Originally published: . Volume 14, No. 8. Source pages: 15.
10 Years Ago … What The Psychology Times was reporting on in July 2013
BA Board Named
Governor Jindal announced the appointments to the newly created Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board on July 19. According to the press release, five members from across the state will be serving. All five are appointed to serve as a behavior analyst, and were nominated by the Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association. [They are: Emily Bellaci, Cassie Bradford, Ellen Brocato, Kathy Chovanec, Jennifer Longwell. Also, Marc Zimmermann, PhD, who currently serves as Vice Chair on the state psychology board, will serve as an Ex Officio member.
Researchers Attend APA, Get Drenched by Flossie
Researchers from around the state are enjoying the beautiful sights and sounds of Honolulu, Hawai’i, while they attend the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, July 31 to August 4. However, they are also in the middle of tropical depression, Flossie, which is dumping rain on them as if they were still in our beloved, wet Louisiana. Those presenting at this year’s conference include Tulane’s Dr. Stacy Over-street and Dr. Bonnie Nastasi, University of Louisiana Monroe’s Dr. Karen Kopera-Frye and Dr. Bill McCown, Dr. Darlyne Nemeth, Dr. Lee Matthews, Loyola’s Dr. Janet Matthews, Drs. Greg Gormanous and Warren Lowe, Dr. Kelly Ray, and a number from LaTech including Drs. Guler Boyraz, Mary M. Livingston, Walter Buboltz, Janelle McDaniel, and Steve Jenkins.
Dr. Scaramella New NIH Chair
University of New Orleans (UNO) Psychology Professor, Dr. Laura Scaramella has been named Chairperson of a National Institute of Health (NIH) peer review group. She will oversee the Psychosocial Development, Risk and Prevention study section of the Center for Scientific Review, according to a July UNO press release. The news release noted that the group that Scaramella will lead is a type of gateway for NIH grant applications and for the review for their scientific merit.
New Proposed CE Changes Published in July Register
The state psychology board published their Notice of Intent laying out proposed changes to the continuing education rules, in the July issue of the Louisiana Register. After almost three years of discussions about these changes, prompted by recommendations from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and first discussed in 2011, the board is presenting what may be the final proposal for these changes.
Dr. Gintner Highlighted in NP
Dr. Gary Gintner, LSU Associate Professor and Program Leader of the Counseling Program at Louisiana State University, was featured in the lead story for the July/August issue of The National Psychologist, a newspaper for practitioners with national circulation.
LSU’s Dr. Buckner Helps Discover New Treatments for Dual Diagnosis
Dr. Julia Buckner and her team at Louisiana State University’s Anxiety and Addictive Behaviors Laboratory & Clinic have begun work to develop a new treatment for those struggling with a combination of anxiety and marijuana dependency. Buckner has been awarded a research grant for $632,442 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for her project, “Integrated CBT [Cognitive Behavioral Therapy] for Cannabis Dependence with Co- occurring Anxiety Disorders.” The work is one of the first attempts to find a more effective therapy for those who suffer with both anxiety and marijuana (cannabis) dependency.
Dr. Tucker Appointed
Susan Tucker, Chief Psychologist and Assistant Warden at the Bossier Sherriff Medium Correctional Facility in Plain Dealing, has been appointed by the governor to Louisiana’s Commission on Addictive Disorders. The commission is a 13-member board with the goal of helping to promote healthy lifestyles for Louisiana citizens by developing ideas and programs that increase public awareness. The members work to help to prevent the abuse of alcohol, drugs, and compulsive gambling.
Mixed Opinions On New DSM-5
Earlier this year, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released the newest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-5. The Times spoke with Dr. William McCown of the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM), Dr. Tony Young of Louisiana Tech, and Dr. Gary Gintner, to learn more about the controversial changes surrounding the new DSM-5.
Changes Coming for Baton Rouge Speech & Hearing
Dr. Brian Esteve and his colleagues at Baton Rouge Speech & Hearing Foundation are getting ready for big changes coming in 2014. Esteve is the full-time psychologist and behavior analyst on staff, and joined by part-time psychologists, Dr. Jane Morton, who oversees home-based ABA services, and Dr. Emily Boudreaux who provides a variety of evaluation and therapeutic services and who specializes in developmental disabilities.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.