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Dear Leonard,
I am not sure if you received my email that I sent to
everyone. So maybe you can forward this along, my husband James and I have
a FCRB review today, this is the last one before the Termination of
Parental Rights Hearing on October 29th,2003.
We need your help and the help of anyone else that can or will. This case has been going on now for 29 months, when in all actuality Sara and Marissia should not have been taken out of the home at all. I am enclosing an update to our case. Can you tell me if Jim and myself can request an attorney be assigned to Sara and Marissia and if we can request a new Guardian Ad Litem be assigned, because Sara and Marissia have not yet testified in court and they are 11 and 12. And the Guardian Ad Litem doesn't seem to represent Sara and Marissias' best interests. To Whom It May
Concern:
October17,2003
My husband James Grove and myself (Jeanette Grove) are
concerned about the psychological well being of our daughters Sara Ann
Grove (age 12) and Marissia Sue Elizabeth Grove (age 11). The perpetrator was arrested and the girls were taken into protective custody. Pickens County Department of Social Services assigned Sonny Thielman of Pickens County Mental Health to our daughter(s) case, and through her sessions with Sara and Marissia she brought in Dr.Lloyd and Lori Petney, each of them worked with our daughters . The tactics used in Therapy, were somewhat successful and moderate progress was being made. However, the Foster Care Provider (Cheryl Gonzales) was experiencing problems with Marissia and her mood swings, which in return seemed to be effecting the physical and mental well being of our daughter Sara. Mrs.Gonzales on several occasions voiced her concerns and told Pickens County DSS, what malicious behavior patterns Marissia was demonstrating and how her actions effected Sara, she asked for an assessment to be done on January of 2002 at the office of Pickens County DSS, we along with Foster Care Provider Cheryl Gonzales, CasewoMarissia to see whether or not it would be beneficial to temporarily separate Sara and Marissia, and also if separation would be done she felt that Marissia could and would benefit from extensive therapy that she herself was not trained to deliver. Worker Julie Aitken,Therapist Sonny Thielman,DSS Supervisor Wanda Debnam,and several other staff members involved with our daughters met and discussed what was happening in the Gonzales home and what should take place. Marshall Pickens Group Home was being looked at as a prospective place of placement for Marissia, although Sonny Thielman felt that Marshall Pickens was not the right type of placement for Marisssia, and that in fact be more harmful than good. Ms.Thielman recommended Managed Treatment Services due to their ability to provide around the clock Therapuetic Care for Marissia. Instead of separating Sara and Marissia and moving forward with MTS Services for Marissia,DSS determined to move both of our daughters to Managed Treatment Services Care. In February of 2002, at another staffing held at Pickens County DSS , we met with MTS Supervisor Preston Taylor, Wanda Debnam(DSS Supervisor),Julie Aitken(DSS Caseworker),Betsy Wetsel(Pickens County Rape Conseling Center),Amy Fletcher(Therpuetic Social Services),Cheryl Gonzales (Foster Care Provider),Marjorie Holman(Guardian Ad-Litem). At this staffing the transfer from DSS to MTS was discussed, and thought to be beneficial to the plans of REUNIFICATION. Managed Services Supervisor Preston Taylor said that “ALL SERVICES” would stay the same, and that my husband and I would be able to be more involved with the medical and educational needs of our daughters, and this would include FAMILY THERAPY. Sara and Marissia have been receiving counseling since August of 2002,from JoAnne Smith of Spartanburg SC, it has been brought to my husband and my attention that Ms.Smith is persuading Sara and Marissia to be angry with my husband and I, and when they verbally express their anger at us they are rewarded by the privilege of playing with a certain toy or watching a movie that Ms.Smith has at her office. Ms.Smith has never met with all of us as a “family” unit, she has never once witnessed past visitation, she has established a harsh opinion of my husband and I based on what she has heard from Managed Treatment Services Caseworker (Janie Harrison). Our visitation was terminated in December of 2002, after Ms.Smith formed her own opinion and suggested that the emotional outbursts and mental anguish was soulfully my husband James and my fault ,and was due to our visitation. In June of 2003,I contacted Managed Treatment Services and asked them if I could schedule an appointment to view case files, also I verbally asked MTS Supervisor Preston Taylor if written contact could be done to Sara and Marissia ,he said that it could. James and I sat down and wrote our daughters a letter and sent a $10.00 money order to Sara and Marissia . The letter was received by MTS and was not forwarded to Sara and Marissia ,was placed in a file and the money order was given to Norma Martin (Foster Care Provider), and it was said that Sara and Marissia were not to know to whom sent them the money. This was at the recommendation of the Therapist JoAnn Smith. However, when Caseworker Janie Harrison made her one and only home contact with my husband and I she went back to her office and called Ms.Smith (Therapist) and told her that neither James or I inquired about Sara and Marissia ,to which we infact did, and Ms.Smith at the very next counseling session (have written proof) informed Sara and Marissia that their parents did not ask about them. I ask you, how is this Therapeutic? We have been made out to look as if we blame Sara and Marissia for being taken out of the home, however my husband and I do not blame our daughters, we blame Pickens County DSS and Managed Treatment Services for what has happened to our family. Back in November of 2002, Sara and Marissia recanted their story of being sexually abused, after Norma Martin informed James and I and MTS Caseworker Janie Harrison of an incident that transpired while under her care. It was said that while the girls were out of the house conducting errands with Ms.Martin and another relative, Sara had to use the bathroom so Ms.Martin pulled into a Gas Station. While Ms.Martin was filling her car with gas, both Sara and Marissia went ahead and used the bathroom, while Ms.Martin went in to pay for her gas, both Sara and Marissia came in and told her that there was a Mexican male in the bathroom with them, when Ms.Martin showed concern and was going to have the Local Law Enforcement called, Sara and Marissia then told Ms.Martin that they lied. A few days later according to Ms.Martin Marissia told Ms.Martin that she had been sexually abused by a group of Mexicans when we lived in Tennessee, she then questioned us in front of Caseworker Janie Harrison regarding this incident, I told Ms.Martin that yes Marissia did come to me and told me of an incident happened while her and Sara were hanging out with Valerie Acosta (the current perpetrators ex-girlfriend) and went with Ms.Acosta to take a group of men to Johnson City TN to pay their car payment Marissia reported to me that one of the men touched her improperly. When I heard this I immediately contacted the Blount County Sheriff and an officer came out, he questioned Marissia and she kept changing her story, the officer asked me to step outside and he told me that he would definitely file a report but due to her changing her story and the question of exact jurisdiction, he was not sure what to do. Marissia continued to change her story and two days later Sara came to me and said that Ms.Acosta paid Marissia to lie about the incident because it was her ex boyfriend that Marissia was accusing and Ms.Acosta wanted him to be deported and sent back to Mexico. (Have a copy of Police Report). Marissias lying has been a problem for many years and has caused alot of harm, when I have voiced my concerns to the therapists she has seen in the past both my husband and I were told that this was normal childhood behavior. This is how the recantation of the sexual abuse done by Brian Bowers came about, because during the same visit and after hearing what Ms.Martin had to say both Jim and I became upset and yes I was quite emotional, I feel that any parent would be emotional after undergoing the scrutiny of the Department of Social Services. I made it clear when I said to Sara and Marissia in front of MTS Caseworker Janie Harrison, when I said “IF and I mean IF Brian Bowers did not sexually abuse you, then I suggest that you tell the truth and do it soon. Because if he didn't you would be sending an innocent man to jail, and taking him away from his new baby girl. But if he did do this than we all will make sure he gets punished. Jim went on and told them in front of Caseworker Janie Harrison what we were told by the Easley Police Officer Sgt.Turner, because Marissia told him that she had told her father of Brian sexually abusing her and Sara (to which she did not). jim went on to tell them that according to Sgt.Turner told us that if it was determined that Sara and Marissia did tell us of the abuse that we could do as much if not more jail time as Brian. The next visit Ms.Martin told us that Sara and Marissia recanted their story and were going to tell Managed Treatment Service Supervisor Preston Taylor, which was there at the Spartanburg MTS office and he listened to them while they recanted their story. Neither Jim or I told them to recant their story, they did this on their own. We did not coerce them in anyway. We told them all that we ever wanted them to do was tell the truth. The visitation was changed several times by Managed Treatment
Services without Court Order, our visits went from 2 hours (Court
Ordered by Judge A.Johnson) to an hour and a half , and then finally down
to an hour and we had no Court Notification.
The visits were also moved from Anderson Managed Treatment Services office to the Spartanburg MTS office and were held in a conference room at a table to which other MTS employees were in and out of there getting files out of file cabinets. And Sara and Marissia were constantly being told to be quiet. This was a
134 mile (round trip) visit that we were expected to get to and from for 1
hour of visitation. And this was before the recommendation of TPR had been
put into question. The visit that Ms.JoAnn Smith came to write her letter of
concern was based on the following incident: My husband and I due to our
financial situation have found it necessary to sell used items at local
flea markets, it so happened that our family dog Sable had just given
birth to puppies and the puppies were ready to find homes for we had taken
4 out of 5 to the Anderson Jockey Lot and sold them for 50.00 each we had
1 puppy left and we decided that on our way to Spartanburg we would set up
and sell some stuff at the Easley Flea Market and we took the puppy, due
to the weather we did not sell much that day and still had the puppy,
instead of turning around and driving back home (32 miles) we took
the puppy to Spartanburg with us. At the next visit Sara came running into the room crying saying she killed the puppy ,she went on and said she dropped the puppy. I comforted her and told her that it was an accident and that no one blamed her. Ms.Martin went and told the girls therapist Ms.JoAnne Smith that we brought this puppy to the visit to intentionally give to Sara and Marissia and that we didn't contact MTS, and that she felt obligated to take the puppy. Ms.Joanne Smith then said that she felt our visits were the cause of Sara and Marssias' emotional outbursts and that we were traumatizing to the girls. On December 20th,2002 we drove to Spartanburg for our visit,when we got there we were told that our visitation rights were terminated, we again had no COURT NOTIFICATION. Our attorney Doug Richardson so happened to be at the court house that day of this hearing and noticed that we were not there and went into the court room and informed the Judge that neither he or us had been notified. And he asked for the Hearing to be rescheduled, to which it was. Managed Treatment Services has not kept their side of the bargin here
and in fact have caused this case to come before the court as a TPR.
Can you say willfull misconduct and conspiracy? We go to Court in Pickens SC, and are to appear in front of Judge Alvin Johnson (to whom is only knowledgable to what DSS and MTS tells him), he has never heard from us. I ask for all and any help that I can receive from all that
feel that have read this and feel that there is something “screwy” here
and are willing to write letters,emails,faxes,and call in our behalf. Our
Case # 2001-DR-39-628 Pickens County Department of Social Services
Social Services Bldg. 212 McDaniel Avenue P O Box 158 Pickens, SC 29671 (864) 898-5810 (864) 898-5819 (fax) Letters to be sent to :Dottie Ingram
Senator Ernest Hollings Main District Office:
1835 Assembly St., #1551 Columbia, SC 29201 Phone: (803) 765-5731 Fax: (803) 765-5742 Senator Lindsey Graham
Main District Office: 101 E. Washington St., Ste. 220 Greenville, SC 29601 Phone: (864) 250-1417 Fax: (864) 250-4322 Representative J. Gresham Barrett Main District Office: 315 South McDuffie St. Anderson, SC 29622 Phone: (864) 224-7401 Fax: (864) 225-7049 Jeanette B Grove >>>Atty:JAMES S. ERWIN ATTOURNEY AT LAW 806 POWDERSVILLE ROAD SUITE E EASLEY,SC 29642 TELEPHONE : 864-855-4595 FAX:864-855-6161 James Grove>>>>Atty:CHARLES DEAL
122 Strode Cir Clemson, SC 29631 Tel: (864) 654-1669 Fax:(864)654-7078 The Honorable Alvin Johnson
Pickens County Family Courts County Courthouse P.O. Box 215 Pickens, SC 29671-0215 Phone: 864-878-4753 FAX: 864-898-5924 ManagedTreatment Services
Attention:Elaine Bailey (Regional Director) 100 Miracle Mile Drive, Suite C Anderson, South Carolina 29621 Telephone:(864) 260-2250 Fax:(864) 260-2255 Email:nharrison1@dss.state.sc.us JoAnn C.Smith M.Div.,LPC,LMFT
2375 E.Main Street Suite A106 Spartanburg,SC 29307 Phone Number:864-579-8810 Email:anewway2418@aol.com Please contact the people I listed here ASAP, we have a meeting with
our ATTYs' on October 27th,2003 at 11:00am.
We are scheduled for a TPR (Termination of Parental Rights Hearing) on October 29th,2003 at 2:00pm. We are like so many families across the United States, we are being
prosecuted due to or lack of financial stability.
And because we choose not to have our daughters shuffled around through the State of South Carolinas' Department of Social Services. Please feel free to contact me @ jeanette_grove@hotmail.com
Mr and Mrs.James Grove 207 Turk Rd Townville SC 29689 (864)287-7763 Thank You Very Much For Your Time, Sincerely, James and Jeanette Grove |