[Intro paragraphs -- some of underlines below are hyperlinks. Publ. 12/27/2012; Rev. 2-19-2013]
NOTE: OVERALL THIS BLOG IS FOR BOTH GENDERS, AND TO THE WIDER PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT EVEN BE STRUNG OUT HANDLING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL ABUSE (OR SIMPLY FINANCIAL DESTRUCTION) CASES IN THE COURT.
Truth, however framed, is offensive, and my blog certainly will offend plenty. However, I am still more interested in systems, and perhaps the mentality of the people that designed them, tolerate them, staff them, and fund them. Society has to have some labels, and designations, to work as do systems. I think different personalities gravitate to certain portions of certain systems — but there are SOME systems which affect almost everyone. So like it or not, their damages have to be discussed; there is no other way to mitigate them.
Overall, it is an appeal for the public to wake up. To identify and find ways to quit financing institutions within America that undermine justice (as defined in terms of due process, representative government of ANY sort, and oppose over-centralization of power). Doing this requires identifying and letting go of significant myths on which the economy** — and from there, most social relationships (in fact, from which society) — is based.
** So the natural question is if the state’s withholding of $600 billion in our cash and investments does not fund pensions, address a budget deficit, or prevent devastation to infrastructure, how can we best restructure the purpose and use of OUR MONEY for optimal public benefits?
(others without Harvard Degrees explain this just as well, but I figured readers still probably respect Harvard degrees. I no longer do… or much of Yale, either. For one, Yale admitted women WHEN?)
Or, same idea from a non-Ivy leaguer (former sound engineer) — but a person who from what I see, at least employs reason — compares the Vatican claiming it’s broke, to governments as corporations, basically singing the same tune financially. Taken from a summer 2012 AP article featuring the Vatican declaring a $19 million deficit. Yes, this is relevant to the court systems, moms! (and dads!):
1) The Vatican is a corporation, as is each individual and Federal government entity.
2) The Vatican and government operate both in the non-profit and for-profit realm.
[[LGH note: The non-profit and for-profit realm reveal that the separate but unequal status of nonprofit organizations versus wage-earners, and of the tax system as a caste system, i.e., while it was probably sold up front as an equalizer, long-term it is the exact opposite -- it simply re-aligns the entire economy around the IRS, the USDOT, the Federal Reserver, and a different set of values. As of 1943, I learned nonprofits were required to register as nonprofits, but religious institutions and charitable and educational were not. This was found in th econtext of a Congressional Hearing on what to do about the fact that (megachurches, televangelists, etc.) were operating so many businesses with so many exemptions. Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, and eventually Saddleback Church (Rick Warren) were discussed. to get around actually being scrutinized, it seems that some of the evangelists put together their own "we'll monitor ourselves, thank you!" credentialing organization, which shows they have been learning from other professionals all along (like, lawyers, behavioral health boards, psychologists, etc.)]]
3) Both have an Annual Financial Report, and both have a budget report.
4) Both the Vatican and the Government have real estate holdings, as well as stock investments, foreign currency holdings, and both invest heavily into the world-wide corporate structure and fund its liquidity.
5) Both promote their debt, while hiding their investment asset balances.
6) Both have a central bank, which bails it out in moments of need, and then expects Catholics/taxpayers to pay the bill despite its liquid investment holdings.
7) Both openly lie by omission to the people of Earth, while in a position of trust, referring to a deficit while completely ignoring its investment holdings – as if these fund balances don’t even exist.
8) Both use the “depreciation” of capital assets (land holdings, buildings, etc.) to show on their financial reports a liability against other assets, in order to decrease reportable value of these investment assets.
9) Both create budgets that are falsely imploded with such things as future liabilities so as to justify its raising of taxes and its request for tithing.
10) Both create separate sub-corporations with their own financial statements as for-profit entities, but do not use those profits for the benefit of the people.
11) Both call the people “customers”, not people.
12) Both lay off employees with the excuse of budget shortfalls, still not dipping into their vast trillions in liquid investment capital.
13) AND BOTH OWN AND CONTROL THE MEDIA THROUGH STOCK INVESTMENT AND COERCION, AND USE IT TO HIDE ALL OF THIS FROM THE PEOPLE BY KEEPING THEM ENTERTAINED WITH EVERYTHING BUT THIS INFORMATION.
In this truly ironic statement by the Vatican we can see perhaps the best example ever of how a government corporation lies by the act of utter and ridiculous disassociation and nondisclosure of its true wealth. And yes, the Vatican is a corporation, and it is the government of Vatican City – as a “nation state”. It just happens to call itself a church.
Similar statements could be made (and yes, I have been looking) about major Protestant denominations, or nondenominational megachurches, etc. However, we should admit that the Vatican is one of the oldest, and longest standing corporations still in existence today. This has little to do with whether people tithing to it are moral, nice, smart, intelligent or personally ethical. However, they do support that system of wealth with time, talent (often volunteer or low-paid compared to the Vatican itself’s holdings (ask me how I know…), in exchange for some wonderful architecture, art, music, and shelter for various communities, plus weekly gatherings to soothe the stresses of the worklife, or to help each other, pray, etc.
Intelligent and independent, competent, single (or re-married) mothers are being tortured through this system, and if they won’t cower under the first few rounds (and for any survivor of abuse, “cowering” is not a survival posture to take), their children will then be taken and abused by the former violent parent, or elsewhere by “the state.” I have spoken to women who, in the 1980s, were able to get free and get on with life; it is no longer possible under the tightened-since-welfare-reform regime and political climate. Fatherhood.gov simply will not tolerate this
To Intelligent and independent, competent and courageous women should understand, and be able to communicate to the larger public, and anyone else willing to listen:
Everyone would do well understand that the funding platform of HUGE pension funds , income taxes, sales taxes, and etc. has already provided (transferred from private to government hands, from which it is then contracted out at will to either govt employees, or their private contractors) a vast source of wealth which your (our) government uses to pick winners and losers in the corporate field AND in the family court cases, individually and collectively. Federal governments aren’t supposed to interfere with state laws, but there are ways to get around that — which is top-down funding of state governments, etc. Think of the cycle of precipitation, evaporation, etc. Water goes up, it comes down (flows to the oceans), goes up, comes down again, etc. Money isn’t quite like that, but perhaps this is a way to understand distribution systems from individual public through centralized government entities and out again to (wherever it goes). There ARE roadmaps.
(Government is essentially a corporation, only with the right to use force to enforce its corporate, UCC, state, local, etc. codes)
The peace, stability and security you may have — which we, your friends sometimes seeking help, support, or protection individually that the courts and law enforcement REFUSE to give us for more than a few moments, and at a very high price (contact with our children, etc.) — is also temporary, and is being used to build and sustain these terrorizing institutions in which truth is subject to re-definition by a presiding judge and his professional “staff” who are primarily in the mental health fields, formerly called “mental hygiene.” For where that’s leading, see Solzhenitsyn (1978 Harvard Address) (Gulag Archipelago)
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[Wikipedia/from "Gulag Archipelago")There had been works about the Soviet prison/camp system before, and its existence had been known to the Western public since the 1930s. However, never before had the general reading public been brought face to face with the horrors of the Gulag in this way. The controversy surrounding this text in particular was largely due to the way Solzhenitsyn definitively and painstakingly laid the theoretical, legal and practical origins of the Gulag system at Lenin's feet, not Stalin's. According to Solzhenitsyn's testimony, Stalin merely amplified a concentration camp system that was already in place. This is significant, as many Western intellectuals viewed the Soviet concentration camp system as a "Stalinist aberration." [2]
Historical impact of the text
Solzhenitsyn argued that the Soviet government could not govern without the threat of imprisonment, and that the Soviet economy depended on the productivity of the forced labor camps, especially insofar as the development and construction of public works and infrastructure were concerned.
This put into doubt the entire moral standing of the Soviet system. In Western Europe the book eventually forced a rethinking of the historical role of Lenin. With The Gulag Archipelago, Lenin’s political and historical legacy became problematic, and the factions of Western communist parties who still based their economic and political ideology on Lenin were left with a heavy burden of proof against them. George F. Kennan, the influential U.S. diplomat, calledThe Gulag Archipelago, “the most powerful single indictment of a political regime ever to be levied in modern times.”[3]
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When, if you hang with this blog, or start to understand the “theoretical, legal, and practical origins” of the family court system, in the framework of the inheritance and backgrounds of the mental and behavioral health fields, with their origins in (and labeling of) individuals tortured, assaulted, or simply who need to be indoctrinated into jumping out of parachutes or charging suicidally into war, as well as small children and/or individuals who have been subject to long-term violence and threatened in order to keep them silence, you will understand that there are not “Corrupt judges” or “corrupt custody evaluators” for which any band-aid system of ethical oversight, training, or re-indoctrination of the indoctrinators (according to the Barry Goldstein/Mo Hannah // Leadership Council // Lundy Bancroft // or any others saying, “Let US train the trainers for a while, use OUR curricula.”
You will also understand that as the Soviet economy depended on the productivity of the forced labor camps, especially insofar as the development and construction of public works and infrastructure were concerned, OUR economy (and the family court system) depends private control of the welfare state, and all its systems of control — and where the middle class of professionals sits in the mix.
You cannot understand the family court system without understanding the federal grants and contracts to the states, and their distribution to the courts (or central agencies funding the courts) which then do a “Fees for Friends” contracting-out to psychologists, counselors, social workers, therapists (etc., get the picture?). This system is a set of freebie slush funds (the public will remain largely busy, or traumatized beyond belief, and as such, clueless — or distracted), infinitely expandable as we are distracted from the organizing principle.
You will probably understand just how important it is to this (let alone next, let alone, the grandchildren’s) futures, to learn to how to resist recruitment into apathy, undirected anger, grief, or (etc.), and speak to the problem — not beat around the bush when talking about it.
It is also an appeal for mothers, in particular who are a force to be reckoned with when our children’s lives are at risk (cf. the image of the mother bear; in the wild, to not approach a predator with young at risk, right? Humans are predator animals; they will eat anything, but also are dangerous far beyond what they just need to physically survive). I appeal to mothers to quit signing over their emotions and mentality to groups whose agenda (1) is not up front, and (2) entails censorship of critical elements of the problem they are saying “help us solve.” They need to regain the use of their own faculties (trust me, it’s fun!), and stop joining, or recruiting, for anything which resembles (or is) simply a cult. Time is short — quit compromising, and don’t follow the Don Quixote model — charging windmills may be romantic, but it’s also poor judgment (or eyesight). Both of which, in a warzone, could get you or others hurt.
(SEE GRAVATAR) I AM A WOMAN AND MOTHER, AND UNDERSTAND HOW WOMEN/MOTHERS ARE HANDLED IN THE CUSTODY COURTS FROM BOTH EXPERIENCE AND ANALYSIS.
THE ANALYSIS WAS AS SHOCKING AS THE EXPERIENCE, IN THAT — COLLECTIVELY, THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION NEEDED ABOUT THIS VENUE WAS ITS OPERATIONS, THE OWNERS, AND THE LONG-TERM GOALS OF THOSE OWNERS. ANYONE CAN SEE IT’S HURTING FAMILIES WHILE PROMISING TO HELP THEM. IT TAKES A DIFFERENT MINDSET TO UNDERSTAND WHY, AND to STRATEGIZE WHERE ONE STANDS IN RESPONSE. I LOOKED FROM THE BOTTOM (GRASSROOTS LEVEL) UP, AND NOW ALSO LOOK FROM THE TOP DOWN (THROUGH THE FUNDING). WHAT ADVOCACY GROUPS DO IS CLAIM TO HAVE THE BIRDSEYE VIEW, WHILE APPLYING INFORMATION FILTERS TO WHAT THEY RECOMMEND AND TALK ABOUT. THOSE FILTERS COME OFF QUICKLY WHEN ONE LOOKS AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND CORPORATION/BUSINESS POINT OF VIEW. TO DO THIS, YOU CANNOT !!! JUST LOOK AT THE LOCAL SYMPTOMS OR COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
SO, THIS POST IS TO THOSE SMART, WORTHY (AND OF COURSE LAW-ABIDING) MOMS WHO ARE WILLING TO THINK CLEARLY AND ACT DECISIVELY ON THIS INFO, AFTER THEY HAVE DECIDED IF IT MAKES SENSE OR NOT, AND IS VALID OR NOT.
AROUND HERE, WE LEARN TO READ A FINANCIAL STATEMENT (BY READING LOTS OF THEM), FIND AND READ CORPORATE AND CHARITABLE REGISTRATIONS, LOOK UP GRANTS AND CONTRACTS, SORT, READ A TAX RETURN, and WHILE WE READ VORACIOUSLY IN A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH, WE ARE IN A FAST LEARNING CURVE TO WHAT TRUTH SMELLS LIKE, AND STAY ON THAT SCENT. THIS MEANS DISCARDING IRRELEVANT OR DISTRACTING MATERIAL, UNDERSTANDING WHATS AT STAKE. WE NEVER STOP LEARNING THIS STUFF, AND ONCE BASICS HAVE BEEN GRASPED, DON’T FORGET THEM.
WHILE REMEMBERING NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS, THAT MEMORY IS NOT DRIVEN BY REVENGE OR ANGER, BUT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS’ PLACE HISTORICALLY IN THE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE HURT EITHER US, OUR KIDS, OR OTHERS WE KNOW.
However, IF YOU ARE LOOKING JUST FOR SOMEONE TO AGREE WITH YOU THAT “THE COURTS SVCK,” THEN GO BACK TO THE CLOSEST “PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US” ADVOCACY GROUP and GET SOME HUGS AND MORAL SUPPORT, AND CONTINUE TO DO (AND PARROT) WHATEVER THE EXPERTS (NOT NECESSARILY THEMSELVES MOTHERS OR SURVIVORS OF THIS PROCESS) SAY OR ENCOURAGE/TELL YOU TO.
THIS BLOG IS NOT FOR “FOLLOWERS.” FOLLOWERS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE STANDING FIRM, BUT INDEPENDENT ON THE TRUTH, AND WILL CONTINUE TO SILENCE THEIR OWN INSTINCTS, AND FOR THE SAKE OF EMOTIONAL COMFORT, THEIR “SISTERS” WHEN INFORMATION DOESN’T ADD UP, OR WHEN THEIR COMPANIONS DISAGREE. THIS MAY BE CONSCIOUS, OR PARTIALLY CONSCIOUS.
IF THAT’S YOU, AND YOU ARE OR WERE IN A DRAMATIC AND STRESSFUL COURT CASE, NEED TO CHANNEL EMOTIONS WITH OTHERS, OR TO DISCHARGE THEM WITH OTHERS — RATHER THAN CHANNELING THEM IN A DRIVE TOWARDS THE TRUTH — THEN I (SARCASTICALLY) RECOMMEND: CONTINUE TO DEMAND THE COURTS BE “AUDITED.” ASK FOR MORE “INITIATIVES.” GO ON OPRAH AND DR. PHIL SOME MORE.
LISTEN TO WHAT THE PEOPLE WITH THE PSY.D.’S AND PH.D.’S SAY. CONGREGATE (INCLUDING ON-LINE) WHERE PRODUCT CAN BE SOLD TO YOU, AND GIVE UP YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS and CASE DETAILS TO LOTS OF STRANGERS, some of who may reveal it to others who already know that complaining about a problem is going to produce a result, and have pre-determined pictures of what the solution should look like (and who should be in charge of crafting one).
Doing some or all of the above did NOTHING to help my children, my court case, get a child support order enforced consistently, a restraining order respected (or enforced) or, finally, even a custody order respected or enforced. When it was violated, the father of my children was rewarded for his “bold initiative” (in committing that felony crime) with an immediate cessation of current child support (having racked up considerable debt), a later compromise of its arrears, and complete control of our daughters (who I’d raised, including for many years as a single mother post-DV, not to mention throughout a violent and abusive marriage), who he later abandoned callously, concealing this (with others who had a vested interest in the case) easily as I was, on my end, professionally destroyed , without work, and fighting not only ongoing trauma, but the realization of the limits of my ability — and the courts, and law enforcements — lack of interest in doing anything to put the brakes on it.
Common sense (which my children detected years earlier) was that the courts just while, preaching it wanted to mend relationships, in fact, had simply picked a scapegoat, and was working the crowd for the pre-determined takedown (cf. bullfights). I had this confirmed later by someone in the business of training custody evaluators in their domestic violence segments, among others.
I don’t know what put the curiosity in me, but after this court experience, I wanted to know historically whose idea were these courts anyhow? Did you ever ask that question? Once a reasonable answer shows up, you can then see the same groups (types of professionals/organizations) going about — with the lobbying and legislative clout they have sought and obtained — to create more and more “problem solving” “therapeutic jurisprudence” “Unified Family” “High-Conflict” “Domestic Violence” “Fathering” “Child Support” “Mental Health” — and you name it, courts. Unfortunately, our concept of “Courts” meanwhile is from a few centuries ago….
Part of the Problem:
We have been so “sold out” by people who have spoken a language we empathize with (domestic violence is “bad,” child abuse is evil, help us stop it!) but in the bottom line, are more concerned about the preservation of their own professions and organizations than the truth.
And so we have for too long and too often adopted their language without editing it for reality, supplementing it with our own research and validating/invalidating it; too often without testing it for logic, or doing background checks on the people talking a certain talk. This is hardly surprising, because as one follows the money, it is taken from a major resource (federal government, plus private foundations, etc.) and a lot is dumped into virtual media campaigns.
I did not come to this conclusion overnight, without research of many of the nonprofits involved, without having spoken (or sought help from) them, and without having thereafter confronted some of the leadership by phone or on-line (more than once) with knowledge that had been available (on-line) for years, but which their material habitually neglects to speak about, although it’s known to many in the field. My blogging helps fill their omissions & censorships. I get consistently high traffic (for such a blog), few comments, but the people who have commented or contacted me, are appreciative.
I recommend that people look through the links if they cannot get through my posts — because I KNOW that the parties (organizations, groups, etc.) I am reporting on are also watching this blog, i.e., as any blogger can, up to a point, identify inbound traffic. If the people and groups I’m reporting on are watching this blog, I think it would make sense for the people whose lives are being destroyed by those groups (speaking courts, gov’ts, certain law firms, etc.) also know. There are times when a presiding judge seems to have thought I was someone in a case before them, simply because I report over a variety of jurisdictions, but cite specifics. This feedback came up from both East and West Coast USA. However, I report specifics to illustrate the points, and there are always plenty of examples to use.
I am looking for dedicated individuals (male or female, parents or member of the public who are tired of picking up the pieces, and “the tab” for custody case disasters, and want to change the steady drumbeat of ones that end up with “roadkill.” I am working on better ways to present and organize this, which requires some skillsets, time, and technology I don’t yet have.
So have other mothers, specifically, and were accordingly spat out, or let go (??) from the organizations that, at one time, had confronted the federal incentives to produce out-come based custody courts, without quite being held responsible for it at the federal level (after all, custody courts are state’s matters, right?).
Each of us have gone about this as individual bloggers (burnt out in different years, passed the torch in different ways, and I think eventually reached something of a tipping point in that now some of the groups which refused to deal with this ,are doing so — although in a very diluted and misleading manner to their followers, STILL not giving them the basic tools to confirm information themselves.
(I’m working on a timeline from this perspective).
Look, when fishermen go fishing, there is often bait, right? That bait is legitimate food — it just has a hook in it. The same is true of the domestic violence industry AND moreover, the developing “Crisis in the Courts” industry (they want the same privileges and press that the domestic violence, fatherhood promotion and child protection industry had, and are copying its worst, not its best, practices).
Of course there is SOME truth in there, or who would bite — but not all the relevant truth and not necessarily the most relevant truth. I actually see them as intentionally derailing the conversation in a way that obscures the “operational realities” which anyone can learn to look up — it’s not rocket science!
And when I learned about this from some predecessors, too late for my own children (basically) I made up my mind to report it, AND report the people I know who simply didn’t care enough to report it, although they knew. Sometimes professionals just have tunnel vision (and arrogance) and an agenda; in this agenda, incorporating our actual feedback recommending changes is less welcome, than our warm bodies, donations, referrals, and email lists soliciting our anecdotal stories.
They want the public (the government) to pay attention to them, and attract funding to put out a certain message — but not the whole truth. It is AS important to understand (and research) groups “on your side” of any debate (whether or not the gender divide) as on the other side.
(The top paragraphs were written a while back, I added an example below, and then got lost in the magnitude of this particular one. After all, we are dealing with powerful networks — at the receiving end. These are not even as simply organized as a beautiful spiders’ web (though they ARE many of them organized ON the web, as in “http://www.”). But if you understand this basic setup:
- The Nonprofit (promoting a For-Profit Product or Service) CORPORATIONS are often formed by public employees, often in the Executive Branch of a State (or County) government but sometimes in and among the Judiciary. These are often (but now always) organizations named after their employee’s position (i.e. easily marked as trade organizations) but are also often called something warm, fuzzy, and apple-pie sounding. Especially with words like “Children” “Family” “Parenting” Protect” or “Prevent” in them…. they are of course going to protect or prevent violence or abuse (the BAD stuff) and promote fatherhood, healthy marriages ,or child welfare (the GOOD stuff).
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- Regarding the public employees that do this — some are STILL in the family court system (or criminal justice, etc.); some are cycling in and out of it (work HHS, form a nonprofit and promoted it ,then go back into HHS), and some, this appears to be their retirement plan after a spin (sometimes a disastrous spin) in government.
These organizations know very well that there are federal (and through federal, state, county, etc.) funding streams arranged around certain themes. These are the irrigation system (outflow) from the centralized collection system we now know as the United States of America (Federal Government). So they set themselves up to get the grants.
If you finish reading about some of the personnel involved in the Michigan example below, and also hooked up with the Supervised Visitation/Batterers Intervention Program industry (which has Coalition based in Michigan as well, logo below), in looking at its board — I saw several high-ups in the Michigan DHS department (hardly surprising). Duane M. Wilson, Ismael Ahmed/Stanley M. Stewart (top DHS leadership), Debi Cain, and others show up in this 2009 report on “out of state travel” expenses. Please browse with care — you can see what memberships and conferences some state personnel are being flown to.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dhs/DHS-Legislative-Sec217-3-PA248-2008-Travel_263086_7.pdf People in each state ought to get hold of their respective reports, to see what their leadership (gov’t HHS dept) has been up to in: fatherhood promotion, child support enforcement, marriage promotion, DV promotion, and a WHOLE lot more. For example, you can see some of the big ones:
The Honorable Bill Hardiman, Chair Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on DHS Michigan State Senate State Capitol Lansing, Michigan 48933
The Honorable Dudley Spade House Appropriations Subcommittee on DHS Michigan House of Representatives Lansing, MI 48933
Dear Senator Hardiman and Representative Spade:
Section 217(3) of 2008 Public Act 248 (Enrolled House Bill No. 5814) requires the Department of Human Services to prepare a travel report listing all travel by classified and unclassified employees outside the state in Fiscal Year 2008. Our report is attached.
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(this is fascinating detail — as we are paying Federal and State funding) airfare for our own employees to fly around the country and be trained in private nonprofit association conferences how to help (or screw) the public better — or at least in a more coordinated manner.
Hence, Duane M. Wilson (below) was flown in March 2008 to attend a Marriage/Fatherhood Conference in San Francisco, and Stanley M. Stewart (involved in State DHS and this Batterers Intervention Services MI Coalition, on its board) to attend an African American Healthy Marriage Conference in Charlotte, NC, etc. The largest conferences (over $1,000 federal funding, plus some state) to attend seem to be related to child support. Some guy (this is unrelated, but: Byron Haskins) was flown east coast (Baltimore, several times) west coast (San Diego), also Louisiana and Chicago — re: DDS (Disability?). There are also people being flown around for Violence Prevention (but less splashy amounts) and the head of the Michigan DHS was flow to Washington, D.C. for the US Arab Economic Conference. I’m not sure what that all represents, but as a woman, I’m a little concerned….
Of course as money has already been appropriated or voted into being that these things are for everyone’s good, then the next thing is the HOOK-UP — how are connections made between grantor and grantee, which happens at a number of places, but among them conferences, or getting on someone’s “listserv” — plus people who want to distribute the money are on the conference circuit. In fact, probably a lot of your local employees are on the conference circuit, or hosting others on that circuit. Private money is blended in at many stages along the way.
Here’s some of the profit — they are marketing information which is trademarked (often), and can be downloaded. So the routine will go: someone has developed a curriculum (new ideas are rare, new names for old ideas are common) and gets to promote themselves, their pet curriculum, and then the marketing distribution network is people coming through the courts, jails, child support systems, etc.
HINT: ANYONE who calls this a “cottage industry” is lying. Find better friends. It ain’t not cottage industry — it’s plenty of business.
usually public/private, for the purpose of setting up the networks through which the money flows. While services (classes, trainings, etc.) are indeed delivered, it seems to be the number and complexity of the network which makes it impossible for anyone to keep a lid on fraud, conflicts of interest, or for that matter embezzlements. let alone, the issue of keeping religion out of it is now off the table. It’s really a terrible situation anymore.
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Qualified as Personal Opinion, but I have experienced this, and this blogs shows I’ve also been reading, and networking — consistently.
TO:
Mothers whose exes are or were violent, and are trying to (or have) taken custody away from you, resulting in a living nightmare which seems only to expand, not ever come to a conclusion and who if they HAD money (or work), now have less; who if they did NOT have access to money (or work) are now on welfare, or just about barely surviving, etc. …
NOT FOR WOMEN CURRENTLY IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATIONS, WHERE SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AND WHO NEED A CRIMINAL RESTRAINING ORDER, YESTERDAY, OR A COMPLETE SEPARATION AND RELOCATION….
Please get the word out: This is a racket (most of it is).
Going up to any government agency and talking about domestic violence and child abuse is risky, and probably stupid. Sorry to put it that way. We have heard of some cases (with high-powered men) where they were actually coached to abuse a child to get into this system, which backfires on those who report.
You may get an initial restraining order, but no one really has to enforce it (police certainly don’t). Moreover police can’t be everywhere at once. He might respect it, but these days, enough backup rhetoric exists to have taught him that it’s optional, and not to be taken seriously.
This is not the 1970s or even 1980s! It’s post-1996-welfare reform, feminist-backlash; it’s a post-9/11 world, post-Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives [OFCBI] world also.
Get a basic corporate ID before signing on to any group — mailing list, or emotionally, OK? Would you buy a car without doing that? Get married without this? (cases in point). So? Why take rides with strangers that want to help with your custody case, to better publicize the Court Crisis, suggest you join the mailing list, and come to a rally, buy a product, attend the conference. . . .
If it’s a nonprofit, look up the 990s, and find out where the money’s coming from and going to. then find out who the leadership conferences & collaborates with, for starters.
If it’s a for-profit, look up its history and find the associated foundation. The foundations are running this place, and they ARE essentially corporate and family wealth setting gov’t policy.
Individual voices will not be heard unless they have figured out what those groups need from us, AND START COLLECTIVELY WITHHOLDING IT, as possible, until there’s a better (more open and more honest) dialogue.
One place to start this might be to figure out away around receiving or seeking a child support order, sorry to put it that way. OR welfare. Work, beg, network, sublet, couch-surf, something. That’s the primary trap pulling people into the family court system — that, plus obtaining a domestic violence restraining or child protective order and having kids.
Prosper, be in health, good luck, etc.
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JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW WHAT LOOKS LOCAL, ISN’T REALLY LOCAL:
MICHIGAN, 2008.
(note: I got rather upset after researching some of this, which will show by the end of the post. I just don’t think groups capable of designing a logo which reads anything like:
. . .(AACC stands for American Association of Christian Counselors).
should be getting federal funds to promote marriage and fatherhood, and given a virtual carte blanche in the children’s services area.
WHOSE time?
I know that some types of Christians may WANT to re-make the world in their Father’s image, but unfortunately, while “Jesus” may be alive and well in their hearts Jesus is not back in town yet and ruling the planet yet. And until then, we need to respect certain other standards, and quit trying to play God, particularly in mothers’ lives who may also believe in Jesus (Christ, that is) but want to report that they don’t think Jesus would want their spouses molesting their kids, or assaulting them, or in short, raising hell — and reserve the right to leave relationships that involve beating, cheating, or other forms of abuse.
Heck, we may even want to work outside the home and still keep the paycheck for a rainy day, too.
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FOR EXAMPLE (THIS ONE WAS MAILED TO ME, otherwise YOU COULD GO TO ALMOST ANY STATE AND FIND SOMETHING SIMILAR. PLUS OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE ARE FLYING FROM STATE TO STATE FOR CONFERENCES, AND COMMUNICATING BY INTERNET, ETC. ON HOW TO SET UP MORE OF THESE….
Here’s a nice example (overt, too) of in a custody issue, “Dads” getting free legal help provided at HHS expense, and it’s also mentioned a church connection, and it’s from Michigan.
http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124–187565–,00.html
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Contact: Maureen Sorbet or Colleen Steinman (517) xxx-xxxx
March 14, 2008
GRAND RAPIDS – Information and legal advice about paternity, child custody, child support and parenting time will be available at the Dad’s Legal Clinic on Wed., March 19 at the United Methodist Community House.
The event, held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 904 Sheldon SE, is one of three statewide meetings to help fathers learn more about their rights and responsibilities as parents. Free pizza and beverages will be served. Free child care also is available.
Organizers say** that involved dads improve outcomes for children. One session was held in February in Lansing and another session will be held in Southfield in April. The series is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Human Services’ Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative, Michigan State University’s Chance at Childhood, and community providers of the Proud Fathers-Proud Parents programs.
“Fathers play a critical role in the lives of their children,” said Duane Michael Wilson, coordinator of the DHS Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative. “This information can make the difference to a dad who wants to be involved in his child’s life but doesn’t know how.”
For more information about the Grand Rapids Dad’s Legal Clinic, please contact Kimberly Steed at (517)###-#### or the United Methodist Community House at (616) ###-####. |
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**So the question becomes, who’s organizing this, and how come what they say gets statewide meetings? Is this platform granted because the information is true — or because promoting it is mutually profitable to those involved?
“INITIATIVE” generally means “funding” to push programming. the money is in the training and the programming, apparently; and it gets diverted from welfare, it comes from a variety of sources.
Any mother who is involved in any way, shape OR form in the welfare (or child support) system is likely to have her case run against this situation, particularly if she has reported something negative about the father — or even if he’s in jail….
These programs do not help GOOD fathers, they hurt good fathers, and sponsor bad ones. That’s their purpose…. Here’s a great summary of the situation – again, from an individual, Anne Stevenson. To my awareness, she has not started a “fix our broken courts” nonprofit, does not work on someone’s domestic violence agency (or for fatherhood groups either). It’s the individuals reporting who tend to have the most valuable information; unfortunately their and our voices tend to get drowned out by funding (millions of $$ of it) for this rhetoric — and that funding is coming from public AND private money.
As our government appears to have so much money to throw around on propaganda, perhaps they should instead just return some of it to the taxpayers, and we will then handle our own families, and businesses, thank you. But that’s hardly the general idea. The general idea is to keep it in circulation for the consultants, the curriculum manufactures, and wait as long as possible to actually distribute it, then complain about the “underfunded” courts when they are over-crowded because of poor program policies, to promote conflict when a protective parent comes up against a violent one. Oldest game in the book I think (divide and conquer….).
The so-called “War on Women” is raging, and billions of your tax dollars are being misused to fuel it via the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The solution is to remove the middle class from the welfare roles and do away with gender-based funding incentives.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) program it created transformed welfare policy by drastically reducing and shifting federal assistance away from the homes of mothers and children and into the homes of violent offenders . . .
{{note: It also, by switching from aid to families to “block grants to states” allowing more “flexibility” opened up the entire marriage promotion industry, and in the process privatized welfare and centralized (by state) control of the funds even further. Hence in Oklahoma, it only took a Governor Keating, cooperating with an DHS leader (Jerry Regier) to choose to grab a “contingency fund” and apply it to consultants, strategists, and for-profit curricula distribution to promote marriage & fatherhood which was priority #4, not I, of the purpose of welfare itself. to justify this, of course someone had to first declare that it was being a single mother PER SE (and not economic conditions, wage discriminations, or previous abuse which plunged women (specifically) into poverty. See Oklahoma Marriage Initiative on this blog, or look it up.” Block grants to states = someone has access to larger blocks of money and can re-route it, with some justification, at will, to cronies, pet proects, or out-of-state-contractors, which indeed happened… That the Governor was Catholic in upbringing and his head of HHS (Regier) conservative Christian, and Bush-connected, of course was just coincidence}}
These HHS policies created a new breed of dangerous Welfare Kings through HHS Office of Child Support Enforcement when it began subsidizing the homes and legal battles of the unfit, unwilling, and violent fathers. At the beginning of a custody case, only the offender is sick, but if one violent offender gets custody, the whole family needs treatment. Consequently, it is also not uncommon for dozens of family court mental health and legal professionals onto the case to sustain his deadly custody rights through HHS programs.
The top 5 HHS programs endangering women and children are:
1. Child Support Enforcement (Access and Visitation Programs and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative) A 2011 report from the Office of the Inspector General demonstrates that the States are collecting child support, but not disbursing it to the children it is intended to benefit. So where is the money going? Although previous graduates include mass murderer D.C. Sniper John Muhammad, the 2012 HHS budget reflects President Obama’s $1 billion endorsement of the fraud-riddled fatherhood industry.
Using the virtually unregulated child support system as a vehicle and the father’s will to evade prison time as collateral, the fathers are told they can risk their liberty and property attempting to pay down arrears, or alternatively, sue the mother for custody using a variety of federally funded “supports.” Unlike the welfare programs for women and children which had restrictive income eligibility requirements, HHS Responsible Fatherhood program benefits are not needs based and are available to all fathers-even billionaires.
Benefits from Responsible Fatherhood programs to abusers include:
- Child support obligations are suspended
- Free attorney representation in the family courts to fight for custody
- Free housing
- Direct cash incentive
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I have heard of the direct cash incentive in some cases, Michigan here demonstrates free legal help, and I can testify (as many other mothers) to child support obligations being suspended.
Essentially, once this game begins, its outcome is predictable, and we are going to be in survival mode, given how many organizations, professions, and grants are depending on an ongoing conflict over custody.
practical application (by process of elimination of the obvious ” Not” to do, find the “What” to do?)
Until “the public” stops funding this by getting these initiatives from welfare reform, or women (and the good Dads) figure out how to boycott the funding — I’m not sure how much difference that would make — and start communicating “across the fence” about our commonalities (i.e., there are men who could also have things to say about the fatherhood incentives, if they would. I have been talking about the DV not just the FR issues, etc.).
Other Matters to consider:
The public is so manipulated (by education, by habit, by social status, and by mass media; by lack of time to seriously evaluate long-held beliefs, and by the momentum of all these energies into HABIT….) to respect authority, experts — and so invested in their safety margins and work careers (i.e., middle class: Retaining the jobs as middle-aged workers, preparing for their own retirements, if possible hoping for a pension, etc.) I’m not counting on it to help. I already sought help from the ‘public at large’ AND specific communities while in a violent, and dangerous marriage, for years — and am pretty clear on what sectors it is NOT in…. I am not risking my own future on hope that the “public” will wise up any time soon.
“The public” is also easily distracted, not including the part not being medicated into focusing better.
Moreover (not that this post isn’t itself a large dinner to digest….) my recent understanding is that, because the actual government profits are NOT primarily from taxes, but from returns on assets held at the multiple levels of government — (see Walter Burien’s writings, blogroll), it may or may not make THE difference to withdraw or boycott so much of these funds. Technically speaking (I believe) the governments we are serving — who are instead supposed to serve us — as we speak DO (as opposed to Fiscal Cliff do NOT) have sufficient operating funds, and could continue these abusive programs if they wished, even if we collectively and drastically withheld our warm bodies AND figured out a way to quite feeding it income taxes. These are NOT the only sources of revenue for our government.
HOWEVER, I still believe that knowing about these matters can help individuals decide where to put their time and energies, and who to associate with, and possibly connect with others who are in the same place about what NOT to do in this matter.
When looking for solutions to a certain problem, what questions you ask — how you frame the question (hypothesis) is critical. Analysis and instinct are both required. An issue we have in these fields is that “others” with financial interests have been framing the questions (“Why does he DO that?” regarding batterers, “Violence Against Women” the gender analysis of causes of violence; “Parental Alienation” (pro or con) for problems with children, etc. etc.) — instead of stepping back to look — closely and carefully at both the situation and the “problemsolvers” overall — and re-evaluate it.
If you are associating with people (OR groups) who are habitually dishonest and lying to you, while proclaiming they are instead helping and advocating — and once they have been either confronted with the truth, or given a chance for YOU to determine whether this is intentional, or simply negligent; i.e., does acquaintance with radically illuminating truth change policies and procedures in a particular group; how (may I ask?) is this not just like the abusive or extortionist partner you personally left?
……Notice this was in the year 2008 (Presidential election year also, remember?), also known as a terrible time economically for the nation — except those benefitting from more government bailouts, etc. But they still had time to run fatherhood programs…
This appears to be a classic case involving many elements of the post-1996 welfare reform SCAM in promoting these programs. At first glance, I can see the FOR-PROFIT element is probably the Proud Fathers-Proud Parents programs, which might be on-line based, a certification course to become a provider, etc.
LOOKING UP THIS MICHIGAN DHS INITIATIVE (SIMPLE ON-LINE SEARCH), HERE’S SOME FROM 2009; SAME GENERAL IDEA: NOTICE THERE’S A DV “TREATMENT” BOARD AND THE STATE GOVERNOR IS BEHIND THIS. (Probably because it represents money coming to Michigan):
Governor Declares February Responsible Fatherhood Awareness Month in MichiganContact: Gisgie Dávila Gendreau, marketing and public relations director (517) ###-####Feb. 10, 2009LANSING – Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has declared February as Responsible Fatherhood Awareness Month in Michigan.
Fathers who actively participate in their children’s lives can help reduce the risk of childhood poverty, mental illness and substance abuse.Children whose fathers are involved in their lives also have a reduced risk of juvenile delinquency, early sexual activity, teen pregnancies and are less likely to drop out of high school.
{{oh?? isn’t “involved in their lives” kind of a vague term??}}
Two events will be held to increase awareness about the benefits of nurturing fathers:
{{fathers who nurture, or are the rest of us supposed to nurture fathers so they can “man up” and quit assaulting their kids & wives?}}
- Take Your Dad to School Week, Feb. 16-20. The Michigan Fatherhood Coalition encourages teachers, principals, administrators and other school personnel to host father-friendly activities, allowing dads to share time with their children at school.
- 7th Annual Fatherhood Conference, March 11. Co-sponsored by the Michigan Head Start Association and the Michigan Fatherhood Coalition, the event will be held at the Kalamazoo Radisson Hotel.
“The Michigan Department of Human Services supports responsible fatherhood because positively involved** fathers are paramount to improving child outcomes and creating safe, healthy family environments,” said Debi Cain, executive director of the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, which is charged with efforts to reduce domestic violence in the state.
{{**so nice to have a strict measurable qualifier here, “positively involved.” And what’s all this talk about “child outcomes.”}}
DHS has several programs aimed at improving outcomes for Michigan children through support for fathers, couples and co-parenting, and increasing awareness of the benefits to children who are nurtured, including the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood initiatives”
For more information about responsible fatherhood, please visit www.michigan.gov/parenting. For more information on the 7th Annual Fatherhood Conference, visit www.mhsa.ws/.
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(both links are broken, but “mhsa” is the Michigan Head Start Association).
FYI, this situation isn’t going away unattended: Look at the progression — all from the same source, the DHS department of Michigan Government:
SO — regarding in MICHIGAN, this won’t change if it’s not addressed — see progression:
- 2012, a Different Governor, “Reinventing Michigan” looks more to me like “business as usual” (same message!)
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[[Whereas, Whereas, Whereas, Whereas (propaganda items 1,2,3,4 -- mimic Congressional declarations in 1998 & 1999, hardly new, but the pompous format is modeled after the Declaration of Independence, except that that document actually held some serious truth; these statements are phrased in terms of social science theory!]]
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Rick Snyder, Governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim February 2012 as Responsible Fatherhood Awareness Month in Michigan
Maybe the real issue is of tolerating increasing levels of Piled Higher and Deeper, and providing funding platforms so that we are ALL (male and female, parents and non-parents) exposed to this. Let’s see — isn’t that a technique used in governmental systems we supposedly aren’t, like communist? Endless indoctrinations by the state...
OK let’s consider the 2008 and 2009 insets — particularly how Domestic Violence groups (so-called) are involved here:
When you see the word “Executive Director,” Usually, you are probably looking at a nonprofit. however this happens to be a Governor-appointed 7-member board. You just saw that in 2009 the Governor is promoting fatherhood, so go figure how domestic violence prevention is going to merge with that!
As I see elsewhere in DHS about this board – it was originally established WITHIN what is now DHS, what was the “family independence agency”:
Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board
The Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board (MDVPTB) was established within the Michigan Family Independence Agency (now known as the Department of Human Services) in 1978 by state legislation that created a Governor-appointed Board responsible for focusing state activity on domestic violence. The Board administers state and federal funding for domestic violence shelters and advocacy services, develops and recommends policy, and develops and provides technical assistance and training.The seven-member Board represents a cross-section of professions concerned with the crime of domestic violence. Members are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Staff provided by the Department of Human Services assists the Board in carrying out their legislative charge.
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Having DHS staff this is a conflict of interest, as the DHS is so utterly re-tooled to promote fatherhood and marriage, particularly since 1996. This gives it a “veneer” of preventing violence, while the same types of abusive control, threats, stalking (and injuries) can continue to occur as enabled through the OTHER special interests in the family court venues… Right??
Therefore, Domestic Violence is obviously not a Crime, but something (maybe a sickness?) that needs “Treatment.” But when you get right down to it — they are administering state and federal funding for shelters and advocacy services, and do “TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.” Isn’t that nice to know that only SEVEN people, appointed by ONE person (Governor) and not elected, are going to be administering money that is supposed to help women (and/or men) who had to flee to domestic violence shelters, and determining how much gets to the shelters, and how much gets into training them how to be better co-parents???
Current membership contains three “Honorables” and if you live in MI you know faster than I whether these are judges or Congressional Representatives, and I’d look them up, too.
Current Members
Cris Sullivan, Chair
The Honorable Donald Allen
Jeffrie Cape
Candace Cowling
James A. Fink
The Honorable Amy Ronayne Krause
The Honorable Edward Sosnick
Debi Cain, Executive Director
Debi Cain has a longstanding background in Violence prevention; I note that her majors were psychology and computer science; a brief bio (at that link) is from another Michigan Nonprofit, founded by a David Garvin, called
DAVID J. H. GARVIN, MSW, LMSW
Senior Director of Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he founded, supervises and directs the Alternatives to Domestic Aggression Program(ADA), the Behavioral Health Services and Substance Abuse Services, Adoption and Pregnancy Services, and the Supervised Visitation and Exchange Program. David has been directly involved in the anti-domestic violence movement since 1986 when he founded the ADA Program.
Somehow it’s less than assuring to have a (male) Catholic Social worker ALSO interested in Adoption and Pregnancy services being involved in the DV prevention industry also. This represents a very-early-in-the field compromise between grassroots battered women’s advocates who wanted (women like me!) to just be able to stay SEPARATE from their batterers — somehow, got morphed (or, as I say compromised) into instead trading real safety for partial, temporary safety — and BIPs and SVNs and Trainings for Judges. BIP is “batterers intervention programs” and SVN obviously the entire Supervised Visitation Network. Apart from the fact that these also get then turned against mothers (somehow), and are taking federal (access/visitation) funding — therefore a public expense; there are also too many occasions where fraud (double-billing) has shown up, which has been known at least 10 years and not, to my knowledge, stopped. It is a virtual conflict of interest nightmare.
Again, see the gravatar (mine) and click on it. Why “Supervised Visitation Services” at all? Either men (and women) control themselves, or they don’t. If they can’t, then no visitation. If they can, then OK. But inbetween is just a financial nightmare, sends a real mixed messages for kids, and forces children to interact sometimes in an artificial manner with their former abusers. It’s a recipe for disaster!!! (And has resulted in not a few….).
Mr. Garvin is the founder of the Alternatives to Domestic Aggression Program, a co-founder and chair of theBatterer Intervention Services Coalition of Michigan. Mr. Garvin was selected to serve as the co-chair of the Michigan Governor’s Taskforce on creating standards for batterer intervention programs. Mr. Garvin has conducted trainings, consultations, conferences, workshops, in-services around the country and has been featured on local, state and national television, in magazines, professional journals and newspapers.
in “creating standards for a program,” that’s just a step away from setting up a new franchised profession. Only trouble: this one is billed to the public, and/or the parents. The last thing they need at this time.
Mr. Garvin was named the 2009 National Association of Social Workers-Michigan (NASW-MI) Social Worker of the Year. He earned the prestigious honor for his work in the areas of domestic violence, mental health and adoption.
(I also noted that they seem to have a new member on the board of this nonprofit — who just so happens to be Darlene Johnson “Associate Director, Office of Violence Against Women” and other high-powered (VERY high-powered) individuals from in and out of state (TN, Washington, Indiana, etc.).
AND in particular, another person on the board of this coalition from MDHS involved in the Hope VI housing project. Hope VI I blogged just recently, from “The Myth of the Rule of Law” as a specific HUD area that Catherine Austin Fitts nailed as giving a negative return on (federal investments) — specifically in the Philadelphia area. But, great when it came to “fees for friends.” Here’s the link, hover cursor (or search the term) for that section.
STANLEY M. STEWART
Stanley M. Stewart was appointed to the position of chief deputy director of the Michigan Department of Human Services by Director Ismael Ahmed effective September 24, 2007.
Stanley Stewart’s background is in human services delivery and administration. Most recently, he was president of Stewart Information Services, ((if I have which one right, this is huge in real estate, but I may not, there)) his own consultancy,** serving nonprofit community based organizations with expertise in grantsmanship, regulatory affairs, budgeting, staffing, volunteerism, and community relations. In this role, Stan provided technical assistance in development of the national AmeriCorps project through the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), and consulted on the Hope VI project in the City of Detroit. (=a HUD project)
Hope VI excerpt, from “Fitts” link:
HUD has a program called Hope VI, which is the construction of new public housing. Here is how the money works on Hope VI. We tax people who make $36,000 a year. We then take the money and use it to build housing that costs $150-250,000 (inclusive of all overhead, etc) per apartment unit, which we use to warehouse people who make $10,000 a year or less in a manner in which they are unlikely to become taxpayers. This generates a large number of jobs, profit, and private equity for a group of lawyers, accountants, developers, **consultants and others who tend to make substantially in excess of $36,000, say anywhere from $75,000 to $500,000 or more a year.
That general theme seems to hold true for the HHS aspect before, and often they seem to intersect with each other …..
In the HUD programs, a surprising number of them went to Harvard, Harvard Business School, the Harvard Kennedy School, and last but most special, Harvard Law School. If not Harvard, someplace more like it than the University of Tennessee agricultural school.
A few years back I took the pricings on the HUD defaulted mortgage portfolio to the head of Hope VI. I explained that HUD had substantial single-family inventory in those same communities. Empty single-family homes could be bought and repaired at a fraction of the price of new construction of public housing by private developers. The HUD official said, “but then how would we generate fees for our friends?” You just have to love a woman who is that honest.
From the tan-background excerpts below, we can see that:
University (MSU), the state-level DHS department, community providers (can you spell, more nonprofits?) and at least for location, a Methodist Church are involved.
While “Chance at Childhood” sounds like it’s about childhood, this is actually about more custodial time for fathers (including abusive fathers) at public expense, plus diversions from helping the household the children live in directly into programming.
It appears to be a set of programs within MSU coordinating between social workers and lawyers.
Wanna place a bet that at the DHS coordinator also has a hand in some of the programs being marketed? Can you spell Financial Incentives?
((This turns out to be true, but I was rather deeply disturbed after finding one of the PhD’s involved here (Dr. Randell Turner) networking with Mr. Wilson, who wears a few different hats at will) had some serious connections with the Christian Psychologists/Counselors Conference Circuit (see bottom of page, a little frightening in scope and purpose…//Fuller Theological Seminary and the like) who are basically looking to take over the primary institutions of the world that have anything to do with reproduction, marriage, parenting, divorce, education ,and of course, sex, including sexuality….).
Actually, the emotional component kinda messed with my head just now, so this post didn’t go as planned. However, just FYI — in case these concepts are new, be aware, this ain’t Kansas any more.
I have been restructuring my concept of “who government is” to match the facts (evidence) now, for a number of years, after experientially finding out when my kids were removed overnight (in violation of a custody order) and no justification (legal or factual) ever given for it, at least on the record.
I’ll leave this as is.
I just found out that a “Randell Turner, Ph.D.” whose linkedIn below gives a nice clue to how serious these groups are about pushing their message was also formerly Vice President of the National Fatherhood Initiative, and has moved from there into another serious player in this field, “ICF International.”
(resume, in part only — to point out it sounds like he may have a home base in Pennsylvania):
http://www.forestinstitute.org/mhcc/2012-conference/plenary-speakers/randell-turner–phd.aspx
Prior to joining ICF International, Dr. Turner served as vice president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, (NFI) a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to improving child outcomes through engaged, committed and involved fathers. He was responsible for research and development of curricula, for community-based, school-based teen father, health/safety childcare for new/expecting fathers, military and incarcerated fatherhood programs.
While with NFI he served as consultant to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge’s Fatherhood Initiative developing, promoting and training community-based, prison and school based programs for fathers and their families. Additionally, Dr. Turner initiated and consulted with Pennsylvania State University, Center for Organizational Research and Evaluation and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections which conducted research including, process and outcomes evaluations on incarcerated fatherhood programs in the state of Pennsylvania.
}}}Funny, wasn’t it Penn State University recently that had a molestation of minors scandal recently, Jerry Sandusky etc. Makes you wonder what’s up at Penn State, how come these terrific programs don’t stay on top of things…{{{
Dr. Turner initiated one of the first state-wide prisoner re-entry programs with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, by developing the Helping Offenders Parent Effectively,** (H.O.P.E.) a prison to community re-entry and transition program, community resources, training and strategies to prepare incarcerated parents for prisoner reentry. Dr. Turner co-authored an award winning column given by the Evangelical Press Association for Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit ministry, Inside Edition a faith-based newsletter addressing incarcerated fatherhood issues. Since 2004, Dr. Turner has been developing and implementing new program/curricula for transitioning sex offenders returning from state and county prisons.
(from taggs.hhs.gov, a grants database
$3 million of the above (that’s straight-out grant, not contracts) is a single grant, “90FH0002″:
“NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE HEALTHY MARRIAGE – NON COMPETING CONTINUATION APPLICATION” (click on some links, or you can look it up).
If you can put “Helping Offenders Parent Effectively” and transitioning sex offenders back into the community and fatherhood programs and connections to the family court systems (nationwide and international), I think the handwriting is somewhat on the walls about these groups.
http://www.state.nj.us/corrections/SubSites/OTS/OTS_CORE.html Theme is “protecting public safety by changing offender behavior” OTS is “Office of Transitional Services.”
Helping Offenders Parent Effectively (HOPE)
In 2008 New Jersey Department of Corrections, the Office of Transitional Services implemented the Helping Offenders Parent Effectively (HOPE) program. Offenders who learn to be better fathers can help reduce these risks and have positive effects on their children’s lives. Research shows that inmates who learn to become better fathers are less likely to return to prison, and that their children adjust better when they are reunited. The goal of HOPE is to enable offenders to see the importance of accepting responsibility for their children and increase their ability to be self sufficient by beginning to take control of your life. Participants attend HOPE once a week for 90 minutes per session for ten weeks.
(in testimony, 2010, about this program, it allegedly started in 2007 and was 12 weeks (pages not numbered, but it’s toward the end of this pdf). Somewhere, someone is being reimbursed as the trainings are run. I would like to know, who?)
Remember this next March and ask your legislators AGAIN to DE-fund, not RE-fund Welfare Block Grants to States — or at least these set-asides. Meanwhile, figure out away not to get baited into the system, if at all possible.
I want to show this in part because (SHAME ON THEM!) the DV groups should’ve shown all mothers at least as much as the fathers were shown. The men’s groups make sure they can definitely spout off about DV groups, but this doesn’t go two ways. Many women’s groups talk so vaguely (not all, but many) to focuse on the characteristics of abusers and batterers — not on the corporation. Moreover, the DV groups appear to have been (bought out) centralized and coordinated under statewide Coalitions. Those that didn’t join the crowd were hard put to retain funding, almost end of story for independence of policy in the entire community.
We also need to understand that these programs ARE marketed, sold, they are businesses.
This is what women are up against (because of gender) when they enter ANY family law court anymore, anywhere in the nation, for a custody conflict. This is federally funded, hooked into the child support program, and is a means by which children can get trafficked into the system (depending on the fight, into foster care, or back into the care of the less appropriate parent), and money also can be absolutely laundered through multiple nonprofits that NO ONE is typically going to hold accountable.
I no longer am willing to go nuts trying to track all of them even in my own area, in other states for other women. I am simply sending out the alerts. FYI, when some of these service providers get caught with their pants down (or hands in the cash drawer, i.e., money goes missing, invoices and distributions don’t miss — OR the organization actually receiving the money, allegedly a nonprofit, doesn’t exist at the state level anymore, or doesn’t file its tax returns. The situation is UNbelievable in scope….).
Once you see this, you will (or at least should!) be angry and then figure out what to do about it, locally. My decision is that it seems more logical to go look up the local government entities (more than you realize) and start examining their “CAFRs” (see links to the right) AND that we get a hold on the material of Walter Burien in that regard, and in Catherine Austin Fitts (with her work on HUD, investments, mortgage-backed-securities sell-offs etc.) and in addition (which CAF doesn’t address, but I do and will continue to) the role of faith-based institutions AND flat-out churches, in all of this.
HERE’s a quick lookup on this one above, which I just happened to be mailed today (another woman feels betrayed, properly at this). Once you see this pattern, depending on where your case is (how far progressed), you may be able to in hindsight identify at what point the fatherhood/marriage (etc.) funding kicked into corrupt it.
I would quit blurting out personal information about one’s case (for emotional validation; or if you do, get past that place quickly) and focus on SEEKING information which might be leverage in your case.
I am not sure how much the public, which is already over-stressed, cares about the mis-use of their public funds to extort one or the other parent (or both, over time) in custody matters. After all, they have already bought into the concept that by paying the government, continually, and more and more (while services are cut), they will be relieved of having to actually deal with criminal matter sin their neighborhoods, or school shootings, gangsters, child abusers, and other perverts running loose.
The UPside of finding out all this troubling information is absolutely knowing it’s not “in your head,” and who has covered up this information while training mothers to handle things differently, like, by complaining louder, and more frequently, and longer about such idiotic mantras as “Our Broken Family Courts” or “Children Exposed to Violence” — which, while true — only feeds the system and seems to justify more money poured into what’s going to end up being “Fees for Friends” anyhow.
The United States Government already cannot audit itself, and regularly “loses” millions in the cracks between federal and state governments of the $4 billion a year (or so) child support industry. It has admitted in public that it doesn’t really know how much is missing. (see HHS/OIG/OAS Archives on Undistributable Child Support). it is misreporting its own assets to all of us (see CAFRs), by simply moving things off the regular budget (which is shoved in our faces election time, all the time, including by accounting firms we trusted to tell us better) and crying “broke” when it’s not broke.
DEMONSTRATION LOOK-UP:
OK, QUICK STUDY — ONE CASE IN MICHIGAN. POP QUIZ — How FAST can you find the for-profit product in this government program?
http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124–187565–,00.html
Dads get free legal advice and information about parenting
Contact: Maureen Sorbet or Colleen Steinman (517) xxx-xxxx |
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March 14, 2008GRAND RAPIDS – Information and legal advice about paternity, child custody, child support and parenting time will be available at the Dad’s Legal Clinic on Wed., March 19 at the United Methodist Community House.The event, held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 904 Sheldon SE, is one of three statewide meetings to help fathers learn more about their rights and responsibilities as parents. Free pizza and beverages will be served. Free child care also is available.
Organizers say that involved dads improve outcomes for children.***
One session was held in February in Lansing and another session will be held in Southfield in April. The series is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Human Services’ Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative, Michigan State University’s Chance at Childhood (see staff), and community providers of the Proud Fathers-Proud Parents programs.
“Fathers play a critical role in the lives of their children,” said Duane Michael Wilson, coordinator of the DHS Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative. “This information can make the difference to a dad who wants to be involved in his child’s life but doesn’t know how.”
For more information about the Grand Rapids Dad’s Legal Clinic, please contact Kimberly Steed at (517) xxx-xxxx or the United Methodist Community House at (616) ccc-cccc. |
(I don’t approve of federal funding of free legal help for fathers to get children away from mothers, as managed by a strongly networked combo of social workers, attorneys (judges) AND religious groups; so you can go look up the tel#s yourself!)
Regarding “Chance at Childhood” & MSU Michigan State, in particular, has a well-known Children’s Law Clinic, which has connections with those who are developing (have developed) Children’s Law as a specialty — in particular Marvin Ventrell (formerly of NACC, now of a group in Chicago), and I cannot remember offhand who his partner was in many publications, who is based at that law center.
If you look closely at “Who We Are,” the three staff listed on “Chance at Childhood” are each of them cycling in and out of the family court as workers, to nonprofits who take businesses from the courts. In addition, one has a San Diego connection (in this case). I did learn (by paying attention) that on the East Co
Joseph Kozakiewicz earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from Columbia University in 1985 and 1988, respectively. He earned a master’s degree in social work from Grand Valley State University in 2000. A native of New York State, Mr. Kozakiewicz moved to San Diego, California following his graduation from law school. Mr. Kozakiewicz practiced business and securities law for 3 years and then taught at the University of San Diego School of Law for 4 years before relocating to West Michigan. In 1997, Mr. Kozakiewicz began working for the Children’s Law Center, a non-profit agency devoted to advocating for children in variety of legal matters. Between 1998 and 2003, Mr. Kozakiewicz worked for the Ottawa County Family Court, first as a referee conducting hearings in a variety of family court cases, and then as the Director of the Friend of the Court, the county agency responsible for enforcing child support, custody, and parenting time orders. In 2003 Mr. Kozakiewicz accepted the position of Director of the Michigan State University Chance at Childhood Program. This interdisciplinary program serves to promote and protect the well-being of children and families through integrated education and advocacy.
( In part because the money is in running trainings….)
Specifically, this is
a NONPROFIT with an agenda, (EIN# 432107145) and it runs classes out of various institutions (including the Proud Fathers, Proud Parents, evidently) — and it’s a win-win if you’re a practitioner, in government, or a father who needs the free legal help (and maybe some case-steering?).
The Michigan Fatherhood Coalition (MFC) is {{make that “was” as of Oct. 2008}} a Michigan nonprofit organization composed of committed volunteer practitioners/ professionals who work in private and public agencies with fathers. The MFC formed because a group of interested practitioners recognized the need for an organization within Michigan solely committed to responsible fatherhood for the well-being of Michigan’s children.
“Practitioners” by now means “fatherhood practitioner” which essentially means someone on the grants stream who runs or designs programs, and sells (pushes) them through public or religious institutions. It’s jargon to make them sound more expert.
According to this database that nonprofit formed in 2006 (and isn’t earning enough money to report?) which just happens to coincide with another round of healthy marriage/responsible fatherhood grants.
http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/orgs/profile/432107145?popup=1
The “work in public agencies” is another way of saying “is a government employee//civil servant.” The focus on fatherhood neatly coincides with money being freed up for fatherhood programs (year after year) from multiple sources in the federal gov’t, distributed through the states, with private interests blended in.
The Coalition provides the networking to get the money to run the programs. This particular nonprofit is a membership one, probably another way it raises money.
Child well-being requires the presence of nurturing and caring parents who understand the value of good parenting and how this impacts healthy child development. MFC believes that both parents are important to healthy child development. We work with agencies and organizations to create more father friendly environments and intervention strategies that better support fathers.
In practice this means and includes supporting fathers when in conflict with mothers, i.e., AGAINST mothers.
Duane Michael Wilson shows as “Vice President” of this nonprofit (Michigan Fatherhood Coalition) formed in (per the above link) 2006, and as on this brochure (dated 2011). However at the same time he is showing up in the DHS Children’s Services Administration as a public employee encouraging people to sign up at MFC to be on the listserv and ask to be a Proud Fathers Program Site Administrator. The motto is “A Practitioners Network: Nurturing Fathers, Thriving Children.” This nonprofit also shares a street address with an Elementary and Head Start School (1107 East Grand River, Lansing, MI).
Looking up the State Corporations Search, it shows Mr. Wilson, above, as the “Registered Agent” date of corporation 2004 (in state of Michigan anyhow), it’s a Nonprofit (doesn’t pay taxes, right?) and it was automatically dissolved on OCTOBER 1, 2008. Notice date of notice above is March, 2008.
That’s how this game works…
“Organizers say that involved dads improve outcomes for children.”***
Besides being unqualified tripe (it’s obvious, some dads do, other dads do not). If it had a qualifier, it might be a valid statement, but without one it’s a social science position. This also tells you what the organizers think about children – they are little beings to be processed and get a desirable outcome. The official state position now is that this means, based on our experiments and data (which don’t take into account obviously the reports from bloggers* who follow the news, and others who know better, that some Dads are good, and some Dads are dangerous).
“Contrary to fathers’ rights propaganda, father perpetrators (along with stepdads and caretaker boyfrends) dominate the most vicious crimes against children: sexual assault, abusive head trauma, murder-suicides, crimes involving gun violence, and other similar forms of physically violent/fatal child abuse. And as more dads are providing child care (either because mom is working and can’t find other care, or because dads are increasingly getting unsupervised visitation/custody through the family courts), more dads are are being found guilty of basic child abuse and neglect as well.”
{{Note: That “dastardlydads” blog contains news reports, including some analysis of “missing mom” reports, or incidents which happened right after custody-switch. These are any mother’s nightmare, and I don’t handle reading them very well. But they stand as a retort to the “kids’ outcome is better with involved Dads.”}}
{{It’s my understanding that this blogger knows about the FR funding, but has chosen NOT to report on it, at least not here. We had some sharp words about it and parted (on-line) paths. However, that anyone even has the stomach to report this, should be commended: I don’t.}}
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What I’m pointing out here is that the theme of the propaganda itself is indoctrinating people into a religious belief (as stated), and to accepting “double-speak.” However the programs themselves should be analyzed as to the FINANCIAL factors. The US Government is pouring millions every year into fatherhood promotion. People are still dying as a result, yet they continue to dump funds into this.
We should ask, WHY.
I simply look things up:
“Duane Michael Wilson” – a facebook reference shows a 2010 meeting and who else is involved, federal fatherhood grantee “ICF International” and the NFRC (Clearinghouse) I’ve been reporting on in recent months…
Michigan Fatherhood Coalition 8th Annual Fatherhood Conference
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Registration is $45 (Scholarships are available). For a registration packet, e-mail: michfatherhood@gmail.com
8:00 am – 8:45 am Registration/Continental Breakfast
9:00 am – 10:00 am Welcome & Keynote Speaker, Dr. Randell Turner – Dr. Turner is a Senior Associate and Child & Family Therapist with ICF International/National Fatherhood Clearinghouse. Dr. Turner has a rich history of developing resources for community-based fatherhood programs, including four cutting- edge fatherhood curriculums that areused in programs throughout the country. He is a frequent speaker at National Fatherhood, Head Start, and Child & Family Conferences.
10:15 am – 11:30 am WORKSHOPS
I. “Everybody Has a Dad: Men Talking about their Relationships
with their Fathers” Ed Long, Ph.D., Central Michigan University
II. “Establishing Your Father Involvement Program Without
Additional Funding” Randell D. Turner, Ph.D., ICF International, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
III. “Working with Challenging Service Providers” Duane Michael
Wilson, LMSW, Dept. of Human Services / Pamela Jaymes LBSW, Spectrum Child & Family Services
IV. “Child Support -Navigating the System” -Ellen Durnan, Office of Child Support, Michigan Dept. of Human Services
V. “Eliminating The Fear Factor -Becoming the Nurturing Dad”
-Robert Pletcher, United Way of Jackson / Jeff Keener, Capital Area Community Services
11:45 am – 1:00 pm Lunch
1:15 pm – 2:30 pm WORKSHOPS
VI. “Afraid to Truly Love -Addressing Challenges in Fatherless
Children” Randell D. Turner, Ph.D., ICF International, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
VII. “His Brain, Her Brain & Your Approach” Duane Michael Wilson, LMSW, Dept. of Human Services
VIII. “Reaching Out To New Dads” Chris Singer & MC Rothhorn, Parent Representatives on the Great Start Initiative & Stay at Home Dads
IX. “Responsible Fatherhood & Domestic Violence -What’s the
Connection?” Mary Lovik, JD, Legal Director, Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention & Treatment Board / Joyce Wright, Training Director Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention & Treatment Board
X. “The 7 Secrets of Becoming Your Child’s Hero” Mike Kildee, Bendle/Carman-Ainsworth Early Childhood Programs / John Fort, Wayne County Head Start
2:40 pm – 3:00 pm Wrap up/Door Prizes
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Howell Nazarene Church
415 McCarthy St., Howell, MI
Notice how many groups are involved, including a DV “Treatment Board” (with a J.D. involved), and that it’s being held at a Nazarene Church. Nazarenes are a very controlling group; other marriage/fatherhood promoters in (same or different?) Nazarene community include Les and Leslie Parrott out of Washington (but buying up property in AZ, I noticed), who I have blogged. They are related by marriage and/or blood to some presidents in the Nazarene College system.
They are developing and selling curricula to market to men in the custody system, in the child support system, noncustodial fathers, fathers who want more time with their kids, and men in prison facing re-entry, including sex offenders. Where do you want to dig in? Do any of these programs sound like they actually give a hoot about Mom?
- RANDALL D. TURNER, Ph.D. (LinkedIn): He is from Pennsylvania. This is a MICHIGAN group, right, but – through these nonprofits, the system is nationalized. Look at the background and notice a close connection to another major fatherhood initiative (involving a father accused of molesting, who went to jail for it, and the Federal Gov’t FRONTED this couple for THe Ridge Project!). This is the entire linked in page (for the most part), I think it’s self-explanatory: A man specializing in training for sex-offenders is presenting at a Michigan Fatherhood Coalition (“Involved Dads have better outcomes for children,” right) in a series giving FREE LEGAL ADVICE for men re: custody and child support.
It’s not free. Someone paid for their time, and they are billing somewhere.
Randell Turner, Ph.D.’s Overview
- Current
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- Founder & President at Rogue Intimacy.com
- Child & Family Therapist, Specializing in Relational Issues for Men & Responsible Fatherhood at Pennsylvania Counseling Services
- Co-Founder at Strong Families Institute
- Education
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- Connections
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190 connections
- Websites
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Randell D. Turner, Ph.D., is a Child & Family Therapist, author and speaker, creator of Rescuing the Rogue: Restoring True Relational Intimacy for Men (RogueIntimacy.com) and Co-Founder of the Strong Families Institute. As a pioneer in the Fatherhood & Men’s Movement, he has author award winning resources for Prison Fellowship, the National Center for Fathering, National Head Start, Parents as Teachers, the National Fatherhood Initiative, and Fatherhood.gov.
Within his therapy practice with Pennsylvania Counseling Services, for over 25 years Dr. Turner has specialized in two areas: working with men/fathers and children with Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), helping them and their families addressing mental and emotional health issues thus enabling them to improve child outcomes. As a father, step-father and grandfather, his overriding goal is to strengthen families so that they can flourish!
In addition to directing community based and re-entry fatherhood programming/research in 2004, Dr. Turner began developing and implementing new program/curricula for transitioning sex offenders returning from state and county prisons.
Specialties
Healthy Relational Intimacy Restoration for Men and their Families
Sexual Dependancy
Mental Health Issues and Addressing ADHD
Founder & President
Rogue Intimacy.com
2004 – Present (8 years) Red Lion, PA, Dallas TX & Defiance OH
Rescuing the Rogue: Restoring True Relational Intimacy for Men and The Rogue Intimacy Curriculum for Small Groups & Events
Provides proven relationship restoration process and resources specifically designed for working with men and fathers! Drawing from a rich twenty year history of work with hurting, broken men, has resulted in developing practical life changing resources, training and support for community leaders whose mission is to restore and strengthen families.
Child & Family Therapist, Specializing in Relational Issues for Men & Responsible Fatherhood
Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Mental Health Care industry
December 2003 – Present (9 years 1 month) Gettysburg & York, Pennsylvania
Child and Family Therapist for Pennsylvania Counseling Services specializing in working with men/fathers including development of a cutting edge and highly successful Sex Offender Re-entry and Treatment programming.
Mental health expertise also includes treatment of Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) children and their families addressing mental and emotional health issues thus enabling them to improve child outcomes.
Background also includes conducting relevant research, authoring resources designed for developing training and Head Start program parent/teacher educational resources to address children who struggle social problems, prevention of child abuse and neglect, and to enhance mental and emotional health for families.
Co-Founder
Strong Families Institute
June 1998 – Present (14 years 7 months) Dallas, Texas & Red Lion, Pennsylvania
Dr. Turner is co- founder and president of the Strong Families Institute a consulting organization dedicated to improving child outcomes through engaged, committed and involved fathers. His expertise includes research and development of curricula, for community-based, school-based teen father, health/safety childcare for new/expecting fathers, military and incarcerated fatherhood programs. Dr. Turner served as consultant to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge’s Fatherhood Initiative developing, promoting and training community-based, prison and school based programs for fathers and their families. Additionally, Dr. Turner initiated and consulted with Pennsylvania State University, Center for Organizational Research and Evaluation and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections which conducted research including, process and outcomes evaluations on incarcerated fatherhood programs in the state of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Turner initiated one of the first state-wide prisoner re-entry programs with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, by developing the Helping Offenders Parent Effectively, (H.O.P.E.) a prison to community re-entry and transition program, community resources, training and strategies to prepare incarcerated parents for prisoner reentry. Dr. Turner co-authored an award winning column given by the Evangelical Press Association for Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit ministry, Inside Edition a faith-based newsletter addressing incarcerated fatherhood issues. Since 2004, Dr. Turner has been developing and implementing new program/curricula for transitioning sex offenders returning from state and county prisons.
LaSalle University
Ph.D., Counseling Psychology
1992 – 1998
Don’t forget to check out his websites (first link is broken, though)
- Websites:
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- Honors and Awards:
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At the 17th Annual Communicator Award, with ICF International received Award of Distinction for Spotlight on Dads resources written for the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
Dr. Turner co-authored an award winning column given by the Evangelical Press Association for Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit ministry, Inside Edition a faith-based newsletter addressing incarcerated fatherhood issues.
2nd website is “Strong Families Institute” (probably a series of seminars, webinars, or other trainings — translation, SALES) to make a simply for-profit LLC sound better:
(the logo is also a link). Apparently links to Forth Worth, Texas…
Organizations routinely contract with Strong Fathers to have us train their staff in ways to better involve fathers within their educational organization. Throughconferences, staff trainings, and curriculum development Strong Fathers continues to be a leader in father involvement innovations that are having an impact on men and their children.
I told you. Before too much of this, I think some of us are starting to regurgitate at the business model which, regardless of the cute and sound-byte names, spiffy logos, etc. — are seeing that, at the bottom line, it’s an easy sales, federally incentivized, captive audiences (whether schools, or prisons) and no actual results are required to obtain more funding. Just warm bodies.
Don’t forget to actually look at the (LONG) list of people and organizations around the nation who have been buying this stuff. It’s thus a win/win for the consumers, marketing to schools….
Dr. Turner got his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology (note the years were right around the time of welfare reform 1996 which would be freeing up federal grants to the states to divert Title IV money into parent counseling, etc.) and a Catholic University. He’s from Pennsylvania which has been making remarkably consistent NEGATIVE news these days around its handling of children — Jerry Sandusky (penn state scandal), before that “Kids for Cash” (Luzerne County, PA, two judges involved in RICO) and nearby Lackawanna County courthouse was raided by the FBI over allegations of financial misdeeds (I was very involved with that for a while, and it seems to me some of the personnel involved were also LaSalle grads, but I could be wrong). Isn’t that NICE that Dr. Turner is operating in Michigan too?
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www.lasalle.edu/
A four-year Catholic institution in Philadelphia, PA, operated by the Christian Brothers.
We have a serious problem with the religious communities heading into prisons, psychology, fatherhood programming (churches by and large ARE “fatherhood programming” per se, many of them)…
Here’s “MHCC 2012″ MENTAL HEALTH IN CORRECTIONS CONFERENCE being held at the Forest Institute in Springfield, MO. I think I blogged this school, however it was private, founded in 1979 and founded BY psychologists. Basically this is professional promotions on the conference route. Dr. Turner is a presenter. I note that his Rogue Intimacy website links are all blanks. I think this conference should be looked at:
particularly “The Ridge Project” and involvement of Ron and Catherine Tijerina.”
The Center for Innovation & Community Health
The Mental Health in Corrections Conference is presented by Forest Institute, a private not-for-profit institution of higher education dedicated to provid- ing high-quality professional education and community service with courage and compassion.
Founded in 1979, Forest was created by practicing psychologists who understood that the best way to learn is to practice. Active integration with its home community of Springfield, Missouri, combined with solid theory, out- standing experts, and an elevated individual focus allows Forest to offer one of the most student-oriented and practice-based psychology programs in the nation.
Forest offers a variety of programs including a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD), Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MACL), Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT), Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MACP), and Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (MSABA). This year Forest added a new location in St. Louis, Missouri, where the MACL and MSABA programs are offered.
From this conference (just last March):
Workshop 302:
Breaking Barriers to Family Reunification – Part 1- Ron and Catherine Tijerina,
Co-founders, The RIDGE Project, Inc.
This workshop will assist participants in identifying the underlying cultural barriers to service delivery among incarcerated/formerly incarcerated fathers and their families. This workshop will give par- ticipants insight into the culture, help them identify cultural barriers and find innovative ways to address/overcome those barriers.
Here’s Dr. Turner’s workshop at this conference, at least one of them I saw:
Afraid to Truly Love – Addressing 502 Relationship Challenges in Abused,
Neglected and Fatherless Children Who are Now Adults – Randell Turner, PhD, Senior Associate &
Child & Family Therapist, ICF International, Fairfax, VA
Fear of abandonment is a real and growing mental health concern of abused and fatherless children in America. Adult men and women who grew up in abusive and/or fatherless households struggle in their relationships and marriages due to the inner wounds and trapped emotions caused by unresolved fear of aban- donment issues. In this workshop we will discuss fear of abandonment issues in children and adults; what causes it, the effects on current relationships and how these issues can/need to be addressed in community-based reentry programs today.
These are valid topics. I just need to point out that some homes are legitimately fatherless because those Dads were abusive. These households have (or had in prior years to this fatherhood movement) at least one benefit to them — at least that father would not be abusing the mother in front of the kids, or the kids themselves in the home — because he wasn’t in the home. There are times where such men should be put out. These programs exist to make sure that the protection of children from such household, long-term, doesn’t actually happen. This problem is built into the family court system, and intrinsic to it. I think.
Here’s Dr. Turner again on the counseling circuit (it doesn’t show his workshop was full, but it was listed) in a National Christian Counseling Conference (this past Sept., doesn’t even say in what state)
That link doesn’t allow you to find out more without registering…. (or “with spouse”)…
I tried to look at the core URL which was “AACC.net” with the same results, and THIS logo:
It’s the “American Association of Christian Counselors”:
The logo is II Corinthians 1:3-4
STATEMENT (predictably):
As an organization of dedicated counseling professionals, the AACC believes:
- In one God, creator and sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally co-existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired and trustworthy Word of God, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of human beings, and the final authority for all matters about which it speaks.
- That human nature derives from two historical persons, male and female, created in God’s image. They were created perfect, but they sinned, plunging themselves and all human beings into sin, guilt, suffering, and death.
- That the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ and His bodily resurrection provide the only grounds for justification, forgiveness, and salvation for all who believe, and only those who trust in Him alone are born of the Holy Spirit, true members of the Church, and will spend eternity with Christ.
- That the Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration and renewal for believers in Christ, that He makes the presence of Jesus Christ real in believers, and that He comforts, guides, convicts, and enables believers to live in ways that honor Him.
- That ministry to persons also acknowledges the complexity of humans as physical, psychological, social, and
(the conference material /statement literally does just drop off mid-sentence just like that. I guess when it gets to what they believe about acknowledging the complexity of “humans”, they’re less concerned to make the message clear. Perhaps if some of the other banners and flashing lights on the site were smaller, there might be room to state if there are any professional ethics involved here, such as not using your clients as potential recruits to your theology, or having sex with them…..)
(FYI this is at the Opryland Hotel). NOTICE THE TIMING: There are ABOUT 56 Pre-conference Institutes scheduled on “WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2011″
Browsing them, one sees many which would be overtly marriage grantee-related (i recognize several names), and this one, which is an insult to the intelligence:
Domestic Violence: The Church as a Safe Harbor, Agent of Restoration, Foundation of Healing and Equipper of New Beginnings
Barry Lord, Psy.D. and Ramona Garretson, Psy.D.
and
A Practical Overview of Psychopharmacology: From Theory to Practice
Michael Lyles, M.D.
I looked up another presenter, Ken Nichols, Ph.D. (google) and ran across a very long (very fundamentalist) list of presenters, including two known marriage grantees (the Parrotts) topped by this bio of “Archibald Hart, Ph.D.” (the Fuller seminary connection). All of this is part of the ‘UNIVERSITY OF LIGHT.” While I feel, literally ill, seeing this I still recommend people look and comprehend: There are religious groups, openly recruiting, heading in droves to the field of psychology AND psychopharmacology and, like Catholicism, they want to maintain “unity in Christian Counseling”: This is the “international” of which AACC is the “national”…
“LIGHT UNIVERSITY FACULTY” (Obviously designed for people who have short attention spans and need BIG print and photos…..):
Archibald Hart, Ph.D.
Archibald Hart is well-known for his ministry to churches through psychological training, education, and consultation. A former dean of the School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, he is board certified in psychopharmacology and was honored by the American Association of Christian Counselors with their “Caregivers Award” in 1997.
Archibald Hart, Ph.D., M.Sc.,B.Sc., University of South Africa; M.Sc., Ph.D., University of Natal; Licensed Psychologist; Professor & Former Dean of the School of Psychology, Fuller Graduate School of Theology; Certified Biofeedback Practitioner; Board Certified Diplomate Fellow in Psychopharmacology.
At any rate there is often strong overlap between fatherhood and religious groups (possibly not news to us Moms), and apparently the Randell Turner, Ph.D. of the Michigan group is on this conservative (if not cultic) Christian conference circuit as well. They have the ANSWERS (from the Triune God) and just want to help your marriage, sex life, parenting, marriage prep, survival of trauma, and addiction matters.
Les Parrott III, Ph.D., B.A.
Ph.D., B.A., Olivet Nazarene University; M.A., Fuller Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Fuller Graduate School of Psychology; Licensed Psychologist; Associate Professor of Psychology & Co-Director of the Center for Relationship Development at Seattle Pacific University (something the Parrotts appear to have set up for their conferencing convenience…).
Leslie Parrott, Ed.D.
Leslie Parrott, Ed.D., Co-Director, Center for Relationship Development at Seattle Pacific University; private practice in marriage and family therapy; Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; best-selling author, national speaker, seminar leader, and Co-Editor of the NIV Marriage Devotional Bible; Seattle, WA.
(Dr. Parrott comes from a family that helped run Olivet Nazarene, as I recall (or, it was her husband).
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From “liberty University” (similar listing of counselors) I want to point out the second one:
Daniel Amen, M.D., is director and founder of The Amen Clinic for Behavioral Medicine. His private practice specializes in child, adolescent, and adult behavioral medicine and nuclear brain imaging. He is board-certified in general psychiatry and child psychiatry. He has authored 15 books, including Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the Six Types of Attention Deficit Disorder and Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, as well as many professional publications.
John Baker, M.B.A., is the founder of Celebrate Recovery, a ministry born out of the heart of Saddleback Church. Over the last 18 years, nearly 10,500 individuals have gone through this Christ centered recovery program at Saddleback. The Celebrate Recovery program is now being used in thousands of churches nationwide.
Well, it’s nice to know that another megachurch whose leader “Rick Warren” and his “The Purpose-Driven Life” has made MY headlines for covering up domestic violence, and for “how many trademarked programs can I, personally file with the USPTO.gov while hiding this as “ministry” under my mega church, which just recently benefitted from a major landgift to a charitable anthropologist on the Forbes List.”
Celebrate Recovery (I’ve been to some) is modeled after I guess “Alcoholics Anonymous” only even more people ALLEGEDLY wanting to recover from even more addictions, can, under a church umbrella, keep the reporting ‘in-house’?? while holding meetings in which men and women with: drug, alcohol, sexual abuse, battering, domestic violence (target) and incest — etc. Can all break out into separate workshops, and then pull it together in praise and worship (??) afterwards.
To put this bluntly without actually printing my name on this blog — it’s a hookup joint where men know they can go find injured women and children (some of this injury having occurred precisely because faith groups covered it up when they reported to start with) and find wife #2 to give them respectability and a sense of stability when they go to court to get the kids away from that former bitch who reported them.
It works, too, which is rather distressing from a certain point of view.
Here’s a male POV comparing Promise Keepers (a men’s ministry, and marketing component) with Celebrate Recovery (also with its marketing component), obviously attracting similar type customers — like this one:
Notice he mentions: ”roller coaster,” jumping on the bandwagon, buying the “stuff” and that throughout this, it’s focused on himself. There’s still no mention of its impact on others in his life, at least in this analysis. (Date 2009).
Celebrate Recovery
In the past, I’ve mentioned Celebrate Recovery on this blog. It is a ministry invented at SaddlebackChurch, where the term “Purpose Driven” was coined by Pastor Rick Warren. I’ve been both a fan and a critic of Celebrate Recovery.
Recent experiences with my own church and experiences I’ve had visiting some other churches have caused me to re-examine my thinking on the subject of Celebrate Recovery. If I’m totally honest with myself (a concept Celebrate Recovery would encourage), I have to admit that my relationship with this ministry has been a bit like a roller coaster.
I remember years ago, when I was involved in men’s ministry. Promise Keepers, a ministry to men, was big at the time. I jumped on the Promise Keepers bandwagon. I took men to their conferences. I even took 22 men to their “Million Man March” on the Mall in Washington, DC. They were incredible experiences. And of course I bought the Promise Keepers music CD’s, t-shirts and coffee mugs. Today, Promise Keepers is pretty much not a part of my thinking. It’s off the radar.
Looking back on my relationship with Celebrate Recovery, I see some similarities to how I related to Promise Keepers. To be sure, both ministries had a positive impact in my spiritual growth. To be fair, Celebrate Recovery has had a much stronger impact – with longer lasting results. But I see that I jumped on the CR bandwagon, buying their CD’s, attending their conferences, even getting the t-shirts and coffee mugs. I was a “fan.” That first cycle lasted a good couple of years.
And then it happened. Someone in Celebrate Recovery wounded me. So I recoiled. I got hurt. I got disappointed. I began to question whether CR was really an impactfulministry or a fad. I compared it to Promise Keepers, and concluded that it lacked strategy and leadership. In time, the wounds would heal and I would again be drawn back to Celebrate Recovery. Over about six years now, I’ve been through at least a couple of those cycles. At one point, I saw myself as the wise critic – able to see the benefits, but even more qualified to evaluate the weaknesses.
It would be accurate to say that Celebrate Recovery has a flawed distribution model. Saddleback has done a dismal job of moving this ministry out into the local churches. Very few churches actually do it well. In fact, I’d say that most of the CR churches in North Texas have a mediocre Celebrate Recovery ministry at best. It’s open to interpretation and application. Of course leadership and discipline seem to make the difference in whether a church gets an excellent CR ministry or not. And I thought it was that simple.
But God has recently shown me a couple of things. First, Christianity in general has a flawed distribution model. Too much of it is open to interpretation and application. Of course leadership and discipline seem to make the difference between a good church and an ineffective church.
I see that Jesus told His disciples not to worry too much about that. “If they’re not against us, then they are for us.” I believe that was basically what He said. I think He meant that any brand of Jesus that is based on truth is better than no Jesus at all. I think He meant that is true even if a particular brand of Jesus (i.e., denomination) doesn’t meet our expectations or our human standards. I’m understanding that this is probably true of Celebrate Recovery as well.
Second, I suspect God is showing me Celebrate Recovery, or at least its principles, have become part of my “spiritual DNA.” In other words, they have become so ingrained in my thinking that I cannot leave them behind. I was asked to share my testimony last week at a church which has Celebrate Recovery. I had shared it at this particular church before, and they were interested in an update. So I sat down to write it out. Of course I prayed before I began writing. I was surprised by what I ended up writing.
God led me to write out the eight (8) principles of Celebrate Recovery, and talk about their practicalapplication in my own life. If you’re not familiar with this ministry or its principles, they are based on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, found in the 5th chapter of Matthew in the New Testament. In this sermon, Jesus gave us His principles for the effective Christian life. SaddlebackChurch wrote the eight principles of Celebrate Recovery from them – helping to put them in a practical, easy-to-understand context.
I was fascinated by how my own story unfolded when I wrote it this way. Many of the things I wrote I’d said before. I’d just never said them together. When they were assembled together, they seemed to say something significant. Not something significant about me, but about God’s work in me. You see, as I’ve participated in Celebrate Recovery over the years, and worked its principles, God has changed me. The irony is that He has changed me more than even I realized.
If you’re not familiar with Celebrate Recovery, I encourage you to check it out. It is often considered a twelve-step program, and I’ve heard it called “AA with Jesus on it.” Neither is a fair analogy. It is probably the most powerful, most effective discipleship tool I’ve ever seen. Jesus commanded us to “go and make disciples.” Most of us don’t have a clue what that looks like in practical application. I’m more convinced now than ever that Celebrate Recovery puts that into perfect practical application. It’s not about recovery. It’s about growing up in Christ.
Most of us have lives that we aren’t satisfied with. And we wonder why. The fact of the matter is that Jesus can change all that. We just have to learn to work with Hisrhythm to accomplish it. And Celebrate Recovery teaches that. I’m still learning what Celebrate Recovery is all about. The enormous irony here is that I’m probably as knowledgeable as any about this particular ministry. But at the same time, I am overwhelmed by my own ignorance about this ministry. But God continues to unfold the story, revealing more to me each day.
I suspect my relationship with Celebrate Recovery is about to change again. But this time it looks like the roller coaster ride is over. Perhaps I will stop dating the ministry and put my perspectives in God’s hands once and for all. Stay tuned, and I’ll be sure to share with you as the story unfolds!
Here’s a link from
DRC.OHIO.GOV Madison Correctional Institution, showing Celebrate Recovery and Promise Keepers in a “faith-based collaborative) ministry program. (
Both of these ministries have BADLY hurt my family, in particular in covering up and minimizing criminal activity
against me I was at the time as a mother, first married then noncustodial, trying vigorously to stop. They do this because
religious-based patriarchy in general minimizes violence against women and children, whatever they preach, that’s what they practice.).
Unique Programs
- The Youthful Offender Program at Madison houses young men between the ages of 14 and 17 years old. They are received into a living unit specifically designed for this population. The Youthful Offender Program is maintained by ensuring a structured daily schedule, as well as placing a high priority on each young man obtaining his high school education. The program is driven by an incentive based system which is structured to encourage mature behavior. Reentry programming is also offered within this housing unit.
- Sex Offender Risk Reduction Center (SORRC)provides assessment and basic sex offender education services to all inmates sentenced as or determined to be a sex offender. The SORRC program provides twenty hours of basic sex offender education with the goal of ensuring that all sex offenders committed to DRC are confronted with the effects of their offenses on their victims and encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. After completing the program, the inmates are transferred to their parent institution to complete their court ordered sentence.
- Faith Based Reentry Dorm is a collaborative initiative and includes the following ministries: Alpha, Celebrate Recovery, Evangelism Explosion, Prison Fellowship, and Promise Keepers. We have several volunteer ministries as well, offering group and individual mentoring. Faith Based housing is also available for the men upon their release.
Here’s another place in ALABAMA where the Board of Directors on what looks like a NONPROFIT (“Shepherd’s Fold, Inc.“) re-entry program using both Celebrate Recovery AND Promise Keepers among its programs, clearly shows that one of them is connected with “Jefferson County Family Court.”
How is that not a conflict of interest, I wonder? Again, I’m not opposed to men getting help with re-entry or even federal support, to a degree, in some of the classes. But this should NOT be combined with staff members working in the family court system where custody matters should be impartial. that’s a conflict of interest!!!
Shepherds Fold Inc.
Board of Directors
Clotele Brantley
Jefferson County Family Court
Dave Roper
Founder- First Fruit Farms Inc.
Gil Franks
Christain Service Mission
Jack Hawsen – President
Kairos Prison Ministry International
Jefferson County jail ministry
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
Richard Dewberry
Founder- Dewberry Real Estate LLC
We have groups in the evening Monday through Thursday from 7:00 to 8:15 PM dealing with subjects such as the Getting it Right series featuring, The Change Plan, Responsible Thinking, Personal Growth, Managing My Life and Relapse Prevention. Also Budget and Finance, Promise Keepers, Celebrate Recovery and the Bible etc.
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In the past, I’ve mentioned Celebrate Recovery on this blog. It is a ministry invented at SaddlebackChurch, where the term “Purpose Driven” was coined by Pastor Rick Warren. I’ve been both a fan and a critic of Celebrate Recovery. 
Reading thru your bio – and (holy cow!) the immense volume of work you’ve created – valuable – honest – important – all of it.
You say you aren’t a social media whiz – but I am! And I share a similar story and passion to ensure equitably available justice to families – especially single Moms – who have been terribly served, and who are our greatest asset for positive, effective change.
Creating a voice heard over the din of fake advocacy means:
You must be broadly heard & understood.
Lets talk about collaborating? I can share in more depth why and how.
God bless you! Im so grateful to have found this blog.
libbey
February 15, 2013 at 7:48 pm
I am very particular about who I collaborate with, as you should be. If you have a blog post you believe is relevant, send a link; thanks.
The history of the family court and conciliation codes is that one must be broadly heard by those with decision-making authority, and whose financial interests coincide with one’s own. Unfortunately, we have a public who widely accepts the cult of the experts, in general, and area so ensconced in working and preserving their own jobs (and/or pension funds) they haven’t understood what those pension funds are being invested into, i.e., picking corporate winners and losers, and further centralization of power.
It’s not the abused person’s story and passion that need to be heard except for what it signifies to people who are NOT being abused except through their work life, which through being taxed when it’s not necessary, therefore unable to have the time to figure out what their government has done (already) and is definitely continuing to do — and organize to change the course.
Keeping the population in crisis mode weakens the ability to resist and willingness to hand over (rather than make someone actually fight for it) the reins. google “technical training and assistance” and see what comes up.
Let's Get Honest
February 25, 2013 at 10:01 am
Santa Clara County of San Jose CA, DV victim currently being subjected to oppression and unjust false claims relating to my rights as a DV victim, failing to protect me from future and continuous harm from my abuser, with public schools, social workers aiding, assisting my abuser in his efforts to successfully stalk, harass, parental abducting of our son, all while privately and subtly threatening my life and well being, accomplishing his malicious intent of revenge or retaliation. I am going through HELL for it seems my rights as a human being are completely absent. To see this is a clarification to my confusion and self condemnation. As a past public speaker, peer educator in DV and Community Awareness i would be obligated and honored to join you in your efforts of reaching the public, Thank you.
Erica Pacheco
May 6, 2013 at 3:07 am
How did this clarify your confusion or self-condemnation, and what would you like to say?
We are geographically within driving distance; if you have some specific comment on any of this blog, or the organizations (there’s always an organization) putting you through hell — what’s that about parental abduction? — as a DV survivor, then talk to me.
This link is a list of how many places out of state Michigan government workers are being flown to conference about various issues. It contains a list of the types of national trainings (including faith-based, DV prevention, Child Support, Food Stamps, Children’s Justice, youth, etc.) workers are being trained in.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dhs/DHS-Legislative-Sec217-3-PA248-2008-Travel_263086_7.pdf
I could certainly use some help, however if you read the first two paragraphs after the large green-background area, I speak a differfent language. Domestic Violence means one thing if and when a person is seeking restraint, and almost the opposite if they happen to have some children (or a child) to fight over, which is an income-producer (despite protests to the opposite) for the local county. This is about economics, and the rhetoric is what ignites the flow of grants and programming one way or another.
The only Erica Pacheco I could tie to the Santa Clara area (DNK if it’s you) is an undergraduate expected to graduate in 2015.
If you want to help me reach the public, then read something that makes sense (if/when you find it) on this blog, see if it applies in your area (which maybe will help understand your case better) and write about it (If you have a child I wouldn’t recommend blogging any personal details, such as your son’s name).
If you are still in “domestic violence speak” then re-read Anne Stevensons’ post above til you understand it. DV is an industry, and it does “triage” on real cases while inflaming certain kinds of men’s rights groups (the NFI-kind), while managing not to provide real-time help to women when they are in family courts. I think it was in 2009 President Obama appointed Susan Carbon head of OVW (Office of Violence Against Women). She was formerly a family court judge in New Hampshire, and formerly NCJFCJ — which may explain why the entire grant system and domestic violence INDUSTRY is not going to report honestly on the family court system while receiving VAWA-based grants from the Dept. of Justice or the Dept. of HHS when related to battered women’s shelters and such things.
There’s a huge violence PREVENTION Fund in San Francisco (now labeledl “futures without violence”), with major conferences. They didn’t help with MY parental abduction case (not their purpose), they do not prevent murders (sorry) of mothers after they’ve filed for protection, but while are still being lectured about co-parenting in another venue. They provide technical assistance and training (lots of it) and buy real estate. They also are very, very well-to-do as an organization, and have taken a whole lot of fatherhood funding (i.e., promoting fatherhood will allegedly reduce domestic violence).
It seems to me if you have an ongoing custody case, the thing would be to figure out what elements are at work in it, and see what you can do, and while there are plenty of women going through hell (and some men also — from the child support angle, esp.) — there are also groups I refuse to associate with because they didn’t report what I report, which has been uncovered in the 1990s, but which doesn’t fit their “advocacy model.” In looking closer at some of this, the BMCC early on involved the CADV coalitions to their conference (who are on the federal dole), and the leadership of the BMCC, one of them knows about the marriage movement, but from what I can tell, NEVER reports on it. Over and over, there are opportunities for people in leadership positions to tell the truth (the whole truth, and nothing but the truth), but after having been told it, refuse to, and just barrel ahead on their own agenda — without any evidence, really, it’s helping individual custody-challenged mothers get their kids back, or prevent a custody-switch to batterers!
I’m not a case consultant, obviously not a lawyer, and I’m also not independently self-sufficient. If you have something to say, say it, and I’ll listen.
Let's Get Honest
May 6, 2013 at 8:07 am