Q6. "How can this profession be taken seriously in the State of Michigan with this amount of drama? Why is this conflict still going on?"

It's understandable to feel concerned about the ongoing drama and conflict within our profession in Michigan. It's frustrating when these issues overshadow the important work we do. Finding resolution and moving forward in a constructive manner is crucial for maintaining the integrity and credibility of our profession. Working together, we can address these challenges and ensure that our focus remains on serving our community and advocating for our members' interests.

To the elected Board’s surprise, Mr. Blundo, Dr. Schaeffer and the others in their group did not accept the November 2023 election results despite the fact that they were involved in planning the election and participated as candidates in the election. In a typical democratic environment, we accept election results and move on. Mr. Blundo and Dr. Schaeffer, under the guise of their DBA Michigan LPCs group unfortunately chose to do the opposite, which has led to the current state. In an interview with the organizational consultant brought in to work with MMHCA after the August 2023 Board meeting, when asked what she and
Mr. Blundo were going to do after the election, Dr. Schaeffer replied, “We will wait a little while and then Jim will just reorganize MMHCA and move ahead like he always has.”

Thus, their actions were planned. We are trying to do what is best for MMHCA and continue to push forward, striving to offer our members a valuable organization that benefits everyone. While navigating the challenging politics within our organization, we recognize it is a reality. It is our mission to resolve these issues with minimal disruption to our members.

We understand your concerns regarding the public and professional perception of our organization. That's why we've chosen to prioritize our forward-looking efforts rather than engaging with every negative email and piece of misinformation circulated by Mr. Blundo, Dr. Schaeffer, Dr. Emde, Dr. Amitrano, and their group. Our approach has consistently been one of professionalism and respect in all dealings with involved parties.
How do we trust any of you after this?

Rebuilding trust is a priority for us moving forward. We understand that recent events have caused concern and uncertainty. Our commitment is to demonstrate transparency, accountability, and dedication to serving our members' best interests. We're actively working to address issues, improve communication, and ensure that our actions align with our members' expectations. Your trust is invaluable to us, and we are committed to earning it back through our ongoing efforts and commitment to integrity.

Moreover, the elected MMHCA board has done everything on a voluntary, unpaid basis and is doing it because it is the right and ethical thing to do. They have all personally spent money from their own pockets to retain legal counsel, on behalf of MMHCA, to defend against the actions of Mr. Blundo and Dr. Schaeffer’s group and defend and protect MMHCA, and its members and their dues.

Rebuilding the trust MMHCA may have lost is our top priority, and we recognize that recent events have understandably raised doubts. To regain your trust, we are taking concrete actions such as enhancing transparency by providing clear and accurate information, ensuring accountability by adhering strictly to organizational policies and procedures, improving communication by actively engaging with our members, and demonstrating our commitment to serving their best interests. We are determined to learn from past challenges, make necessary improvements, and rebuild trust through consistent and ethical actions.
We will ensure any future contractor or employee of MMHCA will earn a salary that is approved by the Board and not be ~45% of the total MMHCA budget.