Hi Jazman,
Working through the investigation into Amelia, I wanted to share one item
we have substantiated so far.
It was alleged that on January 22, 2026, Amelia forwarded an email to the
entire Milwaukee office that included information about Pat Echols' PIP
violating Pat's right to privacy.
As you can see below, Amelia originally emailed Tim (copied here) and Audra
on January 9, 2026, to update Pat's performance management. Sometime
between then and January 22, a person named Charles Purham received this
email. Then, that person sent the email back to Amelia, who forwarded it
the same day to all members of the Milwaukee office, giving them visibility
to Pat's private performance management program.
I am still investigating the other claims: misuse of company funds, smoking
THC pens while on company business, visiting strip clubs while on company
business, unprofessional conduct related to stories about her own drug use,
and discriminatory staffing practices.
Thank you,
Chantal Grinstead
Senior Employee Relations Advisor | TheKey
*Work Mobile: *949-781-5944
*Zoom Phone:* 531-224-4362 ext 185323
<http://www.thekey.com>
*** I am located in the Central Time Zone and I am sending this at a time
that suits my schedule. Please do not feel obligated to respond outside of
your designated working hours. ***
From: Amelia Howard <amelia.howard@thekey.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 9:10 AM
Subject: Fwd: Milwaukee Training
To: Pat Echols <pechols@thekey.com>, Ashley Alford <ashley.alford@thekey.com>,
Micah Jakoblich <micah.jakoblich@thekey.com>
Pat please make copies.
From: Charles Purham <charlespurham84@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 22, 2026, 8:17 AM
Subject: Re: Milwaukee Training
To: Amelia Howard <amelia.howard@thekey.com>
On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 8:12 AM Charles Purham <charlespurham84@gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 7:39 AM Amelia Howard <amelia.howard@thekey.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
>> From: Amelia Howard <amelia.howard@thekey.com>
>> Date: Fri, Jan 9, 2026, 7:14 AM
>> Subject: Milwaukee Training
>> To: Timothy Thomas <tt@thekey.com>, Audra Williams <audraw@thekey.com>
>>
>>
>> Good morning Tim and Audra, Long day yesterday. At the Milwaukee office
>> at 8am to prep and make copies. I had the key to the office to let myself
>> in.
>>
>> I wanted to provide a recap of yesterday’s Caregiver in-service training.
>>
>> We had *22 caregivers in attendance*, primarily caregivers who
>> participated in the first training and who are generally considered our
>> strong performers with a few new hires that needed hands-on skills
>> training. *Ashley, Pat, and I* supported and presented throughout the
>> session, and *Micah also attended and introduced himself*.
>>
>> The training included *role-playing scenarios and hands-on transfer
>> skills*, with full participation from each attendee. Overall, there was *strong
>> engagement and buy-in from staff*, and caregivers expressed appreciation
>> for the opportunity to meet me and for us hosting the training. We reviewed
>> real client complaints and reset expectations around excellence, especially
>> given that our current reputation needs improvement. Also what
>> accountability will look like going forward as we have to start improving
>> reputation immediately. *The main theme I kept reiterating is that you
>> have to ask yourself is home care for you, after listening to our
>> expectations and clarifying the role, I want you to ask myself after this
>> meeting ,Can I truly meet The Keys standards or maybe home care may not be
>> for me and that's ok.*
>>
>> *Agenda:*
>> All topics outlined on the attached agenda were reviewed, though there
>> were a few deviations (noted below).
>>
>> *Notable items / challenges:*
>>
>> -
>>
>> One caregiver was sent home by Pat after repeated cell phone use
>> during the training, following a review of the cell phone policy.
>> -
>>
>> Pat brought a stack of paperwork for caregivers to complete during
>> the session. Some of this paperwork appeared to be overdue and likely
>> should have been completed prior to the training. While this supported
>> compliance efforts, it was distracting and took time away from the agenda.
>> -
>>
>> Micah introduced himself, which was appreciated; however, he then
>> moved into discussions regarding marijuana use and caregiver dress code.
>> These topics were already planned to be addressed later on the agenda, so
>> this disrupted the flow of the training.
>>
>> *Additional notes:*
>>
>> -
>>
>> Lunch was provided.
>> -
>>
>> A few caregivers requested my direct phone number to share feedback
>> privately. I will follow up on any concerns raised.
>> -
>>
>> The *next training is scheduled for January 22nd*, with *34
>> caregivers already confirmed*.
>> -
>>
>> I have a debrief scheduled with the Milwaukee team to review what
>> went well and what needs to change for future in-services.
>>
>> *Pat follow-up:*
>> I also met with Pat to review her *30-day PIP*. I was very direct
>> regarding the concerns, expectations, and the immediate improvements
>> required. I reinforced that if we do not see immediate and sustained
>> improvement within the 30-day period, we will unfortunately need to part
>> ways. Pat acknowledged the feedback and expressed that she feels
>> overwhelmed and needs additional support. I reiterated that I am available
>> to support her, but expectations remain firm. Immediately following this
>> meeting, Pat left the office at 4:47 PM.
>>
>> While I like Pat personally, I continue to have concerns that she is *too
>> close to some caregivers*, struggles to keep up with the volume from
>> Milwaukee, and does not appear willing or able to put in the additional
>> time required to stay caught up. At this time, I believe replacement should
>> be strongly considered.
>>
>> Please let me know if you’d like to discuss any of this in more detail.
>>
>> Amelia Howard
>>
>