Comprehensive Mental Health planning new 16-bed mental health facility

Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health Crisis Center 

the addy for this pic: http://www.cwcmh.org/img/jailPic.jpg #howNOTnice but it is apropos...

via Tri-City Herald:
By Molly Rosbach, Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima Valley Memorial to close psychiatric unit

I wonder if it has to do with the illegal commitments? When people are Court Ordered, the SOW picks up the tab, instead of the $ coming out of Yakima County's MH funds. Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health has a way of conducting business in a manner that is less than legal. Specifically, staff have been known to have people who are seeking to be hospitalized, illegally detained, then Involuntarily Committed. Staff then shred the original Superior Court Documents, to cover up the crimes committed. It is (obviously) illegal to shred original Court Cocuments. It is a felony crime to commit forgery and/or perjury, each is punishable by up to ten years in prison here in Washington State.

Nancy Sherman, Designated Mental Health Professional, committed both forgery and perjury, and psychiatrist, Jeffery Jennings, committed perjury when my son sought to be hospitalized. Jennings also provided negligent and unethical care; in the eight days he was my son's 'dorktor," Jennings intentionally did not speak to anyone who knew my son. Even though he had his GP's, his Psychiatrist's, his Counselor's, his brother's, and his mother's contact information. Jennings also entered into my son's Hospital Chart falsehoods about my son's medical history, he also put him back on a Benzodiazepine at TWICE the dose he had totally withdrawn from, due to Cardiac risk, all of this information was available to Jennings in records that were in my son's chart. Jennings also entered into the medical record that he released my son when he did, because I made him! How this could be when we never spoke the entire time he was my son's 'attending physician.' (Jeffrey Jennings would not return multiple messages I left for him, at the hospital and at Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health where both he and Nancy Sherman are employed)

The thing is, Memorial is not, as the kids say, "down with" violating Federal Law, violating people's rights; much less, violating a multitude of laws and multiple people's rights...The way CWCMH conducts business, puts Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in a position of liability. This a business decision, and probably not due to the $ paid by Medicaid---if that were the case, Memorial would have done this before now...They have never been adequately reimbursed for State Medicaid clients. Anyone not in a coma, with a modicum of critical thinking skills, would comprehend the serious liability it is to conduct business with an organization whose employees casually violate Federal Laws.

Strangely, it seems CWCMH has a secret rule that says there is nothing wrong with employees committing Felonies and then SHREDDING ALL THE ORIGINAL COURT DOCUMENTS to cover their tracks. Designated Mental Health Professional, Nancy Sherman committed forgery and perjury, psychiatrist, Jeffery Jennings committed perjury; as well as knowingly entering false information into my son's medical record, which is also a Felony. The CEO of Comprehensive, Rick Weaver at first tried to tell me that the County Clerk, lost the missing documents; saying the clerk, "loses Court Documents all the time." Less than politely, I told him I didn't believe him. He then said, there was nothing wrong with shredding Original Court Documents, stating, "We do it all the time." Unethical, illegal and just plain dishonest; and soon to be the only option; as the Church Lady on SNL used to say:

read Yakima Valley Memorial to close psychiatric unit here 

The preceding is the comment I left on the local paper's online website. I discovered the link was broken and linked to the Tri-City Herald posting my comment there and republishing it 1-3-2012 

When my son was illegally committed in Yakima County for six months in the community four days after a fouteen day order for inpatient commitment was obtained, the hearing lasted all of one minute and twenty-six seconds. My son's assigned counsel presented the prosecution's case, a Court Order was granted authorizing what started out as the illegal Emergent Order to Detain Nancy Sherman, Designated Mental Health Professional obtained using perjury and a forged document.  I've known for well over a decade that Rick Weaver, the CEO of Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health has no ethical integrity; it is apparent he does not require any from mental health 'professionals' who are employed at CWCMH. 

What would you think if you, or your beloved son went to the hospital and were put on a medication that your regular prescriber had taken you off of due to cardiac risk? My son has had Tachycardia since he was a teenager from the drugs prescribed Off Label; and without Informed Consent in Washington's only State run Children's psychiatric facility. I am outraged and disgusted with how 'mental health treatment' is provided, as if ethical integrity and the outcome for the patient is not relevant. I know that not all psychiatrists and mental health workers treat people like my son has been treated; I just wish there was one where we live.

When I brought my son home after this chain of events, it was three weeks before I could persuade him he was safe enough to go outside the house. He is 6'3" tall and weighs 280 lbs., and he was terrified. My giant son was AFRAID to step into our own yard for pities sake! I had to convince him he was safe. I have to admit, it is one of the hardest things I've done. I know it's a lie. I feel sick about it. I DO NOT LIE to my children. Telling this lie was the only way I could convince him to step outside. I don't believe my son, or anyone with a psychiatric diagnosis, in crisis is safe from unethical mental health professionals.

 My son deserves better, WE ALL DO.

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/05/21/1947526/yakima-valley-memorial-to-close.html#storylink=rss#storylink=cpy

Why can't you simply DO YOUR JOBS as paid public servants and demonstrate some ethical integrity?

“Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system.” 

Dorothy Day

"I believe we must speak our conscience in moments that demand it, 

even if we are but one voice" Richard B. Sanders

Keeping Up Appearances in Washington State the State's investigation of my complaint because It took one minute... for the Court hearing to commit my son to Involuntary Treatment.  Then I learned How Many Go Without Effective Assistance of Counsel? 
How my son came home from Child Study and Treatment Center  A MadMother in Pro Per 

December 14, 2012

Dear Ms. Murphy:

I am writing in response to your e­mail exchanges with the Attorney General’s Office that have occurred since September 18, 2012.  In your e­mails, you have stated a concern that your son was not treated with appropriate mental health services by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).  Further, you have stated that you believe a criminal investigation should be commenced to look into felony crimes committed in the course of your son’s treatment.

I am one of the attorneys in the Attorney General’s Office involved in the representation of behavioral health programs within DSHS.  In that capacity, I was asked to respond to your letter.

Your letter does concern me because the mission of DSHS is to decrease poverty, improve safety and health status and increase educational and employment success to support people and communities in reaching their potential.  Each year, more than 2.2 million children, families, vulnerable adults and seniors come to DSHS for protection, comfort, food assistance, financial aid, medical and behavioral health care.

In your correspondence, you have raised concerns about the treatment your son received by various behavioral health care providers, including the Child Study and Treatment Center.  Our office is not in a position to investigate the state agencies or systems that we are charged with representing.  Therefore, I recommend that you take your concerns to a private attorney or legal service organization (such as the Northwest Justice Project), who can counsel you as to the most appropriate action.  Criminal actions are generally investigated by the county prosecuting attorneys.  The Attorney General’s Office only investigates and prosecutes those criminal cases where local prosecuting attorneys cannot undertake the case.

I hope this information is helpful to you in clarifying the role of the Attorney General’s Office.

Sincerely,

ERIC NELSON

Assistant Attorney General

EN:jsn

Please do not respond to this e-mail address; it is an unmonitored account.  For any further correspondence to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, please go to the AGO Web site and use the contact form at

https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/ContactForm.aspx.

Mr. Nelson, 

I appreciate your response, however, I am disappointed in it's content, particularly the notice at the bottom.  I am fully cognizant of the legal functions the Attorney General is responsible for as an elected public servant working for the people of the State of Washington. One the legal duties as the State's legal representative whose job is to enforce the Law, is also to ensure that the people who are Court Ordered to Involuntary Treatment have their procedural and substantive Due Process Rights, their Human Rights, i.e. their Constitutional Rights, preserved. 

An Order to Detain was sought and obtained using perjured testimony, the petition was supported by a forged Affidavit, the DMHP, Nancy Sherman, further attested she had informed me of her intention to Detain my son, who was seeking to be hospitalized; she did not inform me. She further attests on her petition that my son was accompanied by his brother, which is true. What she did not say, is that he was also accompanied by me, his mother. She states in her petition that she notified me "verbally" of her intent to detain my son; this is a lie. She attested that she notified me "verbally," but lists a number that is not my phone number.---I was present at the Crisis Center, so there would have been no reason to call me on the telephone---the testimony Ms. Sherman  offers the Court implies that I was not present.  These "facts" along with slander are used by Ms. Sherman in an obvious an attempt to characterize my son being violent and aggressive, the statements are libelous and are offered as evidence on her petition seeking an Order to Detain. Ms. Sherman commited felony perjury and fraud  when performing her job and acting as an agent of the State as the Designated Mental Health Professional; she is employed by Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health (CWCMH) who is the only contracted provider for crisis response mental health services in Yakima County. The psychiatrist, Jeffrey Jennings, who subsequently sought a Court Order for Involuntary Treatment, had never met my son, and refused to return multiple telephone messages I left both at his CWCMH office and at the hospital; yet on multiple occasions he had left messages with Memorial Hospital staff for me to call him. The man had no first hand information about my son, or the circumstances which led up to the crisis when his brother and I accompanied him to the crisis center. So, instead of using only information he knew first hand to be true, as the instructions from the Washington State Court form states must be used when filing an Affidavit and a petition for a Court Order, Jeffrey Jennings simply repeats the false testimony offered by the DMHP, Ms. Sherman.  Both the Deputy Prosecutor, Dan Polage, and Assigned Counsel, Jennifer Lesmez, were aware that the facts alleged were in dispute. Dan Polage had an ethical and a legal Duty to verify the veracity of the evidence, and did not. Specifically, the Court was told that my son had attacked me, had thrown a large television at me---breaking it to peices---and the Court was told that he threatened both his parents and that we are afraid of him; my son had not seen his other parent for over a decade---

Below is a picture of the TV the Court was told had been smashed to pieces.  What really seriously ANGERS me, it that bitch told the Court that I am afraid of my son, and that he had attacked me, neither of which are true.

I am afraid FOR my son.  After this chain of events, I have no doubt that the biggest threat to his life, what health he has left, and his happiness comes from unethical Mental Health Professionals. I now know DMHPs and psychiatrists are allowed to commit Felony Crimes in Washington State's Superior Court, with impunity.   

Mr. Nelson,  I want to point out that you neglected to share anything about what the Attorney General's legal duty was/ and still is, to MY SON, the victim of Nancy Sherman, Jeffrey Jennings, Dan Polage, and Jennifer Lesmez.  The State has a duty to my son, and to all people who like him, have a psychiatric diagnosis and are brought before the Washington State Superior Court by Washington State's Designated Mental Health Professionals. The DMHPs are acting as agents of the State of Washington, tasked with determining when the deprivation of a person's Liberty is required in order to help a person with a mental illness. 

Ensuring that these Court Orders are only obtained when necessary, and in compliance with Washington State Law, is one of the duties that the involuntary treatment statute states the State of Washington must perform.  As the SOW's legal representative, this legal duty resides with the Attorney General's office.  I filed my complaint with the designated complaint taker in DSHS that Washington State's Administrative Code identifies as the proper receiver of such complaints. The complaint should have been forwarded to the Washington State Patrol so that the Felony Crimes alleged in the criminal complaint could be investigated.  The crimes were perpetrated by people acting as agents of the State of Washington; which is probably why the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery did not inform Law Enforcement so that a proper Criminal Investigation could be conducted.

Instead, DSHS DBHR sent a couple of social workers who "investigated " and determined that my son's rights had not been violated, but were in fact, effectively preserved. This so-called investigation did no fact-finding or fact checking; and did not even interview eye-witnesses or speak to the victim, my son. In fact, these so-called investigators, claimed that merely by examining an electronic record, parts of which were copies of the fabricated testimony Nancy Sherman cut and pasted on a Court form Affidavit; and that psychiatrist, Jeffery Jennings, subsequently used in support of his petition to commit my son; is an investigation! These idiots concluded that everything in the record, including factual errors, i.e. contact information, and events that both attested under penalty of perjury to have occurred--which neither of these attestors witnessed. In reality, the attestations of Nancy Sherman and Jeffrey Jennings, have no basis in fact.  The State's "investigators" concluded in effect, the perjured statements are FACTUALLY correct, because the "investigators" had read them in the electronic record. The so-called investigators basically assert in their written report that the electronic record, is evidence that my son's Constitutional Rights were not violated. I assure you it is a violation of a person's individual rights to be proceeded against in a Court of Law when fraud and perjured testimony is the only "evidence." 

The Court Order was in fact illegally obtained, the Deputy Prosecutor and the Assigned Counsel went along, acting as accessories these officers of the Court facilitated the Felony Crimes committed by the DMHP, Nancy Sherman and psychiatrist, Jeffrey Jennings. I hope by now, my point is obvious to you, Mr.Nelson. Encyclopedia Brown or the Hardy Boys could have conducted a better investigation... 

It is my understanding from your email that you are asserting the State has no duty to investigate crimes committed by it's agents when it has been informed it's agents have committed felony crimes in their professional capacity which harm people and violate their individual rights; when the law clearly states the State does in fact have a duty. To be clear, you are telling me that the Attorney General has no duty to investigate felony crimes committed in Washington State Superior Court in Civil Commitment proceedings.  I suspect your assertion is made because the State is liable for the harm caused by the unethical, illegal actions of it's employees and contracted service providers Nancy Sherman, Jeffrey Jennings, Dan Polage and Jennifer Lesmez. To reiterate, are you suggesting it is not illegal to violate a person's individual rights under the Washington State Constitution and the Constitution of the United States of America when agents of the SOW, a DMHP, a Deputy Prosecutor, Assigned Counsel for the Defense, and a psychiatrist, submit and/or suborn perjured and fraudulent testimony to obtain the Court Order? You appear to be stating that the AG's office has no legal duty to investigate Civil Rights crimes committed against people with psychiatric diagnoses; and no duty to prosecute perpetrators who criminally victimize vulnerable adults with psychiatric diagnoses?

In fact, Mr. Nelson, the State has a legal duty to ensure that my son's individual rights are secured, and effectively preserved when it's agent's petition the Court to commit him to Involuntary Treatment. The State failed to do this. It is the State's duty to prosecute felony crimes, which victimize vulnerable adults; I would think it is in the State's best interest to prosecute felony crimes committed by Officers of the Court, and people acting as the SOW's agents that victimize vulnerable adults. The failure to conduct a criminal investigation implies the SOW has no fiduciary interest in actually performing it's ethical and legal duties in order to preserve the individual rights of people subject to being deprived of their liberty in civil commitment proceedings by agents of the state EVEN though State and Federal Law require the state to perform these duties... 

These events resulted in a  temporary loss of my son's Liberty---for six months; and a permanent loss of my son's Second Amendment Rights, these actions also violated his individual rights under the 4th, the 8th and the 14th amendments---in effect, and in fact, these are Human Rights Crimes.  What infuriates me, is these events further traumatized my son, who was and is a trauma victim.  The treatment he received at CSTC can best be described as torture, as Human Experimentation, i.e. Crimes Against Humanity.  The reason I file complaints on his behalf Mr. Nelson, is that he has cognitive and neurological impairments which also compromise his ability to effectively defend and advocate for himself. These injuries were caused by Jon McClellan, Medical Director of CSTC, who tortured my son using him as a guinea pig in Drug Trials.  It's true the Statute of limitations has tolled on Jon McClellan's crimes, it is also true that his crimes were a violation of State and Federal Law and the Nuremberg Code; Jon McClellan's crimes violated both my son's and my Constitutional Rights.  Worst of all, Jon McClellan permanently disabled my once brilliant son who at the age of seven, had an IQ of 146; but today can't do what he did at the age of seven. He did this without Informed Consent, and in spite of my vehement protests--and he was enabled to do this by agents of the state working in DSHS Children's Administration who violated State and Federal Law, and ultimately committed over a million dollars of Medicaid and Child Welfare fraud . 

I share these facts because they are the necessary background which must be understood and are relevant to as to why I report crimes committed, not only because the crimes further traumatize my son, but also because Mandated Reporters working for the State do not. Once again, the State of Washington has failed to do it's duty with due diligence, or with ethical integrity, and also once again, the State of Washington is denying any responsibility to perform a duty owed to my son. 

RCW 71.05.520

Protection of rights — Staff. The department of social and health services shall have the responsibility to determine whether all rights of individuals recognized and guaranteed by the provisions of this chapter and the Constitutions of the state of Washington and the United States are in fact protected and effectively secured. To this end, the department shall assign appropriate staff who shall from time to time as may be necessary have authority to examine records, inspect facilities, attend proceedings, and do whatever is necessary to monitor, evaluate, and assure adherence to such rights. Such persons shall also recommend such additional safeguards or procedures as may be appropriate to secure individual rights set forth in this chapter and as guaranteed by the state and federal Constitutions.

[1973 1st ex.s. c 142 § 57.]

  

The more recent felony crimes committed in the summer of 2010, caused my son, who is a large man of 6'3" and close to 300 lbs., to be so severely traumatized that it took me three weeks to convince him it was safe for him to step outside into our fenced yard. 

It is obvious the State of Washington is not compelled by any sense of ethical duty, and that it fails to perform it's legal duty to preserve and protect the individual rights of people who have psychiatric diagnoses in Civil Commitment proceedings. In my son's case, the State of Washington FAILED utterly and completely.  My son's rights were neither preserved nor defended, he was further traumatized yet again, and suffered further iatrogenic harm.   

My point is simply this: The State of Washington has a legal duty and I should not need to get an attorney to compel the Attorney General's office to ethically perform a job as an Officer of the Court that is in fact the AG's ethical legal duty to perform according to Washington State and Federal Law. Your email message suggests that the only way the AG's office and State of Washington will comply with State, Federal and International Law to ensure that individual rights are preserved and defended for people who are Court Ordered to Involuntary Treatment, is if the State is forced to perform it's duty. In effect, you imply the AG must be compelled to do the tasks he is obligated by Law to perform.  I am not surprised at your outrageous claim; but I am once again disappointed. 

I would like to point out that legal action against the State, would be legal action against the people who live here, my neighbors and my family members who pay your's and the Attorney General's salaries; that hardly seems just. Why can't you simply DO YOUR JOBS as paid public servants and demonstrate some ethical integrity? Stop trying to blow smoke up my proverbial skirt, and stop abdicating responsibility for performing your legal duties with ethical integrity. You are public servants with an obligation to serve the people; are you aware that it is the people who are the State of Washington? The State of Washington is not the public mental health and social service systems. Protecting the criminals who are public servants that commit felony crimes, and victimize vulnerable people whom the State has a duty to protect, is not serving the people, i.e. the State of Washington. 

Respectfully,

Becky Murphy

An Example of How Court Orders For Involuntary Commitment Are Obtained: why hearings should be held in open court

Published again as an example of why Involuntary Commitment proceedings should not be held in secret.  In order to preserve Justice, Justice must appear to be done, and it must be SEEN...  Justice, in my son's case, has not had even a cameo appearance...

Isaac has always taken his meds as prescribed, and went to appointments; he has no history of "noncompliance" with treatment anytime or anywhere.  I have read the entire chart from his hospital stay from July 28 to August 6.  


The only people who made statements about my son alleging that he is "dangerous", violent, or aggressive are the mental health professionals who petitioned the Court; in Nancy Sherman's case, she used her Designated Mental Health Professional status to abuse her State granted authority to detain my son.   The direct care hospital staff recorded progress notes in my son's medical chart frequently; all these updates state  that he was consistently calm, took his meds, kept to himself, and never tried to leave or even say he wanted to.   Not a single episode of threatening, or dangerous behavior is recorded in his chart, not even when Jennings charts the drug changes he ordered due to "agitation."   So how can the statement on Jennings petition state that my son "threatened" me and the staff? No description of these alleged "threats." This is not challenged by his court appointed attorney!  

The forgery:  Nancy Sherman cut and pasted informtion from intake paperwork onto an Affidavit apparently to mislead the Court and allege that I had asked her detain my son.

The perjury: Nancy Sherman attested that the aforementioned forged Affidavit is attached to her petition.  It is NOT in fact, a part of the Yakima County Superior Court record filed with the Yakima County Court Clerks' office.  She also perjured herself in her written statement by attesting to have informed me verbally of her intent to detain my son. She further perjured herself by stating I had been attacked and threatened by my son, and falsely alleges that he had , smashed our tv.  Jeffrey Jennings committed perjury when he repeated Ms. Sherman's lies. Jennings alleged in his written affidavit that Isaac has attacked "his parents" and further alleges I am afraid of Isaac; like Ms. Sherman, Jennings also attests under penalty of perjury, that Isaac had "smashed" our TV.    

Ms. Sherman failed to mention at all that Isaac had been experiencing flashbacks of being at Child Study and Treatment Center, and had been talking about what is was like for him growing up; he had been attempting to process some deeply painful experiences; remembering the time he spent at CSTC and losses he experienced have caused him a great deal of grief.  He asked in agony, "How could they take so much from me, mom?"  An example of the loss he was recognizing is that he was worried about not being able to do things he did in grade-school, like math.  Nancy Sherman inexplicably, told a blatant lie that maligns and stigmatizes my son; she states in her testimony that he picked up and threw our giant screen TV at my head.  This lie is told to portray him as a "violent and dangerous" person.   What really pisses me off, is she states in her testimony that he attacked me, that I am "afraid of him."   I am afraid. I am afraid FOR my son; I am not afraid OF him!  I am afraid about what further harm can and will be done to him, by unethical mental health professionals---It was more than six months before I could sleep longer than a couple hours after these events last summer---who will stand guard and protect my son when I am asleep?

Nancy Sherman's perjured testimony was repeated by psychiatrist Jeffrey Jennings, who was to attest "only" to facts he knew, "first hand" to be true.  Which would have been absolutely no facts about what had happened when my son was in crisis; he never returned my repeated calls about Isaac's care while he was his attending physician while he was hospitalized.  This "doctor" spoke to NO ONE who knows my son; not even the mental health staff at the community clinic he goes to.  He got no first hand information from Isaac; Isaac would not talk to him.  So, this "doctor" had no idea how my son functions on a daily basis, who he lives with, or even, the emotional crisis which led to his hospitalization.  

Isaac's crisis was brought about by remembering and reliving traumatic experiences---and  he was struggling to cope with his profound losses.  These events could have ultimately been cathartic, for in reality, they presented an opportunity for some cognitive/behavioral therapy---to help process his grief and loss, and perhaps alleviate his PTSD symptoms---perhaps help him to heal a little.   Instead, Jennings put him back on the benzodiazapine he no longer took due to cardiovascular risks.(at twice the previously prescribed dose!) At the same time, he increased the dose of the neuroleptic drug he takes by 250 mg; despite the fact that the manufacturer states it is dangerous to increase the dosage by any more than a 50 mg at a time; no more often than once or twice a week, to lessen the serious fatal risks.  I later found out from reading my son's chart and talking to him, the drugs were increased punitively as a chemical restraint.  I believe this to be true since this unethical increase in the neuroletic dosage and the prescription of lorazepam occurred immediately following Jennings refusal to respect Isaac's repeated request that he be left alone so he could take a nap. Jennings went to my son's room to talk to him; Isaac, asked Jennings 3 times to please leave him alone before standing up and yelling, "get the fuck out of my room!"  So, Jennings changed the drug dosages and made the changes part of the Court Order.  Jennings charted that the drug changes were necessary due to Isaac becoming "agitated;" however, Jennings conveniently neglected to state it was his own disrespectful behavior that had been the cause of my son's "agitation."   

The Community Mental Health organization that both Nancy Sherman and Jeffery Jennings are employed by is Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, this clinic's records department shredded all the original Court Documents in my son's case. Doing so was a crime; the documents belonged to the Yakima County Superior Court. CWCMH is the only provider in Yakima County authorized to determine whether a person will be detained for Involuntary Treatment. CWCMH is the only contracted provider for crisis services in Yakima County, and CWCMH is entrusted to retain the original Yakima County Superior Court Record as the law requires. CWCMH records department shredded the documents immediately after scanning them into the electronic record.  When I spoke to CWCMH CEO, Rick Weaver about the unlawful shredding of Court Documents, he told me there was nothing wrong with committing this crime; stating, "we do it all the time."  He also, alleged that the Yakima County Superior Court probably "lost" the Affidavit Nancy Sherman forged to support her detention of my son; stating, "the Clerk's Office loses documents all the time!" Obviously, honesty and accountability are not valued by the CEO of CWCMH; so it it is understandable that not they are not valued by the people on his staff; understandable, but not acceptable...


Isaac has experienced outrageous neglect and abuse in foster care, a group home and at the State psychiatric facility for children.  He has drug induced neurological and physical impairments, has experienced repeated trauma as a result of being drugged with neuroleptics (known to be trauma inducing agents) and he was further traumatized by being repeatedly separated from his family.  Ultimately, my son was used in a federally funded neuroleptic drug trial without Informed Consent; it is obvious to me that unethical psychiatrists, "treatment providers," State social workers and "regulatory authorities" present the biggest risks to his safety and happiness.    

I reported all of these events to Yakima Police Department in writing in August 2010; and to the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Criminal Division, on the advice of an FBI agent.  Several weeks ago, I reported all of this to the Yakima County Prosecutor.  I also shared the substance of the multiple conversations my eldest son and I had with Isaac's Assigned Counsel, Jennifer Lesmez; told him about her refusal to accept Isaac's signed release authorizing his brother and I to confer with her and to see his  court record.  I also told the Prosecutor about the three times I had spoken to the Deputy Prosecutor, Dan Polage, prior to the hearing on August 6.  The Yakima County Prosecutor assured me he would,."look into it" and get back to me---I have left one voice mail and have gone to his office twice since reporting these crimes to him, but have not been able to talk to him, and have not received a phone call.  

I never spoke to Jeffery Jennings about Isaac's care or history or anything else.  In fact, I did not meet him until after he had discharged my son.   He then came over with two of the nursing staff and said, "I heard you wanted to talk to me."  Of course, there was no reason to talk to this dorktor by then.  The entire time he was my son's "attending physician," I saw Jeffrey Jennings one time when I visited my son.  He did not introduce himself to me, and he was my son's "doctor."  I had left a message for him with the nursing staff to please call me; and had been told by the nursing staff that he wanted to talk to me about Isaac.  I had no idea who he was---in all honesty, when I saw him on that visit, I thought he was one of the patients.   


Jeffrey Jennings recorded in the hospital chart on August 5, 2010, the day before my son was released, that he was going to release him the following day---no one informed me---there was no discharge planning, no one informed me of the court hearing scheduled for the morning of the 6th.  He recorded in Isaac's medical chart that he was releasing my son because I was demanding that he do so.  He charted his "medical decision" to release my son was because I made him do it---although I had never spoken to him, since he refused to return phone messages.  

It is ludicrous when you think about it: this guy is a psychiatrist that in effect, claims his "medical decision" to release my son is because he was coerced?  I had never met him, did not know who him at all, had never even spoken to him.  Yet, he claims his decision to release a patient is because his mother "insisted." Four days earlier, he had testified, under penalty of perjury, the same patient, "is  dangerous and violent and his mother is afraid of him...."  One can reasonably conclude Jeffrey Jennings is willing to perjure  himself iin petititions seeking a Court order for Involuntary Treatment and will knowingly enter false information into a person's medical record.

These are portions of the petition itself, which attests that Isaac "has not accepted voluntary treatment." He had in fact sought to be hospitalized.  While on the psych unit, he took drugs as prescribed, did not try to leave, and agreed he needed to be there---All of which begs the question, What was the basis of the psychiatrist and the designated MHP asserting that Isaac was not willing to accept voluntary treatment?

DOES THIS BIG SCREEN TV LOOKED SMASHED?

Isaac lives with me, and it is just us in the home.   He has not seen his other parent in over a decade, yet he had, according to the Designated Mental Health Professional, "threatened" BOTH of us---The alleged threat against the hospital staff is not documented.---It seems to me, the actual threat itself, e.g. the words said and behaviors exhibited, would be necessary for this allegation to comply with the Rules of Evidence, and be offered as testimony.  The incomplete statement, "threatened parents and staff" without a description of the alleged threat; does not meet the standard necessary to comply with the  Rules of Evidence.  The reality is, he threatened no one.

I told the Prosecutor (who I actually voted for) that the Deputy Prosecutor failed in his duty by failing to investigate the factual basis of the questionable testimony used against my son.  How difficult would it have been for the Deputy Prosecutor to have asked Yakima Police Department to send a squad car to my home?  In order for a Court Order to be lawful, the evidence used to obtain it must have a factual basis.  Testimony is direct knowledge--not rumor, innuendo, gossip, and made up stories; which are all that were used against my son.  There is no excuse for mental health practitioners seeking court orders using false testimony.  There is no excuse for a defense attorney failing to mount a defense---it is unethical, it is negligent, it is malpractice--it is a violation of my son's right to effective assistance of counsel. 


A Court Order based on felony perjury and forgery committed by two "Mental Health Professionals" acting as agents of the State of Washington is illegal.  Instead of dropping the Court Order, the Deputy Prosecutor extended it, based on the false testimony of Jeffery Jennings.   The Court Order should not have been extended, much less, allowed to remain in effect until it expired!   Why are felonious acts accepted and not impugned when investigated by the appointed State "investigator?"  The reason cited by Jeffrey Jennings to petition the Court for the authority to forced drug my son had nothing at all to do with what was in my son's best interest, or any medical necessity, it was "based on maintenance of the ethical integrity of the medical profession." Which is obviously not ethical medically, it is not only ironic, but sickening really; all things considered...How is it my son's responsibility or even possible that drugging my son could do such a thing? Jennings treated Isaac patient for over a week but refused to return multiple messages lift at the hospital and at his office at CWCMH, he did not confer with Isaac's GP, or Isaac's  mental health providers, his brother, and or myself.  He also did no discharge planning although he entered his intent to release Isaac the day prior to releasing him. These facts are evidence of medical negligence, and an utter lack of "ethical integrity."  It defies reason to believe that drugging a person under color of law could "maintain the ethical integrity" of a psychiatrist; much less, maintain the ethical integrity of the profession! Involuntary Treatment is magic used to "maintain the ethical integrity of the medical profession" in Washington State. 

A Final Note

The Deputy prosecutor did nothing to verify the accuracy of statements made by either Nancy Sherman or Jeffrey Jennings; he had a duty that he failed to carry out with due diligence, and for a prosecutor, that is not acceptable.  The very same can be said for Jennifer Lesmez, my son's "defense" attorney, who mounted no defense for her client.

"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."  
Edmund Burke

Specific Federal Rules of Evidence (that were not followed) are below. While these proceedings took place in Washington State Superior Court, these Standard Court Procedural Rules are applicable; the Cornell site is easily accessible and user friendly. 

Rule 602. Lack of Personal Knowledge

A witness may not testify to a matter unless evidence is introduced sufficient to support a finding that the witness has personal knowledge of the matter. Evidence to prove personal knowledge may, but need not, consist of the witness' own testimony. This rule is subject to the provisions of rule 703, relating to opinion testimony by expert witnesses.

Rule 1002. Requirement of Original

To prove the content of a writing, recording, or photograph, the original writing, recording, or photograph is required, except as otherwise provided in these rules or by Act of Congress.
Rule 1003. Admissibility of Duplicates  
A duplicate is admissible to the same extent as an original unless (1) a genuine question is raised as to the authenticity of the original or (2) in the circumstances it would be unfair to admit the duplicate in lieu of the original.

"I believe we must speak our conscience in moments that demand it, even if we are but one voice." 

Richard B. Sanders

Corruption, Fraud and A Real Victim in Washington State

Isaac and I in 1992

originally published February 3, 2011
I can not tell you what it was like to have my question answered.  My question was, "Are you going to request that a criminal investigation be conducted on the crimes I reported, in which my son was victimized?"  I knew what the answer was; I just wanted the man to BE HONEST enough to say it.  After reporting crimes that occurred on July 28, 2010 committed by Nancy Sherman; and psychiatrist, Jeffery Jennings on August 2, and 6, 2010; I was told the truth, "No, we are not" on February 3, 2011.

The man is not going to do his job, and launch a criminal investigation, probably on the advice of State Attorney General's Office.  The Attorney General, Rob McKenna, is running for Governor.  As anybody who has dealt with "the system" and needed to file a complaint would know; it is a miracle to ever hear the truth from a public servant.  To get an answer at all is miraculous, even when the answer is more than disappointing.  I filed a report documenting unethical and illegal conduct of State contracted Medicaid professionals and was told nothing is going to be investigated a mere 6 months after filing my criminal complaint.

My heart, my mind, my spirit are devastated, the overwhelming, inescapable reality that my son did not have a chance of being respected or helped to recover after being victimized while in State care as a preschooler.  The fact that he has been further traumatized repeatedly, by the "treatment" he has received, is more tan insult to injury.  I have come to the realization that what happened after I placed him in state foster care when he was a toddler and he was abused, was meant to happen: it is how the system functions.

The purpose of the social service system is to serve the people whom it benefits directly; and society as a whole indirectly, by doing so.  The system more often seems to concern itself with sustaining the business structure of the system.  One thing the child welfare system does is fail to protect children who are Wards of the State by allowing them to be entered in Drug Trials undertaken by psychiatric or academic researchers, and allows them to be given dangerous drugs to treat dysfunctional behavior.   It was done to my son, doing so was not only immoral, but against State, Federal and International Law.

My son has not been served ethically, morally or legally by State social service systems and mental health providers, who owed him a duty.  He has been stigmatized and discriminated against since developing severe behavioral and emotional issues while in foster care.  The fact that I placed him in foster care, where he was harmed so very badly is something I remember every single day.  I can hardly breathe at times knowing that it was my failure which is at the beginning of this long painful journey.  There is no comfort in making my amends, no relief and no solace; I know now that all of these are viscerally related to Justice, and there has been none for my son; knowing this brings no chance of having any real peace.

The Children's Mental Health Initiative Systems Transformation Grant that Yakima County received from SAMHSA to correct the serious deficits in the publicly funded mental health service system for children, was run aground.  In reality, the grant is pay Yakima County and the State of Washington.to comply with Federal regulations which are decades old. Specifically, the grant was to enable the community to make the necessary changes so all the service providers that receive federal funds work collaboratively together, and serve children with emotional and behavioral problems and their families, better; using federal tax dollars more efficiently.  Just as importantly, the grant was meant to address the deficits in the social welfare social service system which defraud the Federal Medicaid and child welfare social service system. In effect, and in fact, the Federal Government is/was paying States and Local authorities to come into compliance with Federal Law; and stop committing FRAUD.

We have, in the community I live, an opportunity to become more effective, and ethically provide services to children and families. The grant from SAMHSA is intended to not just better serve children who have emotional and behavioral problems; but to alter how the system is structured to reflect this intent.  All of the services are to be  for the kids' benefit; and should be delivered and structured to reflect this. Where this fact is not well reflected, to make the changes required.  Federal funds are NOT to preserve State business and political structures (or individual budgets) of the entities that serve our children, systems are to primarily serve the children.  To do so responsibly, would require that the approach be dual pronged, making the changes necessary to serve the needs of the children; while developing a working responsive business structure to sustain the changes made.

I know that there is no interest in the Washington State system to help those who are harmed by State employees or State contractors.  Even when the harm is the result of CRIME, violent or otherwise, there is a concerted effort to deny responsibility, even if it means committing more crimes to do so.  There appears to be no recognition in the Washington State's Mental Health Division Behavioral Health and Recovery unit or Yakima County's Department of Human Services, that they work for my son and people like him; real people; not for some ephemeral idea, "The County" or "The State."

On July 28, 2010 Nancy Sherman committed 2 Felonies, each punishable by up to ten years in prison; forgery and perjury and had my son detained; On August 2, after drugging my son who was in crisis, into a confused stupor; and again on August 6th, psychiatrist Jeffery Jennings, committed perjury resulting in my son being further court ordered to "Involuntary Treatment," in spite of the fact my son had sought treatment.  My son has yet to recover, to the condition he was in prior to these events; and it is nearly a year later.  I am without hope that these crimes will be investigated or prosecuted.  It is obviously not a priority to actually follow the Law or to protect the Constitutional Rights of people who are Court Ordered to Involuntary mental health treatment.  Individual Rights protected by the US Constitution protect ALL AMERICANS--even those who are or are alleged to need "Involuntary Commitment." These protections are theoretical when Constitutional Rights to Procedural Due Process of Law are not even defended by counsel provided, as was the case for my son. Rules of Evidence were ignored, and Standard of Court Procedures were not followed; the original Superior Court record was shredded by the mental health agency; and there is no recourse since the reports of  these gross violations of the law were NOT investigated.  I can only assume The State of Washington apparently does not believe "mentally ill" people have any Constitutional Rights worth protecting.

My son and many others, are in need of kind and compassionate care from ethical practitioners, when in emotional distress.  There is no justice, and therefore no peace for me.  I was denied the right to protect my son as a child.  Now my son is grown; a young man still needing to be protected; because he was used and abused in Drug Trials by the State of Washington, and is now cognitively impaired as a result.  There is no excuse for this utter failure of Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health or it's two employees, Nancy Sherman and Jeffery Jennings; there is no excuse for the State of Washington for yet another failure to address criminal misconduct which caused my son further harm.  There is...

No Justice, No mercy.  No mercy, No Justice.

"God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right, even though I think it is hopeless."

Chester W. Nimitz


"He is a poor son whose sonship does not make him desire to serve all men's mothers."  
Harry Emerson Fosdick