And yet, so much more to be done…

Steve Schultze and Meg Kissinger of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel write that

Milwaukee County officials said late Wednesday that John Chianelli, who oversees the troubled Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex, would be leaving that post Monday.

The announcement followed growing criticism of Chianelli in the wake of a Journal Sentinel investigation into problems at the complex, including lax supervision of a patient with a history of violence and other cases of bungled care.

Omowale Atkins is facing charge of sexually assaulting one patient and is believed to be the father of a baby born to another patient in April. That woman also said had been sexually assaulted by Atkins, but no charges were filed after a psychiatrist told investigators he believed the sex was consensual.

The newspaper found Atkins repeatedly was allowed to leave the secure ward, against doctor’s orders, with nurses filing false paperwork to say he was being checked every 15 minutes. Twice he had overnight visits to group homes, but staff did not inform the group home operators of his history of violence….

A statement issued Wednesday by Geri Lyday, the interim director of the county’s Department of Health and Human Services, provided no reasons for the removal of Chianelli.

It said Chianelli, in his post since late 2007, will transfer to a position as deputy director of the Disabilities Services Division….

“A search for a new BHD director is underway,” Lyday said in the statement.

See, Chianelli removed as head of mental health complex.

Patients, families of patients, residents of Milwaukee County, and residents of Wisconsin owe the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thanks for committed and honest journalism, in the service of honesty, clarity, and the principled, compassionate treatment of vulnerable people.

For those under the care of the Disabilities Services Division, to which Chianelli has been transferred, this must be a disappointing day — Chianelli should have been sacked, and his statements and actions should be the subject of a thorough criminal investigation. He’s now, sadly, able to afflict others. That will never be right.

This issue will only go away when those responsible have been disciplined or removed entirely, and those who come after assure more humane treatment.

I’ve posted about Chianelli’s policy, and the tragedy that is conduct at the MHC, before. See, A Milwaukee County Bureaucrat’s Immoral Utilitarianism, Update: A Milwaukee County Bureaucrat’s Immoral Utilitarianism, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Update 6, Update 7, Update 8, Update 9, Update 10, Update 11, Update 12, Update 13, Update 14, Update 15, Update 16, Update 17, and Update 18.

One need wait no more than a few hours to hear yet worse news about John Chianelli’s tenure as administrator of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Chianelli let [his] professional license lapse: “State records show that the county official let his occupational therapy license lapse in 2007. He first got the license in 1990.”

How long will County Executive Scott Walker and his aides continue to excuse John Chianelli?

At least through the date of this post, and that’s far too long —

A spokeswoman for County Executive Scott Walker dismissed questions about the status of Chianelli’s license.

“An Occupational Therapy license has nothing to do with his role as an administrator,” said Walker communications director Fran McLaughlin. “A professional license is not a requirement for the position.”

Quick reply to Ms. McLaughlin — you’ve right that a professional license isn’t required for the position, and Chianelli’s tenure is proof that one can cling to a well-paid public post, during which patients are abused and neglected, without the slightest evidence of professional licensure, judgment, dedication, or accountability.

Any man, plucked from the population at random, never having had a license, would have done better than Chianelli. And yet, Milwaukee County could have done better still: a licensed, judicious, dedicated, and accountable administrator over the Behavioral Health Division and its Mental Health Complex.

This issue will only go away when those responsible have been disciplined or removed, and those who come after assure more humane treatment.

I’ve posted about Chianelli’s policy, and the tragedy that is conduct at the MHC, before. See, A Milwaukee County Bureaucrat’s Immoral Utilitarianism, Update: A Milwaukee County Bureaucrat’s Immoral Utilitarianism, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Update 6, Update 7, Update 8, Update 9, Update 10, Update 11, Update 12, Update 13, Update 14, Update 15, Update 16, and Update 17.

There’s a new story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about Milwaukee’s troubled Mental Health Complex, entitled, Assault suspect at mental facility competent for trial, judge says. It’s the sub-heading that tells how poorly Behavioral Health Division administrator and others have responded to allegations of assault, neglect, and starvation of patients: “Meanwhile, investigators of the troubled Mental Health Complex have expressed difficulty getting records.”

Meg Kissinger and Steve Schultze of the JS report that “a patient who has cycled between the courts and the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex, where he was allowed to roam free and hurt other patients, was found competent Tuesday by a judge to stand trial on charges of sexually assaulting a fellow patient.”

For all the prior reporting of the Journal Sentinel, on assaults, abuses, neglect, and immoral policies imposed on mental patients confined to the MHC, one reads that

Meanwhile, investigators working on two separate reviews of the complex – including an audit ordered by the County Board – said Tuesday they have had trouble getting key records from the Behavioral Health Division, which oversees the complex….

County Auditor Jerome Heer said county lawyers, on behalf of the division, challenged Heer’s authority to review patient records, something that had not happened during previous audits.

“It did cause us some initial concern,” Heer said. “It was obviously something we had to deal with. It was just some additional work we needed to do to get the access.”

Investigators from Disability Rights Wisconsin, the agency designated by the state as patient ombudsman, are also reviewing the records and said they had been frustrated with the failure by the division to provide the records they had requested.

Disability Rights has authority under state law to investigate reports of patient abuse, including the right to review normally confidential patient care records. Federal law otherwise imposes strict limitations on disclosure of patient records unless a particular patient authorizes the release.

Barbara Beckert, director of the agency’s Milwaukee office, said the requested records were key to her agency’s investigation. Though she had previously said the group’s final report would likely be released in September, she said Tuesday that was now in doubt because of stalling by the county.

Milwaukee County officials use their legal authority over the public when it suits them, but also shirk their legal responsibilities to that public through delays and obstruction when they would rather hide embarrassing information.

This issue will only go away when those responsible have been disciplined or removed, and those who come after assure more humane treatment.

I’ve posted about Chianelli’s policy, and the tragedy that is conduct at the MHC, before. See, A Milwaukee County Bureaucrat’s Immoral Utilitarianism, Update: A Milwaukee County Bureaucrat’s Immoral Utilitarianism, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, Update 5, Update 6, Update 7, Update 8, Update 9, Update 10, Update 11, Update 12, Update 13, Update 14, Update 15, and Update 16.