More and more, under the guidance of DBH’s Rudy Lopez and his inner circle (Terry Kramer, Jeronimo Breen, Bertha Morris, Janet Serros, and Debbie Musgrave), many clients and workers are feeling ignored, marginalized,  and intimidated.  Services are being cut but is this new with DBH under Rudy Lopez?  Didn’t he begin slicing into treatment programs and revenues in his first year?  Perhaps it only seems more apparent now because he is doing it more frequently in what appears to be, a panicked manner because of the state budget.

There are unprecedented numbers of staff actions, so-called administratively “justified” and disciplinary.  There are unprecedented numbers of complaints to the Employee’s Association by workers.  Why are there all of these mysterious employee transfers (program managers, clinic supervisors, therapists), so-called regionalization of programs that were already efficiently run and effective, elimination of revenue producing and very helpful treatment programs?  Why does it appear that the department taken over four years ago by Rudy, now appears to be in the latter stages of dismantling with no apparent replacement of services, only a lot of talk with little substance?  As one clinic supervisor responded when I asked (three years ago), “what do you think of Rudy’s leadership of the department?”  The response was “blub blub blub blub” (referring to the sound of water taking over a sinking ship). 

This past summer, numerous adult clients came to the monthly Mental Health Commission meeting to voice their concerns only to be insulted by Terry Kramer’s justification for cutting their services..”It costs us 50 cents per dollar of realignment dollars for adults where it only costs us 5 cents per dollar for children.”  Therefore he said the director wanted to cut adult services and increase children’s services.  What followed was a highly moving and emotional expression of these adults feeling hurt, abandoned, and frightened.

Where’s the character or compassion in that decision?  Does he mean that adults are only worth 10% of what children are worth?  I wonder if this type of program/client value analysis has anything to do with him (Terry Kramer) being fired from his previous job at Tri-City Mental Health?  I wonder why the morale of workers increased at Tri-City after he left?  I wonder if this has anything to do with the horrible morale at DBH today?  Well it certainly can’t be only one person’s fault.  It all goes back to the director as well.   When the politicians and actors talk about how much they just love children, they are smart enough not to suggest devaluing adults in the same breath.

Thank goodness Chairman Dr. Julie Stokes saw through the smoke screen and scolded him and the administration for jerking people around without any input from clients or staff. Thank goodness the commission invited the clients to come to the Board of Supervisors’ meeting to voice their concerns.  The thing the commission did not yet witness is the growing anger of the parents of children who also cannot get services.

Wasn’t it interesting that all four deputy directors (Terry Kramer, Jeronimo Breen, Joyce Lewis, and Claudia Rozzi) and the human resources officer (Janet Serros) were also in attendance?  This is unprecedented at these meetings.  Perhaps it had to do with a tip that a reporter from the Riverside Press Enterprise would also be there.  Or may it was to attempt damage control after making such sweeping and not so well thought through decisions.  Or was it to take names of staff that spoke up (as one commissioner warned administrators and the human resources officer NOT to do)? 

Well now it’s December and we have a new governor, things seem to be getting better.  Or do they?  Is the budget resolved?  Has Rudy dodged a potential meltdown of which might lead people to look deeper at his financial management?  Take heart.  Governor Schwarzenegger has promised that once he resolves the issues at hand related to his campaign promises, he will take a long hard look at waste in government.  In the future we will be listing all of the links you need to contact the governor and take your concerns about waste and mismanagement directly to him.  If the Board of Supervisors is willing to listen to your concerns then they will see what you and the rest of us see.  So email your concerns to the link below. 

Do you have questions?  Do you know things unique to your treatment as a client, job, clinic, unit, that seem questionable and may be mismanagement by the director and his administrative team?  Are problems being swept under the rug and only you can point to which rug the dirt is under?  Do you want your voice heard?  Are you afraid if you speak up in the open that you will be marginalized by DBH administration?  Well you are not alone.  Are you tired of the same old company lines that you no longer believe to be truthful?  Maybe you suspected these have been words from a slick politician all along. 

Below are listed several important links for you to visit.  One of them is a place to email your concerns.  Yes you guessed it.  These will be collected and forwarded to the Board of Supervisors.  Some may be posted later on this website.  Rest assured, they will be done so in a confidential manner. 

EMAIL Your Concerns

FEEDBACK ABOUT DBH TO THIS SITE

Rudy's Story

A BIOGRAPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH WORK

Board of Supervisors Website

THE FIVE DISTRICT SUPERVISORS

Board of Supervisors Meetings, Dates, & Times

INFO ABOUT MEETING AGENDAS

Employee's Association Website

SBPEA (EMPLOYEE’S ASSOCIATION)

Email Chris Prato

EMAIL FOR SBPEA GENERAL MANAGER

You should email only at your own discretion.  Anonymous email addresses are suggested as well however personal information will not be forwarded to anyone.  This site is by a group of concerned citizens (NOT DBH ADMINISTRATION) who want more oversight and accountability in the Department of Behavioral Health for Rudy Lopez and his friends.

If you feel more comfortable sending your responses directly to the Board of Supervisors, there are links for all of them on their respective websites with the exception of District 3.  Click on their picture and look for the email link in the left column.   Or you can send your concerns to the Employee’s Association general manager and that will be completely confidential.  However those will probably need to rise to the level of something actionable, something the current administration seems adept at avoiding by simply transferring people then denying it’s malicious.  I wonder if, for example, someone commuting from Redlands to Victorville thinks it’s just because their unique talents are needed there.   What about the selective discipline depending on if you’ve ever questioned administration on their tactics or decisions?  I think many of us have had just about enough of this kind of crawling in the dark, behind closed doors, draconian measures that can never be questioned much less proven.  Are these just coincidences?  Are they just misunderstandings?  Well let’s find out.  Start sending your feedback and let’s tally them and see what the big picture is all about.

The advantage with this site is that all can be presented in mass to the board.  Do not email untruthful, slanderous, or libelous material.  Express them as questions or as facts that can be verified.   The Voice of one or two may not be heard.  The Voice of many must be heard.