will come from the Settlement Fund, which is used to pay the claims of group members. This means you won't have to pay the lawyers out of your own pocket.

So far, Class Counsel have not received any compensation for their work or any money back for the expenses they've paid in this case. To pay for their time and risk in bringing this case without any guarantee of payment unless they were successful, Class Counsel will request, as part of the final approval of this Settlement, that the Court approve a payment of up to one-third (33 ⅓ %) of the Settlement Fund in attorneys’ fees plus the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses up to $75,000. Attorneys’ fees and expenses will only be awarded if approved by the Court as a fair and reasonable amount. You have the right to object to the attorneys’ fees even if you think the other settlement terms are fair.

Opting Out

14. What if I don’t want to be part of this Settlement?

If you don't want to be part of the Settlement, you can send a letter to the administrator at the address below letting them know that you wish to be excluded.

Morris v. SBHH
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 26170
Santa Ana, CA 92799

To be valid, your letter must:

• Be postmarked by August 9, 2025;

• Include the case name and number (Kristal Morris v, Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, LLC, et al., Case No. 34-2022-00330937);

• Includes your full name, address and telephone number, email address (if you have one), and signature; and

• State affirmatively that you wish to be excluded from the settlement in this case.

Objecting

15. What if I disagree with the settlement?

If you're not happy with any details of the Settlement, you can object to the Settlement. You must give reasons why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement and say whether your objection applies to just you, a part of the Class, or the entire Class. The Court will consider your views. The Court can only approve or deny the Settlement in its current form; it has no authority to change the terms.

To object, you can send a letter to the Administrator at the address below stating the grounds for your objection.

Morris v. SBHH
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 26170
Santa Ana, CA 92799

To be valid, your letter must:

• Be postmarked by August 9, 2025;

• Include the case name and number (Kristal Morris v, Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, LLC, et al., Case No. 34-2022-00330937);

• Include your full name, address and telephone number, email address (if you have one), and signature;

• State the reasons for your objection; and

• Say whether either you or your counsel intend to appear at the Final Approval Hearing and your counsel’s name.

You have the option to use your own lawyer for assistance. You and/or your attorney can also attend the Final Approval Hearing at your own expense and ask the Court for permission to speak and express your opinion about the Settlement even if you did not previously submit a written objection.

Key Resources

16. How do I get more information?

This website and the Notice is a summary of the proposed settlement. If you want a printed copy, you can find it here.

Any questions? You can:

• Contact Class Counsel (information below);

• View the important documents in the case, including the full Settlement Agreement here; and/or

• Access the Court’s Public Portal or by visiting the Clerk’s office of the Court (address below).

To access the case files on the Court’s Public Portal, you will need to create an account. After this step, you can look up using the case number, 34-2022-00330937, and click the link on the next page. You may then download the documents filed in the case. You may also view the documents filed in the case by using one of the computer terminal kiosks available at each court location that has a facility for civil filings.