For those of us who are fans of Frank Capraesque All-American happy endings, I believe that is the direction we are heading with the Paradise Center Scandal.
Today I got a message from Teresa Davis to share with you....
In our case, the saying "no news is good news" definitely applies.
Thanks to our many supporters, our organization has set up shop, and we are slowly rebuilding our program.
We invite you to check us out on facebook where our friends are posting their stories and messages.
Also, don't forget to check out our website for the latest news (check out our many generous donors!) and volunteer opportunities.
If you want to come see our new place, then Memorial Day would be a great time. We don't have a "Grand Opening" party planned yet, but we'll be here Monday playing water games and cooking food on the grill.
Stop by and have a burger with us...we love seeing friends, old and new!
Teresa Davis
Paradise Center, Inc.
friends helping friends in mental health recovery
www.ParadiseCenterInc.org
525 S. Henderson Street
Fort Worth, TX 76104
817-348-0911
18 comments:
From a therapeutic point of view, it is very prudent for the resilient consumer-run organization to go slow in returning to full operation mode because the confusion and emotional injuries suffered as the result of the coup-de-tet, and its abusive aftermath, will take a lot of time to recover from. As a case manager who has interacted with Teresa and the Paradise organization, in the old facility and the very nice new one, I echo the sentiments expressed by others that MHMRTC's leadership screwed up big time by trying to destroy such a positive and stablizing organization, one that only a person with Teresa's professional skill set and personal integrity could make possible.
I and fellow case managers are relieved to see Paradise and Teresa still quietly and effectively serving the many needs of people with severe and chronic mental illness. The needs are exponentially greater after the brutality these fragile people endured the past three months. Those responsible should pay for the damages they've done.
BTW, contacts inside Hulen Tower reported
that MHMRTC lost in their fight to retalliate
against Teresa by fighting to prevent her from collecting temporary unemployment. The misleading and made-up representations just won't cut it outside of the agency and its local sphere of influence. Some employees just refused to continue with the dishonesty, especially when threat of criminal sanctions for perjury is now playing a prominent role...like a crucible for truthfulness.
Hey, Dr. Jim McDermott, saw your picture with several people in the Star Telegram as you were out raising funds for MHMRTC.
Wanted to let you know that the 54"
Big Flat Screen TV is awesome! Also, the new furniture is so comfy and staff made an area for watching movies, etc, and another area for Wii. Brunswick pool table is used daily and is greatly appreciated.
Wish you could have been at our new Community Center Memorial Day BBQ! Lawrence, peer leader, cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for 75 people! We have lots of fun!
Sandra, a client with MHMR won the contest for naming the new center so we are now known as "Community Center". She got a $25 gift card to Wal-mart that she was real excited about!
Well, thanks for looking out for us at Community Center !
This is really sad for a large governmental agency like MHMRTC to use anonymous comment posts to slyly brag about the waste of taxpayer dollars and other resources.
I and others who work around the clinic and see and hear things. And yes, the Hulen Tower stooges had a little cookout today. Congratulations, but those people with disabilities who operate--present tense!-- Paradise Center did it all the time and didn't see such a thing as a major accomplishment. But for you, it's a major deal. Good for you. need to work on your counting skills, though.
A "contest" and an award for using the name that Paradise Center had been using for years? Congratulations, again. Drop-in center, drop-out center, community center...so original, peer leaders Tony and Lynne.
This ongoing b.s. campaign is being orchestrated from the high-ups inside Hulen Tower. The professional and moral standard is really high under the McDermott regime...not!! Time for sweeping changes because these people are continuing to embarass many of us hard-working and rational employees.
Someone should look into Jimmy McDermott's 501(c)3 Visions, or the various aliases used for it, because it smells fishy as all get out. While the big shots used donated tax-deductible funds to have parties for themselves in nice air-conditioned locations, the PEOPLE with mental illness who take some very strong medications are still forced to sit in the burning sun, contrary to what the doctors and pharmacological guidelines say about these people avoiding direct sun light and extreme heat. Thanks alot for making the whole agency look really imcompetent and uncaring about the real important things.
Bragging about new furniture, a pool table, and a game room. Amazing. My teenagers are more mature than that. Geez.
Recipe for an Excellent
Memorial Day Cookout
Marinate bullycrats in sufficient karma. Let them "stew in own juices" for a bit. They'll start off tough but will begin to fall apart.
Proceed to "grilling" of bullycrats in court and "raking over coals" by Paradise attorneys.
When you hear all of their hot air escaping, stick a fork in 'em, they're done.
Serve with side dishes of justice and wellbeing for TC consumers of mental health services, Teresa Davis, and the other professionals who are trying their best to do the right thing by them.
Excellent recipe, CatsPaw. If I could, I'd bring some "just dessert" to this yummy bullycrat bar-b-q bash.
And if it's held at the new Paradise Center facility, there will be plenty of shade to to sit in and a lot of genuine joy in people who have endured so much torment these past three months. Teresa and the group will not make a big deal of it, but many of their furniture were either damaged or were kept by MHMRTC. So a couple of us old family friends of Teresa+Paradise are trying to rustle up some used couches and outdoor seating in their spacious outdoor area where the group has worked hard to spruce up and even began to restart their vegetable garden since MHMRTC kept their other one.
We can't say enough about Teresa and her role as social worker+chaplain+old family friend when it comes to responding to needs of those she often calls "PEOPLE living with mental illness" (when she's not calling them by name as regular people, that is). We just heard that one of our friends from the "old NAMI-Tarrant Co." leadership, not the politically-connected and cash-happy one now in charge, just a couple days ago that after their adult child had spent dozens of frustrating and fruitless hours at a couple of local ER's trying to get medical attention for some serious mental+medical issues, they called Teresa for some assistant.
And just as usual, that generous, humble, and professional person everyone in the local mental health community have come to know and respect..and even love like a member of the family..dropped what she was doing and was in the ER to reassure the family and to help them come up with a good plan of action. Before they knew it, their adult child --who had harbored negative feelings toward Teresa due to the aggressive MHMRTC smear campaign--regain their composure and even self-confidence to choose a course of action Teresa had offered. Within a couple hours the family was relieved to see their child admitted to a hospital for close observation, testing, and diagnosis of a serious problem that needed immediate surgical attention.
And like many of us who were frustrated by the medical professionals telling us "Oh, it's just all in your head", this family and adult child were glad that Teresa helped make sure that the medical people did not continue to dismiss the complaints as just something "all in your head"---an easy cop-out often used by medical people, and even MHMRTC staff, due to the obvious fact that the patient suffers from some sort of severe mental illness.
What MHMRTC did to Teresa and the consumer-run organization was truly of scandalous proportion, Mr. Durango. Shame mixed with fear of retaliation--as long as the leadership of MHMRTC stays the same--are the dominant feelings right now among many families and friends of Paradise Center and Teresa Davis.
Jesus said, "By their fruits, ye shall know them". In this scandal, we see two distinct fruits on the parts of MHMRTC and Paradise Center. What do normal people usually do to trees and plants that produce rotten or poisonous fruits?? But Ft.Worth and Tarrant county aren't too normal when it comes to political and moral leadership in people given the public trust.
From their history and from the fact that Paradise Center has members who are Veterans stretching from the Vietnam War to the current War against Terrorism, we're sure that their Memorial Day event will not ignore the purpose behind the day: to remember and honor all those who have given their blood and lives so that America is the "land of the free and home of the brave".
Paradise and their people should be saluted for helping fight "enemies, both foreign AND DOMESTIC". The domestic enemies of freedom and liberty are ones that pose the greatest threat to this nation as a whole, not some two-bit jihadists and other hatemongers with some explosives dreaming of blowing up an American structure that could hurt a few hundred Americans.
Domestic enemies dreaming of political and financial gain are the ones that can hurt tens of thousands to millions of American citizens. Keep exposing them and calling them out, Durangotexas.
why didnt peer leaders tony or lynne do the cooking? instead leaving it to their "boy" lawrence to do the dirty work out in the heat. thats okay because he problty ate half of the food since the made up number dont fit with the facts. jim mcdermott didnt care about the consumers when paradise contracted to ran the community center for mhmr. hes still the same way. he aint gonna come be around sweaty and lowly clients----unless there's some politician or newspaper writer and phoagrapher there to take pictures showing what a great man he is. the same goes for his women executives in hulen tower, they too good for the people with mental illness.
even tony and lynne think they better than their peers.
What took second place, drop-in place? Or what some of us just call the mhmr kennel. Even us sick people know when we're being used. Or when tax money is wasted in order to cover up 4 abusing the consumer run paradise center. Mhmr should save the money to pay for what they done to our people.
Regarding "Lawrence doing the cooking" at the Memorial BBQ......
Tony staff was the one who planned early to doing the BBQing but, Lawrence asked to do it. He was also going to a "family" picnic on Saturday and he was going to be the "cook for them". No he didn't spend the whole time "eating", but, kept the grill always full of items to BBQ. You cannot find a better, more loyal client than Lawrence. He was a peer leader at the "old paradise center" so that is why someone is putting hiim down!
Regarding the numbers of who showed up......there was 42 people on the list but, Lynn had expected around 75 so she contacted Pathways and they were also having a BBQ to help cook for the extras.
Pathway Peeps......no one is making you come to the Community Center. It's optional and you don't have to volunteer if you don't want too. Other peers will step up if you don't want to do it, so don't feel like it's a burden to do, just come and have fun.
These mhmr cons and their cya comments don't make much sense. The only sensible thing is that they're bumbling around after getting caught in some lies about details of their "Memorial BBQ". Don't you even know what Memorial DAY is and about, other than an opportunity for you to remind God and all creation how deeply dishonest you and your McDermott bullycrat gang is??
And our hard earned tax dollars are placed in these people's hands?? Forget about getting your facts straight, just get your made up story halfway straight, and coherent if it's not too much of a stretch. Pathetic.
Hey Incompetence Inc., people like my nephew would not have to be around your nasty attitude and manipulative ways IF MHMRTC DOES NOT REQUIRE THEM TO COME TO WEEKLY APPOINTMENTS with case managers just to get their weekly allowance. They have long waits and aren't allowed to stay in the cramped clinic waiting area so they're forced to go wait in your drop-out place.
It's part of crooked ceo's scheme to make money off them: (a) bill the state for a 15-30 block of service even if getting their weekly check takes only a 5-minute "interface"; then (b) mhmrtc-bravo can count them ("capitation" is the fancy insurance term for counting heads) for billing purposes while they wait 1-2 hours at your drop-out place --most not knowing that you all simply see them as money-makers.
Based on the facts, your "loyal" boy was not any member of the Paradise leadership. He hung around them because those people helped him get treatment for his medical problems and even helped feed him when he ran out of money. Just like they did with that erratic client Lynne. It's appropriate that this upstanding "character" is co-Peer Leaders with Tony and Lynne, adding a new twist to the name "MHMR Cons".
Right before our eyes are evidence of the lying, manipulating, abusing, and changing emotions of the so called peer leaders MHMR is paying salaries to front their consumer-run whatever the hell they call it program. Lying about the number of clients who got food at their "Memorial BBQ", then manipulating the Pathway folks to come make it seem more than 40 people actually attended, bumbling around about which mentally ill "peer leader" was in charge, then turning nasty on the Pathway folks because they spoke the truth. Then abusing the more disabled clients by sending them to spy and taking whatever hint of negativity about the consumer-run nonprofit to gloat and bash the all volunteer Organization. Desperate enough to take what was reported by client well-known for wild delusional ideations, such as being a member of the British Royal family and powerful psychic.
Many of us working for MHMR are so frustrated with all this abusive behavior approved by the bigwigs, but we dare not say anything to anyone in authority, including the untrusty Board of Trustees, for fear of certain and destructive retaliation.
BTW, lame-brained MHMR anonymous commenter, the Paradise group is doing what they as an independent organization want and when they want, not like your leashed up selves doing essentially menial labor to keep an extra clinic waiting room open and clean.
You can't do what the Paradise pros were contracted to provide for MHMR. Before showing more of your ignorance, I know what I'm talking about because I was involved in those contracts and memorandi of understanding between the two organizations. The Paradise group was only being nice to not object to the Mcdermott bunch's deceptive use of the term "foundation grant" and the money used to fund the contract/"grant", especially the refinanced bond program that built the community center for clients use that's been stolen from them so that McDermott and his gals could afford their fancy multi-million dollar office tower. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE NOW CALLING THE DINKY OLD BUILDING NEXT DOOR "COMMUNITY CENTER", PUTTING ALL UTILITIES ON THE REAL COMMUNITY CENTER'S ACCOUNT (300 PENNSYLVANIA) , AND DIRECTING ALL MAIL TO THE STOLEN FACILITY ...TO MAKE IT APPEAR THAT WHAT THE VOTERS APPROVED IS BEING USED AS INTENDED.
But feel free to entertain everyone with your ignorance and brazen display of incompetence and dishonesty.
"Lawrence is the most loyal client..."--that is so condescending and reflects the attitude of seeing these disabled people as pawns for the incompetent and possibly exploitive agency leadership. Lawrence is African-American, and as a "brother" I take extreme offense at how he's referred to ("loyal" like my best dog in the yard) and what he's "volunteered" to do.
I also know that the other peer leaders like Big Tony, Loopy Lynn, and the new hires after Old Hand Sandra finally grad-you-ated DO NOT LIKE THE HEAT OR THE DIRTY WORK.
Regarding the pathway housing people, why are you pressuring them to "step up and volunteer" when there are 4-6 of you low level techs getting paid to do the work? You get salaries to buy new cars and such, but do they get for doing what you yourselves are PAID TO DO?
Piece of advice, you'll go nuts by continuing to compare yourselves and your agency "program", actually a sub-program of that overcrowded and understaffed clinic, with THE INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION that you envy/admire and loathe so much at the same time.It's kind of like you're working at a fastfood franchise and they are owners of their original restaurant with the freedom to change and adapt to meet their objectives, instead of taking orders from headquarters to do the same basic thing over and over without any sense of ownership or ability to have input.
Capech, Anthony the silenced "manager"--how come, too busy consoling and holding the shaky body of the shaken Boss Hawg of MHMR and Tarrant County??
The May 27 comment appears to indicate that MHMRTC's CEO reads this blog because his homies are using this site as like their Facebook to post shout outs to their top G, thanking him for hustling the corners of the county to raise money for MHMR. What ever happened to the $100 million received by the agency from taxing entities annully??
Strange that the CEO spends time raising a few thousand dollars from his political contacts. Hire a development specialist or let someone more able and willing to assume the important role of CEO.
Oh yea, why is a CEO of a 1400 strong agency focusing his time and energy on a director/manager level employee like Ms. Davis?
Some of the grammar-challenged comments under the nom-de-sissycrat "anonymous" could very well been written by jimbo and some of his gals because people have told us about their surprise when reading things from these well compensated executives that contained some very bad grammar. Incompetence and laziness seem to be well accepted. MHMR-TC refused to even correct the obvious flaw that was in all of their HR documents and job descriptions: "principle duties" instead of "principal duties" when trying to convey "major duties"--principal means major/big while principle means beliefs or conceptual constructs. Some potential employees looked elsewhere when they read the job descriptions with all the "principle duties".
Regarding the MHMR execs and blogging shills, I'm having a hard time deciding between incompetence and laziness. I'll sleep on it and decide later.
Okay, I done slept a lot all ready but I'm just too lazy to make up my mind. ..ya'll done figured me
out. I am jest waiting around for when MHMR needs a New Executive or s New ceo.
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