The Anonymous Explanation of the Paradise Center Scandal

I have been asked many times to explain the Paradise Center Scandal.

This is not easy to do.

Not easy, because the Paradise Center Scandal has many facets. It took me awhile to understand how bad this scandal is, and how despicable the behavior was of those who perpetrated the scandal.

That despicable behavior has been scandalously on display, on this blog, in the form of comments coming from MHMR proponents.

Yesterday a very good blog comment came in that does a good job of explaining many aspects of the Paradise Center Scandal.

I thought this particular blog comment warranted being turned into a Paradise Center Scandal blog post........

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Most Recent 25 Paradise Center Scandal Comments...":

These could simply be coincidences, but MHMRTC signed the formal business contract with Bravo Health around September 2010--when MHMRTC execs started to intrude into the internal operations of the consumer operated nonprofit organization (Paradise Center) that MHMRTC had an ongoing contractual relationship with for several straight years.

In October, Bravo started buying ads around town, giving large donations to advocacy groups, like NAMI, and began hyping their company as the better choice for Medicaid Star+.

Jim McDermott was pressured into writing the letter to the Paradise Center Board leader using the pretext of Paradise being "over budget the last fiscal year" (by $20K+) to begin supervising their employee, Ms. Davis, who had intellectually knocked out several MHMRTC executives in several meetings intended to force her to join the scheme.

With many MHMRTC clients and NAMI family members already enrolled with Bravo at enrollment parties, but still unable to get Ms. Davis to cave in to the obvious wrongdoing, the Deputy CEO tried to force Ms. Davis into another meeting with this Deputy CEO and other execs on December 27, less than two days after Christmas. Apparently, the Paradise Center Board had outsmarted the MHMRTC team and the meeting was delayed until after the new year.

The very next day, December 28, the State Department of Health & Human Services issued the very surprising public statement that Bravo Health had been placed on a five month suspension.

February 1, 2011, Amerigroup hit the jackpot by landing all the Medicaid STAR+ people by being the default HMO provider. On February 4, 2011, McDermott, attorney, and execs met with Trustees in special "executive session to discuss Paradise Center".

Three days later McDermott sent his invitation to the Paradise Board president Linda Groom to meet on February 17 to "discuss Paradise Center" and to "bring Teresa Davis along". Apparently smelling a trap, the Paradise Board sent a strongly worded letter on February 17 defending its sovereignty, so to speak.

In an act of desperation, McDermott, the MHMRTC attorney, and his executive team decided to take the risk of terminating Ms. Davis that afternoon.

A few days later the State Department of Health & Human Services sent out letters notifying people that Bravo could start enrollment on March 17 -- exactly one month after the termination and coup.

The public protests by the Paradise group, and the start of this blog, caused MHMRTC to bleed public money -- in trying to replicate the work of Ms. Davis and Paradise Center AND to decimate their existence -- and to lose public trust, both of which are well chronicled on this blog and elsewhere.

The robbery of the disabled group's properties was spotlighted by the POD's presence for several weeks, right next to the group's former home, essentially destroying the grand scheme that MHMRTC had planned for and with Bravo.

Many questions have now come to the front regarding the conduct of the McDermott regime over the years.

_______________________________________________

As the Paradise Center Scandal moves into the justice system method of righting wrongs and punishing wrongdoers. I don't think I'd be sleeping all that well, if I were Jim McDermott.

Righting Wrongs, Fighting Injustice & Ferreting Out Corruption Aren't The Fort Worth Way

No Justice, but try for some peace...??? made an interesting comment to yesterday's Fort Worth is Up A Creek Without a Paddle With the Paradise Center Scandal blogging.

No justice, but try for some peace...??? said...

What does a community, or even a small group of individuals, do when they believe the public trust has been violated? To whom do we appeal for an investigation? What is the next step, Durango? A month or more of this blogging and still nothing? Seems the Paradise crew are moving on. Can't blame them, really. Gotta keep moving. Waiting for FW (Fort Worth) or TC (Tarrant County) to make things right seems fruitless.

Well.

The break-in of the Democrat National Headquarters at the Watergate occurred on June 17, 1972. Richard Nixon did not resign as president until August 9, 1974.

The Watergate Scandal had real newspapers, like the Washington Post, doing investigative journalism regarding what was behind the Watergate break-in. Even so, few paid attention. The majority believed the White House denials. Richard Nixon was re-elected in one of history's biggest landslides 5 months after the Watergate break-in.

It was not until after Nixon's second inauguration and the conviction in Judge Sirica's court of those who did the break-in, followed by the Senate televised hearings into the Watergate Scandal, that the majority of Americans began to pay attention and grow very disgusted at what ended up being the biggest political scandal in American history.

The Paradise Center Scandal is a small matter compared to Watergate. However, only those who perpetrated the crimes and coverup were hurt in Watergate. The Paradise Center Scandal has had real victims, real people hurt by the perpetrators of the Paradise Center Scandal.

I don't know if any legit journalist will ever look into the Paradise Center Scandal. I don't know what might be the next step in trying to bring to justice those who committed this very bad wrongdoing.

What I do know is that pretty much every day the Paradise Center Scandal blog has more visitors than it did the day before.

I also know, by looking at my Google stats, that this blog is being seen by people outside of Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

I also know that I am not going to shut up about this. When I feel like I've got some new info to share, I'll share it.

Because I truly totally believe there is something dire wrong with how the local government operates with no transparency, no accountability and, to me, no adults with common sense in charge. And no legitimate newspaper acting as the Fourth Estate, looking out for the welfare of The People, righting wrongs, fighting injustice and ferreting out corruption.

Sadly, righting wrongs, fighting injustice and ferreting out corruption just aren't the Fort Worth Way.

The Paradise Center Scandal De Facto VOICE of Tarrant County Advocacy

Several concerned citizens have been sending material to the Paradise Center Scandal blog, starting the day the scandal erupted into full SCANDAL mode on February 17.

Apparently the new MHMR Drop-In Center has been having only around 30 former Paradise Center consumers drop-in daily. Some of those who have dropped in have been very upset over the changes. 

This morning I learned what NAMI is. Yesterday I was asked why NAMI was not involved in helping the Paradise Center recover from the MHMR-TC coup d'tat. Apparently there is a Tarrant County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

I've been told I will soon be sent photos documenting the current sad state of the former site of the Paradise Center.

The email below was part of some of the incoming Paradise Center info this morning. This email comes from someone in the NAMI organization outside of Tarrant County. It is from this email I learned that the Paradise Center Scandal blog is the de facto voice of advocacy in this county.

Dear Paradise Center,

We appreciated you letting us know about the scandal in Tarrant County. It is very disturbing, to say the least.

We're not exactly sure why your local NAMI chapter has chosen to do, or not do, what it did in relation to the clear wrongs perpetrated on your consumer-run  nonprofit organization.  Groups like yours are so few and valuable to the consumers, their families, and the whole community itself.  And they are the most satisfying results of our grassroots organization's efforts on various fronts.

What happened to your group in Tarrant County is indeed a major step back for consumer empowerment and advancements against the destigmatization of the mentally ill.

Since each chapter is an independent affiliate, we will what we can in our limited power as a fellow chapter to help right this wrong before your groups suffers any more.

Please know that we think and pray for you all.

Sincerely, J. B.

P.S. We've followed the blog.  Tell the blogger that it's been very helpful and effective in helping understand the facts and circumstances surrounding this troubling matter.  We'd make him an honorary member if we could because his blog has been the de facto VOICE of Advocacy in your county. We'll check at the next convention.

NAMI
National Alliance on Mental Illness
www.nami.org

The Paradise Center Scandal Cliff Notes

On March 20 Jessie Girl made the following comment to a blogging about the Paradise Center Scandal, which said in part....

"Just one quick question: What is the scandal? I'm confused. Come on, Durango, break it down for us. As a long-time reader, I expect a certain directness from you. Lay it on us."

I shall try to cut through to the heart of The Paradise Center Scandal.

The Paradise Center is a private, non-profit organization which was located at 505 S. Jennings Avenue in Fort Worth.

The Paradise Center was a successful consumer run program. Overseeing the Paradise Center is a Board of Directors. Employees of the Paradise Center, such as Manager Teresa Davis, are overseen by the board.

The Paradise Center received no state or federal money. The Paradise Center was funded via various sources, including getting some help from a Tarrant County Agency, MHMR, run by a guy named Jim McDermott.

Read the following widely circulated email written by Jim McDermott in response to a query about operating a non-traditional day treatment drop-in center...

Our consumers' operate a drop in center called Paradise Center. It is controlled by a Board that is 100% consumers. There are about 280 members at any one time. They employee two full-time staff that are interviewed,hired,and supervised by the Paradise Board. The employees are on our payroll primarily for benefits purposes. There is an advisory committee to the Paradise Center Board which primarily act as a fund raising and public education committee.

The State or Feds. provide no funding for the Center. Our MHMR Board values the drop in center and recognizes it reintegration and independence development value to M.H. consumer's so have contributed some financial support from our local funds each year(around $30,00). Tarrant County provides around $40,000 a year and the remainder of their budget is generated by the members and the advisory committee. I do not know their total budget. Below is the name and e-mail address of the lead staff person at Paradise Center as well as the name of their President who heads the Paradise Center Board. I am sure they can provide you with more detail. This is a great program. When State and Federal government decided these programs were not a funding priority any longer our consumer's and the community decided to find a way to keep it going. There is simply no program that has done a better job of promoting independence,self-direction,and confidence in the severely mentally ill consumer than this program.

When the above email was written, McDermott is clearly saying that the Paradise Center is controlled by a Board that is 100% consumers. With 2 full-time staff (one of whom was Teresa Davis) who are supervised by the Paradise Center board. With the employees on the MHMR payroll for benefits purposes.

MHMR provided some funds to the Paradise Center. MHMR provided the building that the Paradise Center operated in. MHMR provided some materials, such as toilet paper, for the center.

Let me repeat one section of McDermott's email...

This is a great program. When State and Federal government decided these programs were not a funding priority any longer our consumer's and the community decided to find a way to keep it going. There is simply no program that has done a better job of promoting independence,self-direction,and confidence in the severely mentally ill consumer than this program.

The Paradise Center was never a MHMR program.

So, what happened?

MHMR came up with a scheme whereby they would use the people making use of the Paradise Center's services to bill Medic-Aid. To make this scheme work MHMR and Jim McDermott needed the cooperation of Teresa Davis and the Paradise Center Board.

Teresa Davis and the Paradise Center Board resisted the pressure from MHMR.

So, the MHMR Bullycrats increased the pressure.

At one point the MHMR Bullycrats went to the bizarre measure of removing the toilet paper which they had supplied the center.

MHMR created the illusion that the Paradise Center was a program of MHMR, including having a page about the Paradise Center on the MHMR website. MHMR's misrepresentation of its relationship created fund raising problems for the Paradise Center due to the center appearing to be a government agency to those who give grants to private non-profits.

And then on February 17, 2011 MHMR took the bullying one step too far. Claiming that Teresa Davis committed an act of insubordination by not attending a MHMR meeting, MHMR terminated their contract with the Paradise Center, effectively firing Teresa Davis.

Basically when MHMR CEO Jim McDermott failed to sway the Board of Directors of Paradise Center, Inc. to agree that the center is a program of MHMR and not a legally separate non-profit organization he took the action of terminating Teresa Davis.

The Paradise Center was then locked out of the center, by MHMR.

The Paradise Center people were not allowed back in the building to get their possessions.

Consumers of the Paradise Center's services showed up and were naturally upset to see their world had been turned upside down.

Teresa Davis was told to make a list of the Paradise Center possessions in the building. Remembering as best she could, a list was made. Those possessions were then put into a POD storage container, with the Paradise Center told they had til the end of the month to take care of the materials in the POD.

MHMR then re-opened the building, calling it a "Drop-In Center," as part of their continuing scheme to monetize the former Paradise Center operation.

MHMR has conducted a smear campaign against Teresa Davis. Some of that has appeared on the blog you are reading right now. And on others.

MHMR, an agency supposedly supposed to operate in the service of the needs of those with Mental Health problems, acted like thugs, disrupting and destroying a smoothly operating center that was performing a vital public service, as noted by the very guy who instigated the destruction of the program he characterized as "great."

I believe MHMR is now under investigation from various fronts.

The way the Paradise Center was taken over may be a criminal act.

Example. If you are a renter, and if your landlord has reason to want you gone, the landlord has to follow certain steps. The landlord can not arbitrarily lock you out and take control of your possessions.

There is way more to this than I have the energy to try and describe. I hope I've made it a  bit clearer why what was done to the Paradise Center is a scandal.

A scandal in which people were hurt. And continue to be hurt.

March 17 Paradise Center Scandal Update

It has been one month since MHMR-TC's CEO, Dr. Jim McDermott evicted Paradise Center, Inc. from it's home at 505 S. Jennings Avenue. He accomplished this by terminating the grant, and thereby terminating Teresa Davis, the full-time staff member.

It's been reported that it was just a "personnel matter".  In fact, the local NAMI chapter's Board voted to remain neutral on this "personnel issue".

It was not a "personnel issue".  It was not a "Human Resources" issue.

It was a takeover by MHMRTC of a successful consumer-run organization.

People who have known Teresa Davis for 20 years are questioning her integrity, whispering about why she was fired.  It must have been a good reason, or even a bad reason, one member told us.

MHMR won't, or legally can't, come out and say what happened.  But by not saying anything, it leaves alot to interpretation.  Or supposition. Or outright lies.

So our Board is going to release all of the information, including supporting documentation and emails, to the public to show the bullying that MHMR attempted with Teresa Davis and the Board.

Since September 2010, the Board of Directors of Paradise Center, Inc. have been in email contact with the executives of MHMR-TC.  For reasons they will not explain, MHMR wanted the Board to dissolve the non-profit organization and give over the organization to MHMR.   Make it a program of MHMR.  When we declined, the bullying began, ending ultimately in the firing of Teresa Davis and the termination of our grant.

Teresa met with Sonja Gaines (Chief of Mental Health), Donna Massey (Chief of Human Resources), and Susan Garnett (Deputy CEO) over the last few months.

Each meeting had the same theme:  Paradise Center is MHMR's program, and therefore we are in charge of the "program" and  we need to "supervise" you, Teresa, now.

But Teresa, and the 2 directors before her, have been supervised by the Paradise Center Board of Directors, and even hired by us, for her entire 10 year career.

A major hurdle over the years has been that MHMR never actually granted Paradise Center actual money.

They gave us an "in-kind" grant:  a building, utilities, vans, employees.  They controlled how much was spent on those things, not us.

This contributed to the perception by the consumers, MHMR staff members, family members, and the public that Paradise Center is a program of MHMR.  MHMR even STILL lists Paradise Center on their web page!  Talk about misleading!!!  Looks like they even believe their own "misrepresentation"!

And, it kept them in complete control of our little non-profit.  Granters wouldn't fund us since it looked like we were a "program" of a government organization.

When Dr. McDermott could not sway the Board of Directors of Paradise Center, Inc. to  agree that Paradise Center is just a program of MHMR and not a legally separate non-profit organization, he reacted by terminating the Director of Paradise Center, Inc., who is part of the grant that MHMR gives each year.

The Mental Health Consumers who have operated this non-profit organization for over 12 years were stripped of their ownership of the organization.  Their keys were taken away.  They were denied access to the organization's possessions.  But, they were told they could come to the new Center and be members.  Nothing had changed, they were told.

But when the local Mental Health Authority takes over a non-profit organization, EVERYTHING has changed.

The MHMR executives and staff think that the consumers won't notice anything is different if they keep serving coffee and opening the doors.

But these guys  know it is different.  Mental illness does not equal stupidity.  And they're waiting, too, for the time when Paradise Center, Inc. is able to open our doors again.  And they'll find their way to the place where friends help friends in mental health recovery.

Be careful, other small non-profits who receive grant money from MHMR-TC.

You could be next!

Who will come to your defense then?

Or will people who you trusted and supported remain neutral?  See the March newsletter of NAMI Tarrant County for their "position" statement.  

Want to see what's been said by MHMR staff and others about this?  There are some hateful people out there.  Read and comment at your own discretion...

A local blogger picked up this story and has had so many comments to his regular blog, that he started a separate blog just about this whole mess.  (Which you are reading right now)

Watch for more emails showing the long, well-documented emails between MHMR and the Board of Directors of Paradise Center, Inc.

And know that Paradise Center, Inc. is committed to the end.

Paradise Center, Inc.

"friends helping friends in mental health recovery"