Dear Rep. Vargas and Mr. Szymonik:
This is just to let you know in advance of the NPR program that Attorney Jeff Mickelson was the Guardian Ad Litem in my case from 2007 to the present (since they never get removed from a case!). He only met with my children one time only and yet he charged us $25,000. During that time he allowed my ex husband to medically neglect my children in multiple incidents by allowing my ex to take the children who have albinism and are sun sensitive out into the sun without sunblock or proper sun protection. As a result, they ended up with serious sunburns, in one situation to the point of painful blisters. The children lack the pigment required to protect their skin from the sun and need repeated applications of sun block when they go into the sun.
A nurse once told me that denying my children sun block is the same thing as denying a diabetic insulin.
Attorney Jeff Mickelson never reprimanded my ex for these incidents, never contacted him about these incidents, never lifted a finger to see that the children were properly protected, and never informed the court that there was a concern. In August 2010, my ex husband decided to take the children, who are medically at risk if they are exposed to the sun, down to Florida when the UVA index was at 11+ indicating extremely dangerous conditions. Again, Attorney Jeff Mickelson did nothing to inform the court that a trip of this kind would put the children at risk medically, exposing them to health risks such as cancer, immune deficiency diseases, facial disfigurement, and cataracts, etc. Now he has apparently decided to step down from several cases. He should. He is incompetent and negligent.
I could go into more detail regarding other areas of concern, but this is the one that concerns me most.
I would say further that Attorney Jeff Mickelson actively engaged in advocating on behalf of my ex husband, appearing to receive direct instructions from the opposing attorney in my case.
At one point in the case, for months Attorney Mickelson insisted upon having me participate in Dr. Elizabeth Thayer's Peace Program with my ex husband even though my psychologist specifically stated that this program was not called for and could be damaging to me psychologically, particularly since my ex husband was refusing to adhere to the requirements of the program.
According to the policy of The Peace Program, both parties are not supposed to engage in litigation during the time that the parties are participating in the program. My ex husband and his attorney refused to stop litigation during the time we were supposed to participate in the program and I expressed fear that anything I stated during counseling would then directly be used against me in court during that litigation and that Dr. Wendy Habelow (an associate of Dr. Elizabeth Thayer) would be called in to testify against me.
It was in Attorney Jeff Mickelson's power to intervene and request that my ex stop litigation according to the requirements of The Peace Program, and he could have taken action to protect the confidentiality of The Peace Program sessions. Instead, Attorney Mickelson insisted that I participate in The Peace Program despite the fact that my ex refused to comply with the non litigation requirements of the program, and despite the fact that I was denied my right to the protection of my confidentiality.
I would also like to state that Dr. Wendy Habelow did nothing to insist that my ex comply with the requirement of the program that he cease litigation during the time we were receiving treatment. It is important to know that The Peace Program will not accept insurance and will only accept cash for its services.
Essentially, Attorney Jeff Mickelson set me up to fail in the program and I was denied access to a conciliation program that might have been of great assistance in resolving matters. I believe this was done to incentivize further conflict so that the attorneys in the case, including Attorney Mickelson, could continue to charge major sums of money for their services. Again, this is negligent, incompetent, exploitative and not in the best interests of the children.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Richter
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe PEACE program is anything but peaceful. They try to force co-parenting on parents who should be apart for a reason. There are ways to be effective parents without co-parenting. This decreases conflict. The other poster was correct in that the program encourages long term conflict, which in turn, funds the program. An unhealthy gold mine.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on that. What bothers me is the expectation that you pay in cash because what Dr. Elizabeth Thayer is providing is not, according to her report, mental health treatment. However, Dr. Thayer is trained on mental health treatment. If she is providing a service that is not mental health treatment she is venturing beyond her expertise and that, as far as I am concerned, is a violation of her professional ethics. The worst of it is that she has persuaded the court through her long time defense of the criminal activity of judges and attorneys to utilize her services. That means that numerous litigants have found themselves court ordered to use her services, even though when they were proposed, they were not informed of the parameters of The Peace Program, that the contents of the discussions during sessions with The Peace Program are not confidential, and that they are not covered by insurance. There are many similar type services you can obtain through mental health care providers which are covered by ligitants' health insurance policies. Unless you are prejudiced and you buy into the stigma of mental illness, you should be happy to receive treatment in your relationship with your ex so that you can improve your mental health and your capacity to get along more effectively with your ex, particularly when the treatment for doing so is affordable because it is covered by your insurance. Dr. Elizabeth Thayer's Peace Program is a money making enterprise for Dr. Thayer, no more and no less. There is nothing that she is capable of offering for cash that a mental health professional covered by insurance could not offer and litigants should be allowed the decision to avoid massive Peace Program charges which will deplete their financial resources in favor of an affordable mental health counselor who will accept their insurance and only cost them the amount of a co-pay. so very good point anonymous.
DeleteIf I have been run through that circus what do I do to get a lawyer who will help me fight this circus, and my horrific ex? I will post as anonymous as I am sure I am not the only one who needs this information!
ReplyDeleteI was in an extremely emotionally abusive marriage. It took all of my courage and strength to file for divorce and whats the first thing that happens? I get sent to the peace program where they act like that marriage was an equal playing field. I get sent to "negotiate" for my kids with a man who is a master manipulator and a therapist (Habelow) who's job it is to make everything 50/50. The other thing this program does is put men in a position of extreme power if the woman was a stay at home mom. As a mom, I was in charge of all decisions and activities with the kids. This was by my ex's choice...now suddenly we go to the peace program and he gets to weigh in on everything..wants to change everything because he now has a format to do so and an advocate in his corner with habelow pushing for 50/50 everything. Am I able to weigh in on his job now? no. Its like they are saying that being a full time parent wasn't my job. It is very disempowering and it is VERY bad for couples who've had abuse or extreme power imbalances because its about making everything "seem" equal. And yes...it is a money making machine.
ReplyDeleteThe Peace Program is a sham as is Dr. Elizabeth Thayer. I suggested we attend and then when I couldn't make an appointment due to a snowstorm I was brought to court for non compliance. Her reports did not remotely resemble what actually took place in the sessions and when I asked to have my attorney present I was denied. But our participation ended rather abruptly when me ex started to scream and yell (a doctor mind you) and calling the 2 of us profanities then storming out leaving Thayer and I staring at one another. We did not go back thanks to my ex the difference was I did not drag him in for non compliance nor did her report reflect what he did or said. How unprofessional but then he was a DR. It was also very comforting to see Elizabeth going to a social lunch and coffee with my ex's attorney. Yes this program and MS Thayer just suck!!! run run run!!!!
ReplyDeleteThey've worked together for many years along with others all referring to one another keeping the conflict going collecting cash from unwitting parties...Unfair trade practices? The link below shows they even made money teaching others lawyers how to do get in on it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.consciousbeingalliance.com/Parental-Alienation-Robson-Kiefer-2009-1.jpg
I have experienced first hand what the PEACE program is not in all discussions I was led to believe that everything said in session is confidential but I was wary this was all before I read the posts listed above . I am glad that I went with my gut feeling what I will tell you is that the program itself gives no real solution . I have found that what is suggested there is not a true and viable solution what it does do is on some level create more conflict . Everything that is suggested is not rocket science many of what is said has been said by trained therapist and or others in the same situation . I still do not understand how such a program has been considered a solution to the ongoing issues you might experience with your former spouse .
ReplyDelete