Washington State Department of Health (DOH) release a stipulated settlement yesterday March 1st, 2013. Outlined in this agreement DVPT Provider Doug Bartholomew MSW must pay a substantial fine to the DOH, restitution to his victim, and no that is not the woman making the false Domestic Violence claims but the real victim the father, subject himself to multi-year supervision by the DOH, refrain from EVER conducting another “Domestic Violence Evaluation” and he will NEVER again represent himself as a “Expert” or testify in a Courtroom.
In the months leading up to this finding Doug has presented to the DV Community, who once looked to him as one of the most respected DV experts in the State, that he was “tired” and public scrutiny became so heightened he was getting out of the Domestic Violence services. Bartholomew has known about this investigation for some time, it was ongoing for almost two years, his statements to associates were mere attempts to deflect damage away from what he knew he could no longer hide from, PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY. I am sure to some degree he was able to convince some like Annette Pooley, Tracee Parker, Dave Vandergrift, Dale Todd, likely most of King County Superior Court Family Court Services including the likes as Daryl Buckendahl and Rachael DelVillar that his career path change was all due to one man or his group of followers, these documents debunk that as a lie.
3-01-13 DOH Informal Disposition
3-01-13 DOH Statement of Allegations
If Doug is or ever has been associated with your case these documents are a must read, and should be introduced into your case. If any of the findings sound familiar to his work with you redress may exist with the Department of Health, more information can be found here.
It does appear that Mr. Bartholomew has started a new journey in life, one of personal accountability and acceptance of responsibility for his actions, at least with respect to the pain and suffering he caused this father, will he do the same for you? I don’t know but it is worth engaging in the process to see if he will like the courageous father in this case.
Good luck on your path to making amends to all the many men you have caused so much pain and suffering to over the many years Mr. Bartholomew, I promise you I will be right there beside you helping the transition.
The complete Doug Bartholomew history can be found here Doug Bartholomew Complete Unabridged History.
The process DOH relied upon to reach this conclusion is set forth in Washington RCW Title 18.130.160, simply stated it allows the Agency to enter into stipulated (agreed on by all parties) in cases where the violations and unprofessional conduct was so clear and convincing that the Health Care provider accepts responsibility for his actions and they become a matter of fact. BY the use of these stipulated agreements the State can save the cost of further legal action against the provider and the guilty party can start his or her rehabilitation process that much sooner.
The Stipulated Agreement entered was a NEGOTIATED settlement, likely with a bunch of lawyers.
It is not known what the original position of the DOH was with respect to this provider but documents have been requested and will be posted as soon as possible, nor is it known if Kirkland Family Law Attorney Susan Alexander (WSBA 21350) represented Bartholomew in this matter or new counsel was brought in to defend him, again documents have been requested and will be posted as soon as possible.
MAY 1st, 2013
April 30th, 2013 Doug Bartholomew along with his wife petitioned for Federal Bankruptcy Protection under Chapter 7 USC. The Bankruptcy Laws are well known to Doug and Kathy as each has filed once before Doug in 2003 and Kathy in 2002.
It appears Bartholomew is seeking to avoid any and all accountability for his past actions, specifically the March 1st, 2013 Washington State Department of Health Findings of Professional Misconduct, the $5000 penalty to DOH, $2900 in service fee’s to his victim, and about $69,000 in restitution to the victim!
The victim in the DOH case spent at least this amount of money defending against the damage Doug Bartholomew willfully and deliberately inflicted, now Doug is engaging in what the DV Industry calls “re-victimization” this is when the abuser uses (or abuses as the case may be) the legal system to continue their perpetration of abuse (per the Duluth Power and Control Wheel).
Here are the documents from his past and current Bankruptcy filings-
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Petition
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Attorney
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Case Summary
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Deadlines and Hearing Schedule
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Filing Douglas
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK History
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK List of Creditors
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Notice of BK Filing
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Parties
4-30-13 Bartholomew BK Preferred Mailing List
10-26-03 Bartholomew Chapter 7 BK Filing
12-12-02 Kathy Bartholomew BK Filing
May 6th, 2013 Washington State Department of Health Releases Complaint Records
5-06-13 DOH Public Records Response Bartholomew Complaint LH2011-154410NMR
This document contains the actual complaint which resulted in the DOH Professional Misconduct findings, it also contains some (however redacted) of the report from Harriet Cannon M.C., LMFT, LMHC a professional retained by the DOH to evaluate Bartholomew’s report.
The records also indicate Bartholomew was represented partially during the investigation by Mercer Island Law Firm Tarutis & Barron, P.S. by Lawyers Gerald Tarutis and Holly A. Kessler who withdrew from representation in September 2012 and were replaced by John Schedler of the Mercer Island Law firm of Schedler Bond. Doug hired the big guns on this complaint instead of the Kirkland Family Law lawyer he has used in the past.
June 6th, 2013 Washington Department of Health Releases more Records-
6-06-13 DOH Doug Bartholomew PDR Response
This contains transcript of a Bartholomew Deposition, report which resulted in the Professional Misconduct findings.
It is really hard to believe ALL I read about Mr. Bartholomew.
I, now, understand so much better his condenscending attitude towards other DV Therapists such as myself when he used to mention us as “half starved therapists” who did not make a living in this line of work. For sure, we were ignored by the GAL, Victim advocates, prosecutors and sometimes probation departments all together.
We may have been half starved BUT some of us have tried to navigate the best we could in this legal system with honesty and fairness. We have not prostituted ourselves to mass directions in this field but tried to practice JUSTICE for all despite gender issues.
I feel very sorry that some people had to go through such a DVTP and believe that not all of us in this field deserve the same reputation.
May you strive to keep JUSTICE in this field. It is worth the fight.