The psychology board discussed possible changes to the Emeritus license for psychologists, at their Long-Range Planning meeting held November 8 in Baton Rouge at the Department of Health and Hospitals.
"I anticipate the Board will explore changes to the Emeritus licensure status at the December meeting,” Executive Director Kelly Parker told the Times. “The Board has been considering changes to the requirements for some time now,” she said.
According to the board’s report sent to licensees in November, the board members discussed the possibility of requiring an emeritus licensee to be fully retired before being able to declare the emeritus status. Currently, some emeritus psychologists work part-time.
The report also noted that board members discussed the possibility of requiring all emeritus licensees who work part-time to obtain continuing education credits.
“The Board has a comment period open until December 6th,” Parker noted. “We will always be open to accept comments on this or anything else," she said.
"I believe the Board may consider issues including should an Emeritus license be required to retire completely or should an Emeritus license working part time have to complete CE requirements,” Parker said. "These are things they may decide with certainty for the next meeting,” she said.
The state psychology board held its Long-Range Planning meeting in November. The meeting was held at the Department of Health and Hospitals and the public was encouraged by the board to attend. Above, board members are on the left, (bottom left to top) Drs. Jessica Brown, Phillip Griffin, Darla Burnett, Marc Zimmermann, Rita Culross, and Director Kelly Parker. Community members attending are seated on the right side (from bottom right to top) Drs. Lucinda DeGrange, John Fanning, Kim VanGeffen, Connie Patterson, Jesse Lambert, Darlyne Nemeth, and Joe Comaty.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 12.
Designing Teaching Strategies: An Applied Behavior Analysis Systems Approach by R. Douglas Greer
I am currently reading Dr. Greer’s 2002 book, Designing Teaching Strategies: An Applied Behavior Analysis Systems Approach. Dr. Greer states, “When teaching is treated as an art, good teaching is an accident. When teaching is treated as a science, good teaching can be replicated across many professionals in a reliable fashion.” What follows is a blueprint for “good teaching,” in fact, how to provide expert teaching. Dr. Greer’s book draws on decades of behavior analytic research to introduce the reader to a behavior analytic systems approach to all aspects of schooling applicable to any learning environment whether it be centers, schools, or clinics. Chapters 4 and 5 and been especially instructive for me, both relate to expanding particular repertoires of the teacher. Chapter 4 describes how and which strategic questions to ask when faced with teaching and learning challenges and Chapter 5 describes teacher repertoires for early learners and includes some common learning and teaching challenges, possible sources of challenges, and tactics from the research literature that may remedy those challenges. The book also illustrates the importance of analyzing moment to moment responses by both students and teachers and describes the steps for efficient analyses of those real-time responses.
Designing Teaching Strategies has expanded my teaching repertoire, in part, by outlining how to become more adept at analyzing my own teaching behaviors and how those behaviors interact with and impact learner behaviors and outcomes.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
In 2010 Act 251 took effect, moving medical psychologists from the state psychology board to the state medical board. Designed by LAMP and the medical board, Act 251’s definitions included, “ ‘LAMP’ means the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists.” Act 251 directed medical psychologists to obtain 25 percent of their continuing education from LAMP, the law noting, “A minimum of twenty-five percent of a medical psychologist's continuing medical education shall be provided by the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychology.”
Act 251 also specified that members of the new Medical Psychology Advisory Committee would be nominated by LAMP. “… Four members shall be medical psychologists selected from a list of names recommended by the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists.”
Rules were published in 2011 and included the definition, “LAMP―the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists.” And, for the Continuing Education Requirement, the Rules noted, “A minimum of 25 percent of the continuing medical education required by this Section shall be provided by LAMP.”
The Rules also described that it was “LAMP” that would recommend members of the Medical Psychology Advisory Committee, “[…] four medical psychologists selected by the board from a list of names recommended by LAMP.” And also, LAMP would help recommend the physician member. “ […] one physician selected from a list of names submitted by the Louisiana State Medical Society, and recommended by Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association and LAMP, […].”
But who exactly is LAMP? Is LAMP a professional organization or a Political Action Committee (PAC)? It is not all that clear, and it matters, because a PAC must tread carefully on the rights of citizens. Who is LAMP?
While Act 251 and the associated Rules define LAMP as “Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists,” an official footprint for this organization does not appear to exist.
Nola.com business finder lists “Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists,” at 913 S. College Rd, Lafayette, but with none of this information has been “claimed” or verified by anyone. Follow the Money lists it as an “institution” and also registered as a lobbyist. And Wellness.com lists it at 1003 Leycester Drive in Baton Rouge, but with no information claimed.
A 2012 and Spring 2013 search of the Louisiana Secretary of State’s list of corporations produced no listing for “Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists,” or any similar terms, or with the term “LAMP” that fit any of the expected characteristics. And, “Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists” appears to have no website or social media presence.
Many in the community report that LAMP maintains closed communi- cations, and this has been born out over the last years when repeated requests by the Times for information from LAMP leaders, for both political and non-political topics, have not been returned.
While LAMP doesn’t have a presence or footprint as a professional organization, the “LA Academy of Medical Psychologists PAC” does. This LAMP is listed under the State Ethics Board and is a Political Action Committee (PAC).
Is this the same organization written into Act 251 that provides continuing education?
While LAMP President Dr. Cathy Castille refused to provide information about the 2012 LAMP conference, saying, “LAMP has no interest in having anything published by you,” other sources eventually sent the LAMP 2012 continuing education program information to the Times. Presenters for the LAMP conference included Dr. Cecil Reynolds, Dr. Matthew Tull, and Dr. Kim Gratz.
In a review of LAMP-PAC documents filed for April 2013, these same three presenters were paid by the PAC, each receiving $1,200 for “Professional Fees.” This, and other expenditures, suggested that the PAC was delivering continuing education for medical psychologists.
Was a PAC requiring a contribution in order for medical psychologists to fulfill requirements of Act 251, which had been written by that PAC?
Medical psychologists in the community routinely refer to “LAMP dues.” Even then President Dr. John Bolter wrote in an email to members from the LAMP listserv in 2010, said “The annual dues for LAMP members is set at last year’s amount of $2,500.”
But, have any medical psychologists been hindered in their efforts to obtain the required training? This appeared to be the case, after several undisclosed sources reported problems with LAMP and their requirements to the Times.
What A Muddle
Are LAMP dues (or contributions) required of medical psychologists who must attend the training as directed by Act 251, which was written by LAMP?
While professional associations or corporations might be able to charge for continuing education and reject those who do not pay, it is not clear that a PAC has this right.
According to the law regulating PACs, Louisiana Election Code (R.S. 18:1505.2) prohibits PACs in certain actions that coerce contributions or cause individuals to lose opportunities that are of benefit, based on their contributions to a PAC. “D. (1) No person shall knowingly coerce or attempt to coerce another person to give or withhold a contribution.” And, “(2) No person based on an individual's contribution, promise to make a contribution, or failure to make a contribution shall directly or indirectly affect an individual's employment […]”
The law goes on to specify that a contribution to a PAC cannot deny, deprive, or threaten a person with, “… any employment or position. […] the loss of any compensation, payment, benefit, or other emolument derived from or related to such employment or position.” Or, “[…] the loss of any compensation, payment, benefit, or other emolument derived from or related to such membership or participation in any organization.”
So, it does not appear that a PAC is allowed to require contributions, or restrict anyone from “benefits” of continuing education, in this case the education needed to obtain a medical psychologist certificate.
Efforts to talk with LAMP officials to clarify this were not returned. So, instead I asked the Ethics Board for their opinion about these issues.
Request for Advisory Opinion
In October 2012, I submitted a Request for Advisory Opinion from the Louisiana State Ethics. I gave the above facts and asked whether medical psychologists were required to donate to a PAC in order to maintain the professional license granted by the state. “My question is: Does R.S. 37:1360.65 [Act 251] and/or the LA Academy of Medical Psychologists violate the Louisiana Election Code (R.S. 18:1505.2) having to do with coerced contributions?”
My request was dropped. It was explained to me that Requests for Advisory Opinions are not provided for past behaviors, only for the future.
However, in non-confidential communications with the Ethics Board, it was also explained that, in general, PACs and professional organizations (such as those offering required continuing education, for example) would be required to have separate checking accounts, separate accounting, and organizations, so that people always understand if they are making a contribution to a PAC or not. On July 22, 2013, a new corporation was filed with the Secretary of State’s corporate listings named the “Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists, Inc.” Dr. Cathy Castille is the organization’s President, according to state records. The registered agent is R. Grey Sexton of Baton Rouge. According to LAMP-PAC reports the PAC paid Mr. Sexton $1,320 for legal fees in April and in May 2013.
Sources attending a recent closed meeting of LAMP told the Times that President Dr. Castille informed members that the group was having to create a new organization. "We don't have to pay any fines, but it cost us a lot of money to get this fixed," Castille was reported to have said.
Also according to sources the group has created a new financial arrangement. Medical psychologists are now to pay $1500 to the new non-profit corporation. It was said that this will include the continuing education. LAMP members are to contribute the other $1000 to the PAC, according to sources.
This new organization band-aids the problem of Act 251 which wrote into law a Political Action Committee by using the term “LAMP.” It may also protect medical psychologists since members of corporations have certain rights under Louisiana corporate law.
Is a PAC an Approved Provider for Continuing Education?
This leaves open a question about the validity of the continuing education hours purchased from LAMP-PAC.
The Times asked current Continuing Education Chair on the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, Dr. Marc Zimmermann, who is also a medical psychologist, if a PAC was an approved entity for offering professional Continuing Education. He wrote the Times, “Dr. Nelson, I am responding to your query concerning LAMP CEs. Specifically, you asked about the status of CEs granted by LAMP prior to the division of LAMP as a regional organization and LAMP as PAC. The Board has not considered this issue. I will try to have it placed on the agenda for our December meeting.”
The Times also asked Continuing Education Analyst at the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners, Mr. Peter Zengel, if a PAC could offer continuing education. He said, “No, I don’t think so.” He also noted that there were a lot of calls and confusion by licensees and he viewed things as still being “ironed out.” And, “While we stick to the major organizations, such as ACCME [Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education] you never know how much politics plays a part,” he told the Times.
Should Nominations to a State Board Come From a PAC?
A final issue is the appointment of members of a state regulatory board who have been nominated by a PAC.
Act 251 specifies that “LAMP” makes recommendations for the Medical Psychology Advisory Committee (MPAC). A search of the minutes of the MPAC and the state Medical Board did not produce any information about how the current members were recommended. When the MPAC was created in 2010, the current members would have been nominated by the existing PAC. The Ethics Board said that this issue was not under their jurisdiction.
Dr. Jillandra Rovaris, Chair, and Dr. Joe Comaty, Vice Chair, serving on the state psychology board in 2010. The Times has been working to understand why the 2009 psychology board failed to alert psychologists that Act 251 would move the practice of psychology (by medical psychologists) to the medical board.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 13.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
This engaging book tells how our lives are shaped profoundly by the personality traits with which we are born. She begins with an exploration of how extroversion and introversion have been defined by psychologists and researchers. The heart of the book explains the types of environments and conditions in which introverts and extroverts work best and why. She tells how those with extroverted personalities tend to be valued more in our modern societies than introverts, even though introverted people—by their very nature— make enormous contributions to society. Fascinating stories from the real lives of both famous and everyday people illustrate the research that she cites.
In chapters that build on each other, Cain describes how education, business, and even parenting styles today are increasingly geared to encourage extroversion and discourage introversion. The theme throughout the book is that introverts offer a great deal to our world, and our culture could be making a serious error by not accommodating and encouraging the introverted personality type. Teachers, counselors, psychologists, parents, business people—anyone who works with people or who wants to understand themselves better—would benefit from reading this best-selling, well-written book that explains much about the value and potential of the introverted person.
My introverted friends, family members, and I resonated with and enjoyed the encouraging message found in this book’s pages!
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Dr. Bill McCown will help lead the newly formed College of Business and Social Sciences at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) as Associate Dean. McCown has served as Interim Director of the Graduate School and as Professor of Psychology.
ULM recently announced plans to consolidate its five colleges into three. In a press release last month, the university officials noted, “The reorganization will see the university’s five colleges consolidated into three: the College of Arts, Education and Sciences; the College of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences; and the College of Business and Social Sciences. The Graduate School remains unchanged.”
The new organization at Monroe is part of the University’s plan to cope with continued statewide budget cuts affecting all those in higher education. In a September meeting the Board of Regents reported that the total higher education budget for 2013-2014 is $2.628 billion, down $329 million from 2012-2013.
“These actions are consistent with our strategic plan,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Eric Pani, in the press release. “Our ultimate goal is always to educate students and prepare them for the job market and we will continue to do that.”
Dr. McCown told the Times that psychology will fall under the Business and Social Sciences, while family therapy and counseling will fall under the College of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He explained that the College of Business and Social Sciences will include political science, psychology, social work, accounting, aviation, marketing, and others.
“We’ve been happy because our online business program is highly ranked, 27th in the nation,” McCown said, “and we’re hoping that merging the business and behavioral sciences under one administrative roof will allow us to share resources, research and laboratories for greater effectiveness.”
Officials at ULM also announced the elimination of 25 positions in accordance with university reorganization due to recurring state-wide budget cuts over the last five years. Within the 25 positions, 19 jobs will be active employees and six positions are accounted for through retirements and unfilled vacant positions, said the report.
Approximately 300 university positions have been eliminated since 2009, according to a report in Hawkeye, ULM’s student newspaper. Cuts are expected to reduce approximately $2 million from the university’s budget.
ULM is one of nine universities in the UL System, the largest higher education system in Louisiana. Sixty- one percent of the UL System operating budget is self generated from the nine universities, while only 39 percent comes from state funds, according to ULsystem.net, as reported in Hawkeye.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 13.
At holiday time, I enjoy reading holiday-theme mysteries. My sister and I have a fondness for reading what are referred to as “Cozy Mysteries.” There is even a web site devoted to this genre www.cozy-mystery.com. According to this web site, Cozy Mysteries “usually take place in a small picturesque town or village with characters who I could envision having as neighbors or friends.” These mysteries typically appeal to women and are often published in series. My sister has a huge collection of Cozy Mysteries on her Kindle account and, thankfully, I am on her account so I have a never ending supply of mysteries to read! The Cozy Mystery web site allows you to search for books in a variety of ways such as by author, by holidays, by the occupation of the protagonist and by other themes such as hobbies. I highly recommend this site. I am currently finishing A Catered Thanksgiving by Isis Crawford which involves two sisters who are caterers and solve murder mysteries on the side. They end up being snow bound at a gloomy mansion where they are catering a Thanksgiving meal.
Some of my favorite Cozy Mystery authors who have Christmas theme mysteries are Nancy Atherton, Leslie Meier and Joanne Fluke.
It will be hard to decide which one to pick for my next book.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Some wrinkles smoothed with LPA Psychology Board Moves Toward Specialist License
In what some consider a historic move, the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psycho- logists is advancing plans to create an optional license for school specialists under the state psychology board, creating a multi-level license for the first time.
While still in development, Executive Director Kelly Parker told the Times, “They [the Board] did vote to accept the Task Force report and proceed with meeting other interested and important parties.” If these plans go forward, the credential, to be termed the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology, would open up opportunities for school psychology specialists in private and charter schools that have previously been closed to them.
In a report to the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists by its task force charged with studying the issue, Dr. Rita Culross, wrote, “The task force believes strongly that the creation of this additional level of licensure under LSBEP would strengthen the practice of psychology within LA, increase the availability of services to children and families throughout the state, and provide an enhanced level of protection to the public. We urge the board to support its recommendations.”
The report highlighted a severe shortage of psychological services for school children throughout the state, noting that there are 69 psychologists with a specialty in school, licensed by the LSBEP and residing in the state. And, only 17 of the 64 parishes have a local school psychologist in the area. While there are 240 certified school psychologists in Louisiana, none of these can practice outside of a public school.
With a population of 690,000 students in Louisiana schools, the ratio of certified school psychologists to Louisiana students is 2875 to 1, and the ratio of licensed school psychologists is greater than 10,000 to 1, said the report authors. The report also outlined the proposed new scope of practice, qualifications, and aspects of standards, among other issues for the proposed Licensed Specialist in School Psychology.
"Even though the Board has accepted the report,” said Executive Director Parker, “the actual move to license these individuals has not been made official. We are still exploring the idea with other important parties. I anticipate that the Board will make an ‘official’ decision after the meetings."
She indicated that this may involve governmental groups. “We will be meeting with the Department of Education as well as other school board association groups,” she said.
According to several sources, the task force had to resolve some concerns raised by the Executive Council of the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA).
The Times spoke with LPA President Dr. John Fanning who explained, “The task force’s recommendations said that ‘Licensed specialists in school psychology may practice independently as employees or contractors of public, private, or charter schools or through a contractual arrangement with a licensed psychologist.’” This sentence and the word contractual caused some in the LPA Executive Council a concern, he explained. “Whatever ‘contractual’ might prove to be, it's not ‘supervisory.’”
“We viewed this as potentially opening a broad precedent to independent practice in what has been heretofore defined as the practice of psychology,” Fanning told the Times. “It was disturbingly easy to envision other groups approaching the legislature with the argument that, ‘The school specialists have been deemed qualified to do psychological testing in private practice outside the school system, and we think we are, too.’”
“Members of the EC with whom I spoke would have been satisfied with even distance supervision by licensed school or other psychologists–given the geographic distribution issues involved–but this idea got no traction with the task force,” Fanning said.
LPA Council members Drs. Jesse Lambert, Lucinda DeGrange, and Fanning attended the joint meeting, along with task force members and Dr. Chavez Phelps, the Government Relations representative for the Louisiana School Psychological Association.
“I anticipated the possibility that discussion of the issue could be adversarial,” Fanning told the Times. But, “That proved not to be the case at all,” he said.
Kelly Parker told the Times the representatives worked very well together. “Members from LPA and the Louisiana School Psychological Association offered up possibilities and were able to effectively collaborate with one another and come to a good median that was acceptable to both groups, and the board as well.”
Discussions led to a change in wording: “Licensed specialists in school psychology may practice independently as employees or contractors of public, private, or charter schools or through a contractual arrangement with a licensed psychologist.”
The group also agreed on the wording about diagnosis. “The types of evaluations performed by licensed specialists in school psychology will be those that are germane to the current state educational bulletins, specifically Louisiana Bulletins 1706 and 1508. No school based evaluations conducted by licensed specialists in school psychology would employ DSM or lCD diagnosis.”
Members of the task force include Dr. Rita Culross, LSBEP Chair and licensed school psychologist, Dr. Carmen Broussard, licensed school psychologist representing Nicholls State University Specialist Program in School Psychology; Ms. Susan Ratterree, Louisiana representative to the National Association of School Psychologists, Dr. Constance Patterson, licensed school psychologist, representing the Tulane University doctoral program in School Psychology, Ms. Francois Parr, representing the Louisiana Association of School Psychologists; Dr. Steven Welsh, retired Nicholls State dean and licensed school psychologist; David White, Executive Director for the Louisiana Psychological Association, and Ms. Kelly Parker, Executive Director of LSBEP (ex-officio).
Members of the Louisiana School Psychological Association look over agendas for the conference, held last month in Lafayette. L to R: Candice Dozier, Annie Holmes, Nancy Alleman, and E. Francoise Parr, current President of the association. Dr. Chavez Phelps, Government Relations representative for the Louisiana School Psychological Association met with the LSBEP task team and community members to work out details of the “Licensed Specialist in School Psychology.” Above, Dr. Phelps presents at a LSPA convention.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 13.
The Emperor's New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth. by Dr. Irving Kirsch
After attending the impressive and informative Fall LPA workshop by Dr. Irving Kirsch, I bought his book: The Emperor's New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth. This is a must read for those interested in careful research and the truth about regulation of pharmaceuticals by the FDA. Kirsch's meta-analytic work uncovers the minimally incremental drug antidepressant effect over placebo. We also learn that the rules for the FDA approval of medications fall woefully short of real science, permitting approval after two statistically (but not clinically meaningful) trials even though there may be many more trials that are nonsignificant or in the other direction. This is a fascinating and compelling read for anyone interested in this area, but especially for the involved practitioner.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
The Louisiana Group Psychotherapy Society has honored Baton Rouge psychologist, Dr. Susanne Jensen, with their Lifetime Achieve- ment Award, presented at the November 2 Fall Institute of the Society. This is the first award of its kind from the organization, an affiliate of the American Group Psychotherapy Association.
Jensen has been a key figure in the psychology and psychotherapy community, providing training for hundreds of psychotherapists from psychology, psychiatry, social work, and counseling in Louisiana as well as in the national and international settings.
She has lectured in Germany, Austria, Russia, Argentina, China, and Australia, on the two, intertwined theoretical interests that have marked her career: the psychology of women, and the psychology of groups, she explained to the Times in a recent interview.
Among her many and varied teaching and professional roles, she has served as Associate Clinical Director and then as Clinical Director of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Counseling and Mental Health Services on the Baton Rouge campus, and as Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at LSU, from the late 1960s to the early 1990s.
She has also held a faculty position for Fielding Institute, worked in private practice, served as President of the Louisiana Group Psychotherapy Society, served as board member for the American Group Psychotherapy Association, and served as Vice President for North America for the World Council for Psychotherapy.
Jensen co-founded “The Phone,” now called the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, she served on the steering committee for Faculty and Staff Human Development Group at LSU, and served on the Board of Directors for the Baton Rouge Catholic Social Services.
A native of Germany, Jensen came to the US on a Fulbright Scholarship to the Norfolk State Hospital in Norfolk, Nebraska, then received a grant from the La. State Department of Hospital Training and Research, and served as an instructor at Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed her undergraduate, masters, and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Bonn, in Rhein, West Germany.
Much of her work has been guided by her interest in the psychosocial roles of women, she explained. “It was really touching to me when I was in Russia and spoke with women obstetricians and gynecologists at the Institute in St. Petersburg,” Jensen said. “I had the same conversation in China and in Argentina. Women hold the family together, they are in charge of food, relationships, they work 70- hour weeks. Maybe not as much in the current generation, but in the generation before, this was typical for women around the world.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 13.
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
I am currently reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. This is not a new book, on the shelves or for me. I bought it years ago, read it, and put it with my collection. Because of some circumstances in one of my son's life, he started this book, which encouraged me to read it again. Amazing! Isn't it interesting how the context of what's happening currently in our life changes what we "read" on the page? To me, that's evidence of how our lives are constantly changing and growing. The same experience will effect us differently – from one person to the next and one time to the next. I'm enjoying the book. It is helping me understand myself better, which I see as a Iifelong process. I also believe that for us to be the best agents of positive change for our clients that we need to be constantly learning and growing ourselves.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 2.
The Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the Louisiana School Psychological Association, and the Louisiana Psychological Association are working together in an open, collaborative manner, not to restrict trade, but to try and increase the supply of psychological services to the citizens of Louisiana, maintain quality, and benefit our community members, all at the same time.
While a few wrinkles had to be ironed out along the way by reasonable people, those in psychology put together a solution to benefit both sides and the public, and didn’t shoot each other in the foot while doing it. Are things changing a little?
Kudos to the Executive Director of the psychology board, who, after getting raked over the coals by the poorly designed (not by her) effort in 2012 to bring behavior analysts under the psychology board, seems to be exceeding expectations. She seems to have dotted every possible i and crossed every t when it comes to taking the time and effort to facilitate the communication and engage people in the problem-solving.
Led by Dr. Rita Culross, members of School Special Task Force also deserve our gratitude for thoughtful work. I appreciate Dr. Steven Welsh for taking the initiative to step up and bring ideas to the board, despite a climate that historically has not always been conducive to openness. I also heard that Dr. Jesse Lambert and Dr. Chavez Phelps did an excellent job to help the effort along. I think everyone in the room deserves our appreciation for this one.
So now we actually have a possible win-win solution and we resisted falling back on old, worn-out, win-lose, scarcity models that have hamstrung those in our community for decades. (Maybe LPA and LAMP ought to give this method a try?)
It is a stunning and a shameful fact that the Task Force brought to our attention: The current ratio of licensed school psychologists to Louisiana school children is 1 to 10,000.
If the licensed psychologists have been trying to protect their turf, they overshot the mark by thousands of miles.
I’ve asked LPA President John Fanning why LPA seems to put all its effort into restricting supply and not a nickel’s worth of effort into increasing demand, and I hope there will be an answer to that someday in the future.
For now, if this new credential turns out to be eventually approved, Licensed School Psychology Specialists will automatically be increasing demand for both themselves and the licensed psychologists. Hallelujah. Win-win.
Merry Christmas!
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 13.
The Secret Life of Pronouns by James Pennebaker
I’m reading The Secret Life of Pronouns for the third time and it’s incredible. It’s an outstanding book that you can apply to your own emails and correspondence and find out aspects of your personality that you might not have realized, especially regarding how you interact with others.
Pennebaker is a well known scholar in the field of stress related disorders and therapeutic writing. He was one of the first to show that expressive writing was related to health in a variety of areas, everything from mental health to Aids. It is based on computerized text analysis of hundreds of thousands of posts, blogs, tweets, and other communications. He shows that very low level words like articles, “the,” “a,” or “and” can be just as important. We used this program and looked into predictions for people with ADHD for words and thoughts.
It is unbelievable. I highly recommend it.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 4.
LPC Board Executive Director, Mary Alice Olsan, told the Times the board is expecting two new appointments “any day now.” The new members will fill positions of Alysius Allen, who resigned in May, and David Legendre who completed his term in November.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 15.
I intended to cover Christmas research in this month’s issue of Psychology Gumbo. But golly, I could barely find any at all that was about Christmas. Obviously I was using some offbeat search term. I did find a strange study about regifting, which Dr. Gilda Reed wisely declined to comment on. It lacked inspiration, she said. So I talked her into looking at one about happiness. But in case your thinking of regifting, here is a nutshell.
• “The Gifts We Keep on Giving: Documenting and Destigmatizing the Regifting Taboo” – in Psychological Science, 2012. Adams, Flynn, and Norton looked at how “receivers” and “givers” view the social taboo of “regifting.” They found that attitudes about regifting depended on whether a person was giving or receiving and that some people find it offensive. The researchers suggested that a simple intervention that givers encourage their receivers to use the gift freely. Problem solved.
• “The Pursuit of Happiness: Time, Money, and Social Connection” C. Mogilner, – in Psychological Science, 2010.
COMMENT: Dr. Gilda Reed, Psychology Department, University of New Orleans, Princeton Review’s Best Professor
"Happiness is an elusive personal construct which cannot be operationally defined. The Pursuit of Happiness: Time, Money, and Social Connection by Cassie Mogilner (Psych- ological Science 2010 21: 1348) professes that hap- piness is not triggered as much with money/work thoughts as it is with time/relationship thoughts. Mogilner attempts to separate the influences of both types of thinking on happiness. I believe her conclusions that more happiness results with a shift in attention toward time as opposed to money. Perhaps, my own implicit happiness beliefs that relationships tower over money are responsible (46 year marriage, 7 children, 15 grandchildren, hundreds of college students per semester.)
The scientist in me, however, cannot put much stock in the generalizations and assumptions embedded within the work. It is more plausible to pair money and work together than it is to pair time and relationship together. Work begets money and is generally considered a prerequisite for it. The value of time does not necessarily match up with relationship, as people may value spending it elsewhere (Cziksentmihalyi’s flow), especially in the absence of satisfying relationships. Assuming that valuing of time translates into happiness when spent with family, assumes that this family time is enjoyable. Also problematic are the broad categorizations of work being tied implicitly to the word price and of time being tied implicitly to the word clock.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 4. Source pages: 6.
The Connecticut state’s attorney released their report of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, “Report of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury on the Shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and 36 Yogananda Street, Newtown Connecticut on December 14, 2012.” The 48 page report reviewed evidence and also drew some conclusions regarding the Newtown mass murder.
The authors concluded that the shooter, Adam Lanza, had significant mental health issues but what contribution this made to his criminal actions, the authors wrote, is “… unknown as those mental health professionals who saw him did not see anything that would have predicted his future behavior.”
The report notes that Lanza had been evaluated several times over the years, being described as having speech and language needs, being treated for seizures, having repetitive behaviors and tantrums as a youngster, and being diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2005. He had significant social impairments, “extreme anxiety,” and was considered a special education student. He refused to take suggested medication or participate in behavior therapy, said the authors.
The authors of the report also stated that no drugs were found in Lanza’s system.
They wrote that one of the internet blogs that the shooter posted on, “… focused on mass shootings and in particular the Columbine shootings.” The report said Lanza had exchanged emails “… with other who were interested in the topic of mass shootings.” But, the authors commented, “None of these communi- cations, however, related to the SHES or in any way suggested that the shooter intended to commit a mass shooting.”
The authors also wrote, “He was undoubtedly afflicted with mental health problems; yet despite a fascination with mass shootings and firearms, he displayed no aggressive or threatening tendencies,” the authors wrote.
It is not clear if the authors had profess- sional help in reaching conclusions. The full report is available online.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.