Retired Veteran Ted Blickwedel Fights Retaliation

We are reaching out to build support networks that assist those who suffer from toxic and unjust retaliation via government and corporate officials when reporting misconduct and abuse perpetrated by these bureaucrats. We need your help to aid and protect these brave individuals who have the courage to ‘speak truth to power’ in order to raise awareness about these issues and advocate for change which corrects this injustice.

Ted Blickwedel is a Marine Corps combat veteran who became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker after he retired from the military. He worked as a counselor at the VA VET Center in Warwick, RI, from 2009 to 2018 where he provided mental health care for fellow veterans. During his tenure at the VET Center, he began to ‘speak truth to power’ in an effort to have VA VET Center Management revise their clinical productivity policies that were harmful to counselors and compromising quality care for veterans. His subsequent whistleblowing campaign came at a great price, personally, professionally, financially, and health wise.

A federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation he helped instigate substantiated his allegations (https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-20-652). This resulted in the United States Congress passing legislation that was signed into law which ensures VA leadership is accountable for protecting the quality of services to our veterans and their families, as well as safeguarding the welfare of counselors who care for them at over 300 VET Centers nationwide (H.R. 7776, section 5126, page 819 – Improvement of VET Centers at Department of Veterans Affairs - see link).

Blickwedel’s crusade to rectify compromised mental health care and counselor well-being within the VA VET Center program has been featured on NBC and NPR, to include the Military Times, other publications and local news broadcasts.

As part of VA officials' vindictive and unjustified reprisal strategy against Ted for whistleblowing, they attempted to silence him through isolating, distancing, shunning, counter-accusations, marginalizing, mobbing and gaslighting. This involved Ted's VET Center Director falsely implying that he is a dangerous, mentally unstable combat veteran, even though he never threatened or harmed anyone. Furthermore, this unjust and vengeful retribution suffered by Ted had a substantial negative impact on him physically, emotionally, and financially.

Through this ordeal Ted survived a submassive saddle pulmonary embolism which almost killed him, as a result of the extreme stress related to the mistreatment he endured.

He also accumulated substantial legal fees from the Law Firms of John P. Mahoney, Esquire in Washington, DC, who represented him in his EEO mediation with the VA and Pannone, Lopes, Devereaux & O’Gara LLC in Johnston, RI who successfully had an illegitimate No Trespass Order issued against him revoked.

Ted used Pannone, Lopes, Devereaux & O’Gara LLC to pursue further litigation against his former director with the RI Licensing Board for ethical violations, as well as other legal action versus the VA.

Fundraising Purpose: To recover Ted’s therapy and legal expenses he sustained as a result of hostile retaliatory tactics VA management used against him when he reported unethical clinical practices to government officials and the media regarding unethical clinical productivity policies that have compromised quality care for veterans and harmed the welfare of counselors who serve them.

Paul Pearson , the VP of Whistleblowers Of America (WoA), has organized this GoFundMe in collaboration with Rachel Bishop. All donations go directly to Ted to aid him in recovering the therapy and legal expenses he incurred due to defending himself against the malicious reprisals VA management employed in attempts to silence him.

NOTE: Any unused funds will be donated to Whistleblowers Of America (WoA), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting whistleblowers who have suffered retaliation after reporting misconduct and abuse that is harmful to individuals or the public. They also work with members of Congress and other influential groups to endorse legislation that will enhance significant protection and support for those who expose the truth about corruption and unethical behavior committed by government officials and corporate entities.

Offline Donations: If you prefer not to donate online, contributions can be sent to Ted Blickwedel at 36 Cambridge Circle, Smithfield, RI 02917.

Click here for a breakdown of expenses

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