Article archive / July 1, 2015
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 7. Source pages: 1, 4.
In a twist to one of the most unusual psychology board elections ever, the Senate declined to confirm Dr. Joseph Comaty to serve a second term on the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP).
While no one in the community is officially taking responsibility for lobbying against the appointment, numerous undisclosed sources tell the Times that Dr. Comaty’s decisions have drawn criticism from psychologists, licensed professional counselors, and also from marriage and family therapists, and that these and other issues motivated efforts to block his serving again on the board.
Confirmations occurred on the final day of the legislative session, June 11. Senators have the right to reject any of the 400 or so appointments. A single Senator can blackball the appointee and no reason has to be given.
While discussions may take place in open committee, they do not. Presiding Chair of the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Jody Amedee, said, “We don’t typically get red cards against them [appointees]. Most of the time people send letters, call, whatever. But most of them don’t come face- to-face.” After only about 10 minutes of open meeting, he adjourned and moved to closed, executive session.
Dr. Comaty’s political positions while previously serving on the psychology board have caused a variety of concerns from different groups in the community.
Some consider his interests to be aligned with Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists (LAMP), who has controlled a majority vote on the state psychology board since 2009 and Act 251. Comaty lists himself as a member on LAMP’s website, had donated to LAMP Pac, and he was serving on the psychology board when LAMP and the Medical Board negotiated Act 251. The legislation has been criticized by those outside of the state, including APA Board of Educational Affairs, the Interdivisional Healthcare Committee, Committee for the Advancement of Professional Psychology, and Academy of Medical Psychology.
Comaty has assured the community that he does not have a conflict of interest, stating so in a board newsletter last year, following his initial appointment.
A 2011 decision by Dr. Comaty has also been a source of controversy. As Chair of LSBEP, Comaty was asked by representatives from the state medical board to reverse an opinion and allow medical psychologists, those without a state psychology license, to qualify as supervisors for psychology interns. Comaty and the board agreed, making Louisiana the only state in the U.S. with such an arrangement.
Dr. Comaty’s decisions have also drawn disfavor from the community of Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), decisions considered by some to be an unfair effort to restrain trade.
In a 2012 newsletter the Legislative Affairs Chair of the Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy noted to members, “Dr. Joseph Comaty has been the main psychologist advocating against LPCs and LMFTs in Louisiana.” The author also expressed concerns that the psychology board had allowed this, pointing to ethical requirements for a public board to remain neutral.
In 2010 and 2011 these issues culminated in a move by Senator Willie Mount to support the counselors and marriage and family therapists in their bid to clarify scope of practice. Department of Health and Hospitals, Secretary Kathy Kliebert, described the need in her 2011 testimony before the Senate Committee and her support for Mount’s goals. “We have problems in terms of getting the provider capacity we need for mental health in Louisiana,” she said. […] “That clarification of the scope of practice would certainly help in our future, … .”
Senator Mount created the Behavioral Health Professionals Working Group and told psychologists and counselors to resolve problems, but the group failed. Dr. Comaty, joined by Drs. Darla Burnett and Jessica Brown, participated and suggested that LPCs place themselves under the psychology board, an idea that was met with dismay by LPCs. Later Comaty wrote to the Senate Committee saying “… LSBEP’s patient efforts to bring its legitimate concerns to the attention of the LPC board have been met with intransigence.”
Some in the community have objected to the 2014 election, one of the strangest elections for a board seat that many can remember. Dr. Comaty sent multiple communications to Boards & Commissions with complaints about election matters, clerical errors and even possible election tampering by members of the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA). He also complained that his opponent, top vote getter Dr. Constance Patterson had a conflict of interest, an idea aggressively picked up by the psychology board and elevated to the state Ethics board. The conflict of interest idea was dismissed.
But despite strong support from the community for Patterson, Comaty was appointed because of the influence of Bud Courson, LAMP lobbyist, and Dr. Jim Quillin, LAMP leader, who were mentioned in an obscure office email.
Lack of confirmation is rare. But in 2010, top vote getter and widely admired clinical and forensic psychologist, Dr. John Simoneaux was also torpedoed.
Dr. Simoneaux had openly criticized Act 251 and confronted irregularities having to do with LAMP and the LAMP leaders within the LPA. Later documents confirmed that funds were in fact used from LPA to pay for LAMP’s political goals.
In 2010, Simoneaux reluctantly spoke with the Times, indicating that he had been told that, if he had any questions, to speak with his Senator, Joe McPherson. At that time, McPherson was the Senator for both Simoneaux and Jim Quillin.
Last year the Times obtained records off the internet from a court proceeding involving a relative of Senator McPherson. In these proceedings, Dr. Simoneaux was the court- appointed psychologist.
According to the records, the relative objected to Simoneaux helping with the case, alleging that he was biased “… because her uncle, state Senator Joe McPherson, blocked his appointment to the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.”
In a 2009 letter from LAMP leaders to the American Psychological Association attorneys, explaining why LAMP negotiated Act 251, Dr. Glenn Ally noted, “[It] So happens it is Sen. McPherson who was the sponsor of our initial RxP bill and friend of Dr. Quillin.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.