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Counselor sues county over referrals The administrators' decision to stop sending him patients is ruining business, Bob Geisel says By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune A Phoenix man has filed a $100,000 lawsuit against Jackson County, claiming it won't refer offenders to his counseling service. Bob Geisel, president of Phoenix Counseling Services, said the county's actions are running his business into the ground. "I don't think it's their job to tell people where they should get what type of treatment," Geisel said. "You do your job and let me do mine." Jackson County hasn't referred offenders to Geisel since a county employee filed a grievance against him in May. County Counsel Mike Jewett said Jackson County plans to deny the lawsuit. Jewett said he could not discuss additional details. No court date has been set nor has any action been scheduled, he added. "We're simply discussing it," Jewett said. "We're just in that phase now." Phoenix Counseling Services Inc. provides outpatient treatment for drug and alcohol offenders. Community Justice Director Bob Grindstaff said offenders convicted of drug or alcohol violations within Jackson County are often ordered by a judge to seek counseling. Program manager Elaine Larson said the county's drug and alcohol offenders are referred to OnTrack Inc. in Medford, Kolpia Counseling Services Inc. in Medford and Genesis Recovery Center in Central Point. About 13,000 violators were ordered to seek some form of counseling within the county in 2000, she added. "Normally what we say (to the offender) is pick one," Grindstaff said. "We're not currently making references to Mr. Geisel right now." Geisel said he attempted to negotiate with county officials when the grievance was settled. When that failed, he filed the lawsuit in September. Before the county stopped making referrals, Geisel said he had 50 clients and $19,000 in the bank in May. This month, Geisel said he's down to seven clients and $2,200. In May, Larson filed a grievance with the state Addiction Counselor Certification Board, asking it to revoke Geisel's certification. In a letter dated June 12, Larson wrote that she filed the grievance after complaints surfaced regarding offenders who had landscaped and performed other jobs at Geisel's home in lieu of payment for counseling services. Larson's grievance also alleged that Geisel developed dual relationships with clients and that once Geisel took a female client to California, violating the terms of her probation. "In my opinion he is a disgrace to the many ethical and caring counselors working in this field," Larson wrote in the letter. The certification board's Ethics Committee took no official action against Geisel and the matter was closed in October. The committee asked that Geisel agree as a general rule not to employ clients and comply with all relevant employment laws. "I made mistakes. I admit that," Geisel said. "But it's not like I'm killing babies or something." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.