'The children's therapist feels that their present placement has been beneficial and that returning to the  grandparents would be detrimental to their mental health." -MCI Denial, January 2007

"Alyssa's therapist is particularly concerned about reintroducing the grandparents into her life could re-traumatize her." -FCRB Hearing March 20, 2007

Re-traumatize huh, so this would mean she had been traumatized before. Guess who did that? That right Newaygo County CPS.

We started getting visitation with Alyssa and Amber at Newaygo County DHS March 12, 2007. During this very first visit when the door was opened to the visitation room, Alyssa saw who was there to see her. Tears of joy started flowing from her eyes because she was so happy to see us. Grandma and I both got a great big hug and a kiss.

We started getting overnight visitations with Alyssa and Amber April 9, 2007. Here are a couple pictures from the overnight visits.

Alyssa is the one on the right. This is the same child Kellie had been giving therapy to. This is the same child Kellie was afraid would be re-traumatized if reintroduced to her grandparents.  This is the same child that would have detrimental mental health issues if returned to us. Does either of these pictures look like being with grandma and grandpa has been traumatic or detrimental to her mental health?

So, does Kellie have a serious lack of judgment and insight as to Alyssa's mental health if she is returned to her grandparents? Is Kellie really looking out for Alyssa's "best interest" or is she looking out for the "best interest" of her friend and co-worker, Nicole? Do you think this is cronyism at it's best?

"The strong support provided by the foster mother's co-workers and others in the local social services community smacks of cronyism and undermines the value of their opinions." -court opinion, April 4, 2007.

I'm not going to go into every detail as to the non factual information this person supplied during any parts of our quest to adopt our granddaughters.  I am going into this detail as this is definitely something that was supplied in an attempt to keep us from adopting.

According to a CMH assessment of Alyssa completed in 8/31/06, the therapist states, ".. .(Erica) also suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Research indicates that BPD is caused from an invalidating home environment. This would be a huge concern if Alyssa or her sister were placed in an environment that is invalidating ." -our adoption assessment.

After I read the above line I called Dr. Griffioen and read it word for word. He told me that statement was far fetched.

That same information was also used at the FCRB hearing for Nicole.

What causes Borderline Personality Disorder?

Now if you were to read what causes BPD, researchers aren't exactly sure and there are as many reasons as there are people that sufferer from it. Yet, Kellie only wanted to focus on the environmental factor. WHY may I ask? Are you starting to see a trend?

Now I am going to go over some parts of Kellie's testimony during court proceedings on August 2, 2007.

Q When you took this case were aware that Nicole Coppess was the foster mother?

A Yes, I was made aware of that.

Q Okay, and in terms of your assessment of your ability to provide fair and objective services to Alyssa did you have any concerns?

A No, I'd adhere to my code of ethics. I was, I believed, I was unbiased, and I could provide services, because they were going to--basically she's like any other regular consumer.

Q And if you would have not been able to provide fair and objective services to Alyssa--

A --I would have referred her out.

Q Okay, you've got to let me finish the question.

Q Because otherwise it makes our court reporter's job very difficult.

A I'm sorry.

Q That's okay, that's okay. If you hadn't been able to provide those services to Alyssa in a fair and objective matter what would you have done?

A I would have referred her out to another placement such as Bethany Christian.

Do you think Kellie was really unbiased, fair and objective when she made these comments?

'The children's therapist feels that their present placement has been beneficial and that returning to the  grandparents would be detrimental to their mental health." -MCI Denial, January 2007

"Alyssa's therapist is particularly concerned about reintroducing the grandparents into her life could re-traumatize her." -FCRB Hearing March 20, 2007

I guess it takes a person with a serious lack of judgment and insight to actually believe that Alyssa would be harmed in any way shape or form by seeing her grandparents.

Back to her testimony.

Q Okay, but lets say that in the course of events, maybe not back in August of 2005, but as the matter moved forward, what would you have done if later in the case you just felt like you couldn't deliver objectively, what would you have done?

The next part of the questioning for Kellie was if Alyssa regressed after she starting have contact with us. Well of course there was some regression. Alyssa probably though she would never see us again. During our second visits with Alyssa at DHS on March 19, 2007 Alyssa asked a concerning question, “You won’t be seeing me ever again will you?” Apparently Alyssa was told that her foster giver signed some papers. So yes she regressed and she was;

Really
Eager to
Get
Rid of and
Escape from the
Social
Service
Evil
Doers  and come back home with grandma and grandpa.

Alyssa and Amber were to be placed in our permanent care on April 17, 2007. Both children knew at that time we were going to be adopting them. This didn't happen because Bill Johnson (MCI) and our AG decided they wanted to emotionally traumatize the children even more.

More Testimony.

Q Actually what I'm asking you is any time in 2007 did you notice a change in Alyssa's behaviors?

A Yes, yes, when the Atwood's were in her--began to be part of her visitations, that's when I noticed some regression. She basically at school--

MS. COOK: --Judge, I'm going to object to what she was told by school officials or what she was told by Ms. Coppess.

THE WITNESS: Yeah.

THE WITNESS: Okay.

Q Did you see anything at school?

A She just, on the playground, observed her, and she seemed to withdraw from her friends. She was norm--could I discuss like she was normally out playing with her friends? I would observe that.

THE COURT: You can testify as to anything that you observed.

Q That social isolation, was that one of the items that you had worked with her on in the past?

A Yes, yes.

Q So, would you consider this March or April time period?

A It was March, beginning in March, extended into April, May was a little bit better. She had tantrums--I was--multiple tantrums, I'm trying--because if I can't--I didn't--I heard of tantrums you know, reports of tantrums coming back from foster care mom's home on a daily basis. After one occurrence, after a visitation they went out to dinner--

Imagine that. Alyssa and Amber were suppose to be living with us April 17, 2007. This didn't happen. We haven't had any contact with the children since April 15, 2007. June 26, 2007 Alyssa has a major meltdown. This certainly didn't happen because she was having contact with us because she hadn't seen us for 2 1/2 months. So why did Alyssa have this melt down?

This brings me back to Kellie's lack of judgment and insight. Who did Kellie really care about more, her friend and co-worker or Alyssa's emotional and mental health?

Wasn't it bad enough these children were emotionally traumatized at the hands of Newaygo County CPS July 2005. Now they were further traumatized at the hands of Bill Johnson and our AG because Johnson thinks he knows what is in the "best interest"  of children. I would have to say Kellie also had her hands in this by her lack of judgment and insight..