Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 3. Source pages: 14.
Dr. Paul Dammers, medical psychologist and neuropsychologist at the NeuroMedical Center in Baton Rouge, was interviewed by reporter Penny Font of the Baton Rouge Business Report for the October 18 article, “It’s a mad mad mad mad world.”
The article covered the issue of the modern tendency to be continually connected to Internet, email, and iPhones, etc.
Dammers told Font that he has treated patients who spend all night on their computers, talking or surfing the web. He said that some people can’t stop looking at e-mail or checking their BlackBerry, and “…we end up being overwhelmed and never finished.”
“In pharmaceutical terms, the drugs that are the most addictive are the ones with the most immediate effect, like Xanax,” Dammers said. “The same is true with technology. Respond- ing to an e-mail or a text message or an online game becomes a compulsive act with immediate reward.”
Dr. Charles Figley of Tulane, Professor and Director of the Tulane Traumatology Institute, was also interviewed for the article.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
While many in the community are scratching their heads about how to integrate mind and body health care, psychologist and innovator, Dr. Denise Batton has jumped out ahead of the crowd with her “Healthy Women Are Active” Program for women veterans at the Alexandria VA.
The new program is a comprehensive, creative approach for helping the veterans served by the Alexandria VA Medical Center and the surrounding Community Based Outpatient Clinics.
Evolving since August last year, the program is a holistic approach, where combinations of activity groups, social groups, and therapy groups help lead clients toward a balanced mental and physical life. She includes the “Spiritual, Cultural, Intellectual, Physical and Psychological,” aspects of health, says Batton, and calls it “SCIPP.”
“Come SCIPP your way to better health,” she says to potential participants.
Dr. Batton is the Psychologist for Women’s Health at Alexandria VA Health Care System. Her training is strong in education as well as psychology, having earned her first masters in education from Indiana State, and then going on to earn another masters and doctorate in clinical psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been driven by her desire to make a difference in lives by designing programs that help the group and population. Her previous efforts include Program Director for Cambria County Mental Health in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Founder and Director for the Mothers and Sons Youth Development Programs in Watts, Compton, Los Angeles, she her work with Departments of Corrections in both California and Florida.
“Since my areas of clinical expertise are designing salient programming from a systems perspective to address both micro and macro problems within a system or population,” said Batton, “I examined the surrounding environment to determine what resources it could offer to address these health problems and symptomology of the population it is serving.”
Ferreting out invigorating and inspiring activities to support broad therapeutic goals of the program is something for which Dr. Batton seems to have a particular knack.
Once she conceptualized the needs and found the resources for the program, she collaborated with Women’s Health, Psychology Service, Recreation Therapy and Voluntary Service at the Alexandria VA. Then she pulled in local community resources and also national VA programs to form “Healthy Women Are Active.”
“It started out in the beginning to be just one or two activities,” Batton told the Times, “but over time it took on a life of its own and grew to approximately seven programs and seven therapeutic group offerings.”
“I noticed that the women were isolated,” she said, “so I thought, ‘How do I get them out of the house and connected to other women veterans with similar life experiences? I know that once they feel that connection of sharing their experiences and perspectives on life, it will bring about the natural curative factors of catharsis, support, commonality and acceptance.”
“I thought they would be more comfortable with other Veterans,” Batton explained, “and so I started looking around, thinking, ‘I’m going to go out and find who else is doing what’, and see if they wanted to participate in forming this women’s program.”
For example, she discovered a greenhouse and gardening spots on the VA grounds, and thought, “’Ah, I’m going to get them interested in gardening and producing their own healthy food.’” Then she linked up with the Alexandria Food Bank and discovered that community gardens were one of the Food Bank’s services.
“They go around helping to start and supply community gardens,” she said. “They were more than happy to assist the women veterans in learning seasonal planting and provided them the starter plants. We had watermelon, squash, green beans, tomatoes and flowers.”
Within the Pineville and Alexandria community, Batton noticed residents riding horses and she remembered how Equine Therapy had made a difference in patients she had seen in Indiana. So, she contacted Crossroads Riding Center in Alexandria, and working with the VA Recreation Therapy staff, wrote a grant for the Equine Therapy Program. “Within two months that program was funded along with an Art Class to boot,” she said.
She started a fishing group after noticing a pond on the VA grounds. “There we go, now we have fishing, we having horseback riding, we have gardening and an art class,” she said. “It seemed like everywhere I looked there were VA resources available just for the asking and local community vendors more than willing to volunteer one or two hours a week to serve our veterans, free of charge or at least at a large discounted rate.”
Batton was also creative when it came to the funding. “In order to make sure this endeavor did not cost the VA any direct funding, I recruited volunteer individuals to facilitate groups in their area of expertise,” she explained. The Alexandria Food Bank offered gardening lessons and starter plants, the local gym offered yoga instruction, the VA Pond and Recreation Therapists offered the fishing, and Local Do Joi offered martial arts/self- defense.
“All in all, it is a win-win situation,” she said. “My women veterans enhance their perspectives of what healthy means because they work hard toward it in therapy and in the programs and the VA increases their numbers of success stories. After all that is what it is all about, ‘Serving Those Who Served For Us.’ You can’t loose with that type of respect for others,” she said.
What has emerged was a multilevel approach that includes Art Classes (“Face of A Veteran”), Equine Therapy, Fishing, Gardening, Martial Arts – Self Defense, Golfing, and “The Connection” Potluck. These programs are linked with the therapeutic groups, which include Couples Group, Military Sexual Trauma Group, Silver Veterans Over 50 Group, and the Understand Mental Health Group.
“As you know, groups are one of the best clinical experiences,” Batton explained, “because it is a ‘social microcosm’ that provides key curative factors.” She noted that these factors include instillation of hope, interpersonal learning, self-understanding and insight, existential learning, and catharsis. “When you add commonality of problems, camaraderie of service and an ability to experience joy while acquiring mental health assistance, that is a recipe for curative success,” she said.
Batton also wanted to change the paradigm about what it means to be healthy. “Healthy Women Are Active” suggests that healthy means, “… well balanced across several dimensions of a woman’s “personhood,’ she explained.
“In other words,” she said, “striving to be healthy on the 360 for 24/7 across the arenas of, Spiritually, Culturally, Intellectually, Physically and Psychologically.”
When Batton took her position at the Alexandria VA, she immediately saw the need for integrative and innovative approaches. “My caseload of patients are women veterans who are diagnosed with Military Sexual Trauma, primarily, and other mental health disorders…” But Batton also noticed many other issues for her clients. “Physically many of the patients have high blood pressure, diabetes, severe obesity and chronic pain,” she said.
Batton understood that the combined problems manifested in lack of motivation, low energy, sleeping and eating disturbances, and other problems, but also in “… separation and isolation from society at large and from family support systems also,” she explained. So, “I began to design groups that would provide the women with opportunities to experiences unique therapeutic activities.”
The kick-off to the program was at the Women’s History Month Event championed by Batton for Psychology Service and Women’s Health last year. The event was highlighted with skits, guest women VA employee speakers, and women veterans performing. The program had been growing since that time.
Most recently, the program added the component with participation in the National Adaptive Sports Clinics that is held across the United States. Dr. Batton coordinated with the VA Recreation Therapist, Ms. Janice Riggs, who partners with the National group to support local activities.
The National Adaptive Sports Clinics includes Summer and Winter Sports Clinic, Golf Tournament, Valor Games, Golden Age Games, Wheelchair Games, Para-Olympic Experiences, and the National Arts Festival. Women from the “Healthy Women Are Active” program have participated locally in the arts festival and two women from the area have even brought home national honors from the national arts festival, one in Oratory Arts and another in Ethnic Dance.
“Another woman veteran was chosen to participate in the Summer National Veterans’ Sports Clinic in San Diego this September. Now we want women to enroll for all the National Adaptive Sports Clinics to learn sports they never dreamed of…thus expanding their own life dreams of “accomplishments”…. see how a dream can become infectious!” Batton told the Times.
“Once the women participate in a few programs,” Dr. Batton explained, “their mental health issues began to decline, they acquire more energy, volition and feel confident enough to be more amenable to opening up in a therapeutic group. And eventually have no need for treatment at all, just living her life with new hobbies and a healthier lifestyle,” she said.
Even for those not completely ready to participate in the full range of therapies, Batton explained, the women gain from whichever groups they choose to engage, and this can open the door for future participation and “full actualization,” she said.
“I just want the women veterans to know that we care about their needs, we are ready to serve them and all they need to do is step forward and we’ll walk the rest of the way toward their goals with them. You did it for us,” she said, “now let us do this for you.”
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. 3. Source pages: 14.
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center held its sixth annual childhood obesity and public health conference on October 17, 2013 in at the Center in Baton Rouge.
The conference, designed for professionals engaged in public health efforts, hosted Timothy Lobstein, PhD, Director of Policy and Programs for the International Obesity Task Force & International Association for the Study of Obesity. Lobstein spoke on “Obesity Prevention & Treatment from an International Perspective.”
Among those presenting were Cheryl Lovelady, PhD, and registered dietitian from the University of North Carolina, speaking on “Role of Breastfeeding in Preventing Childhood Obesity,” Leanne Redman, PhD, from Pennington, speaking on “Maternal Weight Gain & Childhood Obesity,” and Cren “Sam” Pourcia, RNC, from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health. Pourcia spoke on “Obesity Prevention & Treatment within Public Health: Louisiana Initiatives.”
Peter Katzmarzyk, PhD, Associate Director for Preventive Medicine & Health Aging at Pennnington, welcomed attendees.
This is the sixth conference and a program for physicians, nutritionists, physical activity specialists, registered dietitians, nurses, health educators, psychologists, and counselors. The program was also designed for healthcare policy makers, researchers, media, business and civic leaders, parks and recreation personnel, and early childhood and school-age educators and decision- makers, according to the Pennington Biomedical news service.
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. 3. Source pages: 2.
Mark Twain wrote, “Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.”
That’s exactly what Irving Kirsch provided to the audience last month at the LPA-Tulane conference, gratification and astonishment.
Kirsch presented more proof that Big Pharma and the FDA skew data in favor of drug approvals when the drugs don’t really work. Not surprising, since the FDA receives 40% of their funding from these companies. Kirsch had to pull out all the stops to get at the truth, including filing a Freedom of Information Act request for raw data.
This is more damning evidence about the medical-industrial complex, just like the multibillion dollar fines that have become commonplace for drug companies’ illegal actions in research and marketing, usually only exposed by some whistleblower.
Recently I read an account of how Penn State officials participated in the cover up of Jerry Sandusky’s decade-long criminal child molesting. The authors point to toxic leadership as one element for such a horrendous occurrence. But they also note that the environment has to be conducive, and there have to be followers, both the colluders and the conformers.
Kirsch showed us that the FDA is a colluder, and its fails in the role of staying neutral, to act as a check and balance on behalf of the citizen. We see this more and more lately, and it is and should be disturbing to all social scientists.
What should be alarming is our society’s combined level of critical- thinking. If anti-depressants are a sham, or the model for them is a sham, what other models in health care might be fabricated by the medical-industrial complex and its groupthink colluders and conformers, including the FDA in this case?
When we come up with a new theory or discovery or new technology, do we need to ask, “Who profits?”
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. 3. Source pages: 15.
Dr. Susan Dardard, aka Susie Marie PhD, will star in a new reality television show set in rural Louisiana, called South River Stories®. The show airs this month on Cox Cable in Lafayette, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge, Tuesdays at 7:30 pm.
The show is about how “… Susie finds out firsthand what makes country living so exciting and so much fun.” The show is crafted for family entertainment against the backdrop of community, family, nature, and insightful living in rural Louisiana.
In the November episodes she finds herself unable to sleep because of some night noises and winds up going on “… adventures in the dark of the night and the middle of nowhere,” to find out what’s causing the ruckus.
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. 3. Source pages: 2.
[Editor’s Note: In the September Times, we published a story on psychology board member Dr. Jessica Brown and her new credential as medical psychologist. In our October issue, medical psychologist and past chair of the psychology board, Dr. Joe Comaty, expressed criticism of our article on Brown in a Letter to the Editor. Below, Dr. Roy Allen, also past chair of the psychology board, writes regarding Dr. Comaty’s October Letter.]
I think Dr. Comaty is being disingenuous when he questions why anyone should care if Dr. Brown is an MP (October, The Psychology Times). For the benefit of those who may sincerely be confused about the issue, I will break it down.
1) MPs have a history of being dishonest with non-MP psychologists.
I do not say this to be provocative, but merely to state a germane fact. As one example, I am sure Dr. Comaty recalls the LAMP meeting at which he and others agreed among themselves to deceive the non-MPs about the nature of the MP-enabling legislation (i.e., that it would place them under the Medical Board.) I was one of those deceived.
2) The MPs have made an organized effort to gain and maintain control of the LSBEP.
This is obvious from the success they have had at it, but it is not a speculation on my part. I have it from the lips of an MP who claims to have suggested the idea. The reader might ask, do they think non-MPs not as vigilant in their duty to protect the public? But of course that is not the point.
3) The point is, when issues have come before the board in which there might have been a conflict between the interests of the MPs, and the interests of psychologists in general and the Louisiana public, the MPs on the board have used their control to further their own interests.
For example, the bizarre and unique finding that persons who are not licensed by any psychology board should be allowed to supervise candidates for licensure in Louisiana, if they are MPs. (I certainly hope those candidates are honest with the boards of other states where they might try to get licensed!)
I have nothing against Dr. Brown. But I question where her loyalties lie, and how she will make decisions on the board. Dr. Comaty may think her MP status should be irrelevant to the non-MPs, but I assure you it is relevant to most of the MPs who voted for her. I believe the non-MP psychologists should have the same opportunity to protect their interests (and the interests of the Louisiana public) as the MPs.
If there are non-MP psychologists who are suspicious of the motives of the MPs, there are good reasons for 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. 3. Source pages: 15.
The Louisiana Group Psychotherapy Society will hold its 2013 Fall Conference tomorrow, November 2, 2013, at the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. The presenter will be Dr. Suzanne Jensen who will speak on “Finding Your Own Style as a Group Psychotherapist.” The institute will be held at Peabody Hall on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.
“Developing and finding one's own style is not a simple process or accidental event. Style is determined by biological givens, personality at adaptations, theoretical orientations, and personal and professional experiences,” said Jensen.
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. 3. Source pages: 4.
Major changes in the continuing education for licensed psychologists have finally been published as a final Rule in the October issue of the Louisiana Register, after three years of study and discussion.
According to the Rule“… each licensed psychologist is required to complete continuing education hours within biennial reporting periods. Continuing education is an ongoing process consisting of learning activities that increase professional development. Continuing professional development (CPD) activities: 1. are relevant to psychological practice, education and science; 2. enable psychologists to keep pace with emerging issues and technologies; and 3. allow psychologists to maintain, develop, and increase competencies in order to improve services to the public and enhance contributions to the profession.”
The changes to the continuing education rule tracked the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) recommendations. Changes include an increase of five credits each year, or from 30 to 40 over the two-year reporting period.The new rule also expands the types of training allowed, including peer consultation, outcome monitoring, and professional activities, publication, and traditional conferences, for example.
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. 3. Source pages: 15.
Tulane University will hold its “Brain & Behavior” conference on December 6- 7, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans. The topic is, “May You Live in Interesting Times: Welcome to New Orleans 2013.” The conference is presented by the Tulane University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and the Center for Continuing Education
Among other topics participants will have a chance to discuss health care reform benefits through the exchanges and review the key components of the Affordable Care Act, and its impact on doctors.
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. 3. Source pages: 4.
Dr. Michael Chafetz, New Orleans clinical and neuropsychologist, presented his research about malingering to United States Senator Tom Carper’s office, on October 30. The webinar was provided as a service in the public interest and was hosted by the Louisiana Psychological Association and their On-Line Academy.
Senator Carper is the US Senator from Delaware and is Deputy Whip. He is chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, and serves on the Finance Committee.
Chafetz reviewed his research spanning from 2007 to 2013 for the Senator, which shows that 42 to 45 percent of social security claimants for disability exhibit some degree, often a high degree, of false or exag- gerated symptoms.
In his presentation Chafetz noted that this is part of human nature and is an issue in private disability as well as in the public program.
He described for the Senator and staff some of the problems he sees with the current programs or policies, some which activity discourage validity testing. He spoke about how science can provide helpful tools and increase the prediction accuracy.
And, he looked at cost savings throughout the program from a new publication from he and Underhill, providing specific calculations for various mental listings.
In regard to the backlogs in SS Disability, he said that the Administrative Law Judges are not the driver of the problems, and must follow the administrative law as written. But they are not permitted to order tests of validity.
Chafetz has been at the center of a national discussion on the use of psychometric instruments to help psychologists make more accurate determinations about social security disability claims. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has rejected the use of these tests saying that they are not useful. More recently, the Office of Inspector General for the SSA found no support for the SSA’s position and asked them to reconsider the issue. (See PT, Vol 5, No 2, for review.)
Chafetz has also helped educate Senator Tom Coburn and staff regarding the science behind malingering. Coburn was recently interviewed on Sixty Minutes about malingering in social security disability.
Dr. Chafetz is a board certified neuropsychologist and serves on the board of the American Association of Clinical Neuropsychologists. He told the attendees of the October 30 webinar that SSA would need guidance in this area, in order to improve their approaches.
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. 3. Source pages: 15.
The LSUHSC Human Development Center will offer two half-day training sessions on December 2: “Critical Issues in Implementing Response to Intervention (RtI) in Schools,” and “Stay Out of I.D.E.A. Jail: Ensuring Your Evaluations are 1508 Compliant. Workshops will be held at the Mildred Osborne Charter School, in New Orleans.
Both workshops are particularly important for those in the mental health community who serve local schools, said Dr. Alan Coulter, Director of Education Innovations at the LSUHSC Human Development Center.
“The morning session will focus on the state-required use of response to intervention systems in schools as part of identification of disabilities,” Coulter said. “The afternoon session will feature a working session for professionals to ensure compliance of assessments of children for eligibility under Bulletin 1508 (IDEA) submitted to schools as part of an evaluation for special education.”
Coulter noted that he has begun to see more child assessments that are rejected by compliance reviewers, and that those in private practice need to be aware of Bulletin 1508 and other regulations.
Amanda VanDerHeyden, PhD, will present the morning workshop, “Critical Issues in Implementing Response to Intervention (RtI) in Schools.” She is a psychologist and researcher who has directed and evaluated numerous school-wide intervention and reform efforts, according to the program information.
VanDerHeyden will illustrate how RtI, when implemented effectively, can produce large returns for school systems. “\
VanDerHeyden’s work has been featured by the U.S. Department of Education on “Education News Parents Can Use” on PBS and The Learning Channel. Dr. VanDerHeyden serves as advisor to the National Center for Learning Disabilities and iSTEEP (a web- based data management system). She has consulted with several state departments of Education to guide and evaluate instruction and intervention effects and has given keynote addresses to state school psychology associations and state depart- ments of education in 21 states.
The afternoon workshop will feature a working session for professionals to ensure compliance of assessments of children for eligibility under Bulletin 1508 (IDEA) submitted to schools as part of an evaluation for special education.
“Stay Out of I.D.E.A. Jail: Ensuring Your Eval- uations are 1508 Compliant.” “DSM and other diagnostic systems commonly used outside of schools are largely irrelevant and can be misleading in determining eligibility for special education. Importantly, if an evaluation is not 1508- compliant, schools find the information useless in determining a need for special education services and may be cited for non- compliance by the Louisiana Department of Education.”
This workshop will provide a practical overview of the Bulletin 1508 require- ments, a tool for determining compliance, and guided activities in examining evaluations.
The TIERS group includes Alan Coulter, Ph.D.; Ms. Holly Paczak coordinates TIERS Group which
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. 3. Source pages: 6.
The Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists will hold a Long-Range Planning meeting on Friday, November 8, 2013.
According to the announcement, the meeting is open to the public. Topics will include School Specialists, telepsychology, Emeritus licenses, Texas Reciprocity Agreement and Provisional Licenses.
For more information contact Executive Director Ms. Kelly Parker.
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. 3. Source pages: 16.
Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board
On August 1, 2013, Louisiana Act 351 took effect to establish the Louisiana Behavior Analyst Practice Act and Behavior Analyst Board within the Department of Health and Hospitals which will be subject to the provisions of R.S. 36:803. Louisiana Act 351 mandates that individuals wishing to hold themselves out as Licensed Behavior Analysts, State Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts, or Registered Line Technicians must be licensed, certified, or registered through the Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board.
Effective October 8, 2013, emergency rules will be posted regarding the application process and fees. At this time, applicants can begin submitting the required application forms. This Act will be enforced beginning December 31, 2013. At minimum, applicants must submit the application form, official transcripts, BACB certification verification form, and fees no later December 31, 2013. These forms will be made available upon request to the Board office.
The following is a summary of the qualifications for licensure, certification and registration:
Licensed Behavior Analyst
Licensure shall be renewed annually beginning January 2015. The qualifications of an applicant for licensure as a Licensed Behavior Analyst shall include the following criteria:
· Completed and notarized application form · Payment of mandatory licensure fees · Proof of good moral character · Completion of a criminal background check as approved by the Board · Proof of passage of a nationally recognized examination · Completion of a LA jurisprudence examination as approved by the Board · Proof the applicant conducts activities in accordance with accepted ethical standards · Official transcripts – Master or Doctoral Level
State Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst
Certification shall be renewed annually beginning January 2015. State Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts cannot work independently. All certified assistants must be supervised by a Louisiana Licensed Behavior Analyst. The qualifications of an applicant for certification as a State Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst should include the following criteria:
· Completed and notarized application form · Payment of mandatory licensure fees · Proof of good moral character · Completion of a criminal background check as approved by the Board · Proof of passage of a nationally recognized examination · Completion of a LA jurisprudence examination as approved by the Board · Proof the applicant conducts activities in accordance with accepted ethical standards · Board approved supervision form · Official transcripts – Bachelors Degree
Registered Line Technician
Registration shall be renewed annually beginning January 2015. A Registered Line Technician cannot work independently. All Registered Line Techs must be supervised by a Louisiana Licensed Behavior Analyst. The qualifications of an application for registration as a Registered Line Technician shall include the following criteria:
· Board approved supervision form · Completion of a criminal background check as approved by the Board
For more information about this notice, please contact the Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board at baboard@la.gov. As of October 1, 2013, our office will be located at 8706 Jefferson Highway, Suite 8B, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.
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. 3. Source pages: 6.
Self-nominations can be made until November 7, 2013, for an election to fill a position on the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. This according to a request for nominations announcement sent October 3 to licensed psychologists.
To qualify to serve on the board, psychologists must be a US citizen and Louisiana resident, and have rendered “service, teaching, training, or research in psychology for at least five years,” noted the announcement from Dr. Bryan Gros. Gros is the Elections Committee chair for the Louisiana Psychological Association, who conducts the election for names to be submitted to the governor for appointments.
Self-nominations forms must be returned and post-marked by the extended deadline of November 7, 2013, according to the announcement. Interested persons can contact Dr. Gros for additional information at the Louisiana Psychological Association.
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. 2. Source pages: 13.
The Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association will hold the inaugural Gulf Coast Applied Behavior Analysis Conference, October 18 and 19, 2013, in Baton Rouge. The Conference will be held at the Cook Hotel on the Louisiana State University campus, Baton Rouge.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. R. Douglas Greer from the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Teachers College. Dr. Greer is the coordinator of the programs in applied behavior analysis at Teachers College. He has authored 13 books and 155 research and conceptual papers, served on the editorial board of 10 journals, and developed the CABAS® school model for special education and Accelerated Independent Model for general education. He has received the Am Psychological Association’s Fred S. Keller Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education.
For more information or to register, go to the LaBAA web site.
Members of the behavior analysis community during the debates about regulatory issues, earlier this year. (L to R) Renee Guidry, BCBA, Cassie Bradford, BCBA, Janice Huber, BCBA, and Dolleen Day-Keohane, PhD, BCBA-D. Ms. Huber, BCBA, is Secretary for LaBAA, the Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association. LaBAA is holding the inaugural Gulf Coast Applied Behavior Analysis Conference this month.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.