Answers to Members’ Questions: regarding the situation with the “dba Michigan LPCs” group

 

In the Summer of 2023, the Board of MMHCA learned that, under the leadership of the Executive Director, the organization had been functioning outside of what was legally required by the organization’s 2012 Bylaws for at least a decade. As a result, the board decided to have an emergency election in October/November 2023, allowing members to choose/vote for an interim board to get the organization on track to functioning properly. After that election, a small group of individuals refused to accept the will/vote of the members. The irony is staggering – they fully participated in the election that they then rejected. 

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That group was led by Mr. James Blundo (former executive director) and Dr. Sue Schaeffer (former committee chair). The so-called “organization” Mr. Blundo and Dr. Schaeffer started, after frivolously refusing to honor the results of the November 2023 election, they named “MMHCA, dba Michigan LPCs.” They have deceitfully attempted to “rebrand” themselves as MMHCA under a similar name, which deliberately caused confusion among members of MMHCA and counselors throughout Michigan. 

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To be clear, we are the interim Board that MMHCA members duly elected early November 2023.  In May/June 2024 we held the first full board election in many years and announced the results. The newly elected Board, chosen by the members, took office July 2024.  2024 Election Results MMHCA 6.15.24   Our website is mmhcaNow.org and our official email address is mmhcabi@gmail.com

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Throughout the attached report our organization is referred to as “MMHCA” or the “Elected Board of MMHCA,” and we refer to the other group simply as “dba Michigan LPCs.”

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Since November 2023, the dba Michigan LPCs group has repeatedly sent false claims via email to over 10,000 counselors in Michigan. From 5/28 - 6/25/24 they sent four misleading and aggressive emails, falsely claiming legitimacy and requesting money/dues to be sent to their PayPal account. 

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In early June, in response to the increased number of deceitful emails from the dba Michigan LPCs group, we asked MMHCA members and former members what questions they needed clarified. We received over 80 questions from members, with 85% of respondents identifying as current members and 15% as former members. MMHCA currently has approximately 500 members. We did our best to answer all questions in the report attached below. In cases where questions were similar, the answers were combined to provide comprehensive responses. 

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Until June 2024 we refrained from publicly discussing specifics about the situation involving the dba Michigan LPCs group. Our intention was to maintain a respectful and professional approach, even in the face of unexpected challenges. We had hoped to protect the reputations of our colleagues (Mr. Blundo, Dr. Schaeffer and the dba group), as well as preserve the integrity of our professional community. However, their refusal to accept the November 2023 election results—an election they were involved in planning and participated in—and their increasing number of deceitful emails including a video to counselors, left us no choice but to address these issues openly. We found ourselves compelled to respond formally to ensure transparency and uphold the democratic process within our organization.

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Everything in the report, including answers to questions, is based on fact. By fact, we mean that answers are based on documented actions (bank withdrawals, recorded transcripts, government records, etc.) or direct statements made by individuals like Mr. Blundo, Dr. Schaeffer and others. In many cases the statements are from recorded meetings. Everything in our report has been reviewed by legal counsel. 

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We will not use ad hominem arguments, name calling or talk about “takeovers,” “coups” or “Big Lies” because that type of language and hyperbole only distracts from the facts and denigrates this discussion and our profession. We all deserve better.

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It is unfortunate that we have gone through this period of confusion and division. We have appreciated your engagement and understanding in navigating these challenges together. 

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We remain committed to transparency and ensuring the integrity of MMHCA for all our members. We did our best to provide succinct, factual information that is supported by easily accessible documentation. Any remaining questions you may have we welcome you to contact any Board member (email addresses easily found on mmhcaNow.org) or write to the elected Board’s official email address, mmhcabi@gmail.com.

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This report contains a great deal of information; we attempted to organize it in a way that makes it easier to understand. The information is organized into the following sections: 

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• Short History - What led up to the current situation

• Your Top 10 Questions

• A Detailed History

• Your Remaining Questions

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Our report is linked as a PDF with an active Table of Contents you can click on to take you directly to each section/question in the document. 

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Transparency, integrity and professionalism are our goals. We have worked hard to navigate this situation in the best way possible for our colleagues and our profession. We sincerely appreciate the support we have received during this unexpected and challenging situation. 

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Respectfully,

 

Christopher DeBoer, MMHCA Board President

Dr. Katherine James, Past President
Krystin Sankey, Treasurer
Carol Berger, Secretary
Dr. Joy Creel, Member at Large
Lauri Rowe, Bridging Committee Chair