When I don't hear from the good folks at the Paradise Center I figure all must be good in paradise.
This morning's message confirmed my assumption.
The Paradise Center has had some exciting things happen. Not all of which I am currently at liberty to blog about.
But, I can tell you that Paradise Center has partnered with an LLC (Limited Liability Company).
But, bigger news than a new LLC partner, is the fact that Paradise Center is moving from its current location at 525 S. Henderson Street to a new, 4,000 square foot space next to Benbrook Shopping Center on Camp Bowie West.
Remodeling of the new Paradise Center space began today. Paradise Center hopes to move in to their new place on November 25. I suspect I will be making a visit to the new Paradise Center after it opens.
You can keep up with Paradise Center on Facebook. It was there I learned the Gang at Paradise Center had themselves a fine time on a long weekend retreat up in Oklahoma. Paradise Center also has a website where you can find information and have the opportunity to do a good thing by donating to the cause.
10 comments:
Thanks for the updates on the lives of these courageous people and their resilient nonprofit organization. Most mental health consumers and people of my generation do not use Facebook and such, so we've not gotten much information. Especially since Jim McDermott and his cronies are still manipulating and misleading people about their misbehavior.
NAMI of McDermott, not Tarrant county, didn't do too good with their big fundraiser last weekend. Not only did they bare achieve half of their financial goal, but a large chunk of the roughly 60K raised went to pay for the chapter's previous president Melissa Gibbon's $20/hr salary as "manager" of this charity fundraiser. MHMR-TC was front and center in this big fundraiser. Unlike last year, BRAVO Health was practically nonexistent. Hmmmm---the same feeling and reaction of many to the goofy "open house" following the fundraiser at whatever MHMR-TC now calls that cramped old building on S. Jennings, which some have accurately described as located right inside the growing gay bar district. Hmmmm.
These kinds of opportunities for improved quality of life, sense of normalcy, and social support are exactly what Theresa and Paradise offered for people like my sister. The past several months have been stressful, sometimes intimidating, but mostly a hopeful wait and see for Paradise to get back firmly on its feet so it can resume offering these invaluable opportunities to the hundreds of mental health consumers in Tarrant county. It looks like the hopes and prayers of many of us are about to be realized.
This can't come at a better time because the clinics MHMR bigwigs had crammed into the Penn Square clinic are causing many problems for consumers like my sister due to overcrowding, overworked or uncaring staff--Bobby's story is pretty common, but MHMR leadership doesn't care--, and the lack of good peer leadership and professional support like when Theresa and Paradise were actively involved. The mhmr peer leaders like Lynne, Lawrence, Tony, and Lisa are just not up to the high standards set by Paradise Center, Inc. BTW, THE REASON THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER VULGAR AND DEFAMATORY ATTACKS ON THE PARADISE FAMILY IS BECAUSE THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION HAD SHUT OFF THE SPIES THAT MHMR HAD BEEN SENDING TO THE ORGANIZATION'S NEW HEADQUARTERS. SHAMEFUL CONDUCT BY SHAMELESS PEOPLE.
It is true that clients are cramped and even mistreated at the crowded Penn Square clinic. Many get very frustrated by long waits outside (because they don't want to go near those mean people inside)and very bad custumer service from the staff.
In fact something tragic could have happened several weeks ago when this miserable condition led one of the clients to attack an mhmr tech, who was fired for reacting to keep himself from getting hurt real bad. FORTUNATE FOR EVERYONE, THAT TECH NO LONGER CARRIED A LOADED PISTOL AS HE HAD BEEN PAID BY MHMR TO DO IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
Unfortunately for him, the guy who's liked by most consumers is another victim of mhmr and jim mcdermott's incompetence and sheer lack of compassion.
I see that the larsener guy from El Paso mhmr finally found a job in a small city in Utah. Old Jimbo certainly has been busy trying to cover his tail while working on an exit, as the cloud of likely lawsuits and exposures of misconduct continue to hang over him. Those paradise people sure do know how to make this turkey sweat it out by taking their time to prosecute their case/s against him and his cronies.
If it's still too hot for you here, Jimbo, Utah is much cooler. just ask Gary Larsenier. But don't shred too many documents. Or continue to make up other "facts", though.
see the next to last picture on the right? That's the packed house from Thanksgiving 2010 when OVER 100 mental health-consumers along with over two dozen Paradise Board members, NAMI-TC members, families, and friends/supporters from the community squeezed together for a joyous and hearty Thanksgiving feast. It was such a special event full of SO MANY positive people and memories. AND LAUGHTER. Unlike now in the sterile clinic waiting area (Yes, I've stopped by there and went to the open house: peer leaders Lawrence, Lynne, Sharon, Tony do what they can, but it's nothing close to Paradise, for sure).
That's what the foolish McDermott Regime stole from the MH-consumers and the local mental-health community.
I and other volunteers were just amazed at the extraordinary job that Teresa Davis and her Team had done, with so much limitations imposed on them by the cold-hearted MHMRTC executives and Board of Trustees.... What a shock to find out now, after the fact, that the graceful and gracious Teresa was then under tremendous amount of distress due to the harassment and hostile environment that Jim McDermott and his Gals were exerting on her to lie and to betray her moral and professional standards. THAT'S WHY TOILET PAPER AND OTHER PAPER GOODS WERE INCLUDED IN THE LIST THAT TERESA HAD SENT OUT AS "NEEDED ITEMS" FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
We can't wait to see and enjoy the new facility in the much nicer part of town, far away from the gay-bar and homeless Districts. Thanks for sharing the news, Mr. Durango.
What's going on with Paradise nowadays?
Anonymous: based on history when this Hardy and hearty group is quiet it usually means they're up to something good. Usually just the opposite for the MHMR-NAMI McDermott gang.
We went by the new Paradise Headquarters and their charity-bingo facility. Dang!! It's huge!! And very nice. These folks don't play around. We believe this little nonprofit will bring massive profit for their disabled members, their organization, and the community as whole by offering a clean and wholesome entertainment outlet for people of all ages which in turn puts money back into the local community in the forms of jobs, tax and sales revenue, and of course charitable works that help people. All good, especially because of the tough economic time we're living in.
I also heard that one of the major objectives by the Paradise leadership is to offer those mental health consumers who are willing, able or ready, to work part-time helping with various aspects of the charity bingo operation. This opportunity for gainful employment with proper support and success-focused mission is sorely needed on the part of my sister and many of her peers. This would show again that the consumer-run nonprofit is superior to the MHMR-TC bureaucrats with tens of millions of our tax dollars at their disposal to work effectively to help MH-consumers with not just their recovery but with their resiliency and reintegration into their community (something that consolidating and confining them to the so-called gay bar district will only make further out of reach).
If they succeed, Paradise Center Inc. will once again remind the public that they are the clear leader in the mental health movement in Texas and helping the state take a small step in catching up with the other states in this endeavor. Which points out that Jim McDermott probably cannot compete for a similar position in states north of the Red River...AND WHY HE WAS USING MS. DAVIS AND EXPLOITING THE NONPROFIT ---AS SEEN IN HIS REVEALING (AND DAMNING) EMAIL TO OTHER MH EXECUTIVES THAT WAS POSTED BACK IN MARCH EDITION OF THIS SCANDAL BLOG.
They probably won't need it, but I wish them "luck" and pray for continued success.
This time last year, Jim McDermott and his gals (so true!) were nervous ninnies due to having been caught in making untrue representations about mhmrtc's relationship to the independent little nonprofit organization run by mental health consumers. And frustrated in their harassment, intimidation, and outright bullying of the nonprofit's executive director and its Board.
A year later, the Paradise group is forging ahead while mhmrtc gang has eggs on their faces and has diminished public respect and trust.
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