Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 10.
In a two-hour online presentation hosted by the Louisiana Psychological Association on July 28, 2012, neuropsychologist Dr. John Fanning reviewed the changes in diagnostic framework for cognitive disorders in the DSM-V. He outlined new research about how Alzheimer’s disease progresses and the recent research on efforts to slow the disease.
Dr. John Fanning currently holds Clinical and Clinical Neuropsychology specialties and contributes to the world- class treatment team at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. There he assists patients in brain injury rehabilitation. For the last decade he has helped patients with dementia assessment, neuropsychological testing, and outpatient therapy. He also provides group therapy in the spinal cord injury program at Touro.
Dr. Fanning currently serves as President-Elect for the Louisiana Psychological Association, chair for Continuing Education, and previously as Director. He has served as president of the New Orleans Neuropsychological Society and as a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology since 1989.
Dr. John Fanning at the LPA Fall Conference last year. He recently presented new research about the diagnosis of dementia in an online webinar for the state psychology assn.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 6.
Some healthcare professionals will have to make clear to patients that they are not physicians, starting today.
According to the legislative digest for Act 772, the new law “provides that no healthcare provider, while providing direct patient care, shall present himself, whether orally or in writing, to a patient using the title of ‘Doctor’ or the abbreviation of ‘Dr.’ as a prefix to his name without using a sufficient suffix to denote either the type of professional license held by the healthcare provider or the degree to which he is entitled by reason of his diploma of graduation from a school or other entity, professional or otherwise.”
New law defines "healthcare provider" as a “person, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation licensed or certified in this state to provide healthcare or professional services as a registered or licensed practical nurse, certified registered nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, licensed midwife, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, certified athletic trainer, or physician assistant.”
The law provides an exception in that it does not apply to physicians as defined by Medicare “pursuant to 42 USC 1395x(r).”
The US codes for “(r) Physician,” indicates that the term “physician” means a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, a doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine, a doctor of podiatric medicine, and under some conditions a doctor of optometry, a chiropractor.
While this law seems not to apply to psychologists and other PhDs or PsyDs, or EdDs, it is not clear how it might be applied in a given situation.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 10.
Nicholls State University officials say they will be making necessary cuts to personnel and services, noted a report from the Houma Courier/Daily Comet on July 21, 2012.
According to the report, by Matthew Albright, Nicholls President Stephen Hulbert said, “This is a very challenging and frustrating time for our campus.”
The university is dealing with a $5.3 million shortfall even though they are increasing tuition by as much as $1,000 per student.
Hulbert told the Courier/Daily Comet that the university will be doing everything they can to maintain courses and majors, and fulfill its academic mission. For article go to http://www.houmatoday.com
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 6.
Records Access Issue (added item):
Ms. Parker presented information to the Board regarding allegations involving a psychologist denying patient file access to former co-workers, also psychologists. The Board discussed the matter and considered it to be an immediate patient care issue. The Board directed Ms. Parker to contact the psychologist and advise him that he needed to release all active care patient records immediately for the best possible care of the clients.
AB v. TT:
Ms. Parker presented the email she received inquiring about a “biopsychologist” in Louisiana. The Board reviewed information about the Respondent, and opined that she was in violation of the practice act since she was not a Louisiana licensed psychologist. The Board directed Ms. Parker to prepare a cease and desist letter for the Chair’s signature and approval.
Legislative Coordinator:
Ms. Parker announced that Dr. Zimmermann had been confirmed during the 2012 legislative session.
The Board carefully reviewed and discussed SR159. Ms. Parker informed the Board about important changes to the open meeting laws that occurred during legislative session. Ms. Parker informed the Board that all meeting notices must be posted on the website and on the door of the office. She also reported that no new matters could be added to the agenda the day of the meeting. Ms. Parker also noted that the agendas must provide the date, time, location and each agenda item must be described with reasonable specificity, and read aloud by the Chair, before taking any action on the item.
Ms. Parker presented the board a draft request of an Attorney General’s opinion regarding the practice of applied behavior analysis. The Board carefully reviewed and discussed the draft. The Board voted unanimously to finalize the document and submit to the Attorney General’s office for consideration.
Long Range Planning Meeting:
Dr. Matthews suggested that the Board pick certain times of the year to have 2-day meetings, so that items normally added on the LRP agenda may be handled quicker, and that the members may have more time to meet in committees and work on assigned projects. The motion was accepted unanimously, and it was agreed that the dates would be addressed at the July meeting.
Ad hoc Committee: Real Estate:
The Board reviewed a set of properties provided by the realtor. Upon review, the Board agreed that an office space of at least 1400 sq. ft. would be preferable. Dr. Zimmermann suggested obtaining floor plans of the properties. Ms. Parker agreed to notify the realtor of the specifications and additional information needed.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 10.
Psychology Gumbo by Julie Nelson
Psychological science shows us just what a piece of work we can sometimes be. Below I’ve summarized a little bit of this and a little of that from the science of human behavior, and asked a few of our Louisiana experts to comment. From CEOs to the chills, they provide just the right seasoning to these recent research findings.
• “A Face Only an Investor Could Love: CEOs’ Facial Structure Predicts Their Firms’ Financial Performance,” – Psychological Science, October, 2011.
Researchers Wong and colleagues found that firms whose male CEOs had wider faces (relative to facial height) performed better financially. But this effect worked mostly with cognitively simple leadership teams.
COMMENT: Dr. Mkay Bonner, Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, Monroe:
“Frequently researchers are interested in the relationship of physical characteristics to success in the workplace. Over 10 years ago some research indicated that with identical resumes, the taller man would be hired over 70% of the time. And, one study found that overweight men earned more than underweight men.
“This article follows that tradition. These researchers documented that male CEOs with wider faces had firms that performed better financially. This was especially true for firms with less cognitive complexity in their top management teams (i.e. less flexibility or degrees of differentiation). According to their discussion, males with wider faces and less complex decision-making teams performed better financially but may likely be aggressive and untrustworthy in interpersonal relationships. So, people may want to give them their money but not their daughters.”
• “Personalized Persuasion: Tailoring Persuasive Appeals to Recipients’ Personality Traits,” – Psychological Science, April, 2012.
Researchers Jacob Hirsh and colleagues, created five advertisements, one for each of the styles for the Big Five personality factors (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). The researchers found people rated ads matching their own style more positively.
COMMENT: Dr. Susan Dardard, Media Psychologist:
“Mothers know to adjust their ‘motivational messages,’ to gain cooperation according to their children’s personalities. Now psychological science has drawn a connection between individual personality types and consumer responsiveness.
The best moms also know the one overriding message that will reach and activate all their children at one time. Will psychology research help advertisers do the same with their audiences?
Here’s a hint. For wide appeal, find the right music.”
• “Negotiation Topic as a Moderator of Gender Differences in Negotiation.” -Psychological Science, July, 2012
Julia B. Bear and Linda Babcock looked at negotiation success and gender. They found support for a hypothesis that difference performance in women’s negotiation depends on the nature of the topic. In their study, men outperformed women in the “masculine” version of the negotiation but they found no gender differences in the “feminine” version.
COMMENT: Dr. Laurie O'Brien, Associate Professor Department of Psychology, Tulane, research interests include perceptions of prejudice and discrimination:
“It's an interesting and well-conducted study. It raises some important questions about an often cited finding in the field–that women perform more poorly at negotiation tasks than men. This study calls into question whether the previously reported gender difference may be due in part to a bias among researchers in selecting masculine negotiation tasks for their studies. While Bear and Babcock study is very interesting, it will be important to see if other researchers replicate it. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see whether future researchers can identify feminine negotiation tasks at which women might even outperform men.”
• “You Give Me The Chills: Embodied Reactions to Inappropriate Amounts of Behavioral Mimicry,” –Psychological Science, May 2012.
In this study, authors N. Pontus Leander and colleagues found that when a person in a social interaction exhibited behavioral mimicry that did not match the implicit standards or expectations of the recipient, then the person observing the inappropriate mimicry could experience physical coldness. Felt coldness was moderated by individual differences.
COMMENT: Dr. Dan Lonowski, Forensic and Clinical Psychologist, and author:
“The next time you meet an individual who presents as too friendly, pay close attention to that chill that shudders through you. Your response to unexpected or inappropriate familiarity may be the warning that keeps you safe.”
Dan is about halfway through writing his second thriller with working title Deadly Eyes. It is a psychological study of a voyeur who escalates and his compulsion drives him to become a serial killer. Follow his progress and read excerpts from his first book, the psychological thriller, Chameleon at http://dandylan.com
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 7.
In January this year the Louisiana Psychological Association hosted a webinar in which New Orleans clinical and neuropsychologist Dr. Michael Chafetz presented results from a series of research studies he conducted. He highlighted statistical methods that could improve psych- ologists’ accuracy in assessing mental disorders in social security evaluations. He presented findings regarding malingering by claimants on exams.
Mental disorders constitute 60.5 percent of all diagnoses in social security disability recipients, according to the Social Security Administration Annual Report, December 2010. In Louisiana, mental disorders account for 56.2 percent of disability claims.
Psychologists, who are trained in psychometric and statistical methods, are typically hired by social security and also the court system, to help make accurate determinations.
Prior to the LPA webinar, Ms. Terri Spurgeon, Executive Director of the Louisiana Disability Determination Services, sent a memo dated January 11, 2012, to Consultative Examination Providers cautioning them about the presentation.
Ms. Spurgeon noted that the seminar was not “reviewed” or “sanctioned” by the Social Security Administration, and had not been checked for “compliance with SSA and DDS policy, rules, and regulations on evaluating mental impairments for Social Security Disability.”
In the memo, dated January 11, 2012, she advised consultative providers to “continue to adhere to all guidance and instructions you have received directly from DDS professional relations officers […] and psychological consultants.”
The Times attempted to contact Ms. Spurgeon for comment, and to ask her to explain the intent of her memo, in January and February. No one responded or returned calls.
The Times tried again in May and talked with Mr. Danny Johnson, who was polite, courteous, and said he did not want to “overstep” and needed to find out more about the issue. He said, “We will respond to you as soon as possible.” But no return communication was received.
Last week the Times talked with Mr. Joseph Ferguson in public affairs, Baton Rouge. Mr. Ferguson was also courteous, and said he would get back in touch but it may require some time.
According to Kaiser State Health Facts website, Louisiana ranks 11th on percent of its population on social security disability, at 5.9 percent of the population. Among all states, Louisiana is the second highest in the category of “Intellectual Disability,” with 44.3 percent of its total mental health disability recipients falling in this category.
Dr. Mike Chafetz is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology, a reviewer for Applied Neuropsychology, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, and on the Board of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology. He was named Distinguished Psychologist by LPA for 2012-2013 and presented his research on this topic at the American Psychological Association as an invited speaker, in 2011.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 11.
Dr. Rita Culross, LSU College of Education professor and licensed psychologist, spoke at the Oxford Roundtable at Harris Manchester College in the University of Oxford in Oxford, England in July 22-26, 2012.
Dr. Culross presented her paper, “Talent Development and Talent Enhancement of the Olympic Athlete.” The event was just prior to the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
Dr. Culross discussed talent development of Olympic athletes from the psychological perspective, according to the LSU news service article. She also related her work and understanding of athletes to the work of psychologist Jane Piirto. Piirto conducts research with top athletes.
In the LSU news report by Billy Gomila, Culross said, “A lot of people think, ‘Well they just have a talent. They’re just super-talented in a particular area,’ but it’s a lot more than that in terms of what it takes to become an Olympic athlete.”
Also according to the article, Dr. Culross discussed the core psychological components for the athletes. Culross is an expert in issues for gifted and talented individuals.
According to LSU news, Oxford Roundtable promotes art, science, education, and is a non-profit educational and charitable organization, according to the report. “The Oxford Roundtable seeks to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of contemporary issues that affect the public good in all its various forms and ramifications.”
Culross explained that part of her position at LSU Education is to teach a development course about gifted people, including the social and psychological aspects, and she is very interested in the characteristics of athletes.
Dr. Rita Culross is the Jo Ellen Levy Yates Endowed Professor of Gifted Education in the Department of Educational Theory, Policy & Practice at LSU. She teaches courses in creative behavior, the gifted, and in women’s and gender studies, She is a licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist.
She has served as the chair of the American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group on Giftedness and Talent, as a member of the American Psychological Association Continuing Education Committee, and currently serves on the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
For the LSU article go to http://www.lsu.edu/ur/ocur/lsunews/ MediaCenter/News/2012/06/item48 995.html
Psychologist and LSU Professor, Dr. Rita Culross, spoke as an invited participant in a London roundtable on the psychology of elite athletes. The event was just prior to the 2012 Olympics.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 7.
The Medical Psychology Advisory Committee met on Friday, July 27, 2012. The meeting was scheduled for 10:00 am at offices of the Neuromedical Center, on Park Rowe Avenue in Baton Rouge, according to information provided to the Times by Dr. Robert Marier.
The committee was to review legislation passed at the recent session. According to agenda from Dr. Robert Marier, the group discussed Acts 431, 461, 489, 636, and SR 159. The committee also was to review certificates of advanced practice and new business.
Act 432, the allied practitioner health program, is a program under medicine for dealing with impaired professionals. Act 489 is the measure to qualify psychologists to file an emergency commitment for children.
The committee also was due to discuss Act 461 regarding meeting agendas and Senate Resolution 159 that is the behavior analyst study commission, of which Dr. Marier is a participant.
Members of the current committee are Drs. James Quillin (Chair), Glenn Ally (Secretary- Treasurer), Warren Lowe, John Bolter, Dr. James Blackburn, and Dr. Marier.
The Medical Psychology Advisory Committee met on Friday, July 27. Above, Dr. Robert Marier (L), ex officio member, and Dr. Glenn Ally discuss matters at a previous meeting. The Committee advises the state medical board on matters regarding the regulation and standards for the practice of medical psychology.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 11.
Pennington invites people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in their research studies in nutrition, activity, diabetes prevention, weight loss, women’s health, aging and others. Interested individuals can be screened by phone or sometimes online. For more information go to: http://www.pbrc.edu/clinical-trials/
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 7.
In June Governor Jindal announced appointments to the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners.
Appointments to the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners are: Kathy Lammert, of Metairie, who is a Military Program Coordinator and lead therapist for Dual Diagnosis Inpatient Program for River Oaks Hospital. Lammert will be appointed to serve as a licensed professional counselor, as required by statute.
Dustin Dowling, of Baton Rouge, is the Chief Administrative Officer of Peters Wealth Advisors. Dowling will be reappointed to serve as an individual from the public at-large, as required by statute.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 11.
Under the direction of Professor Emerita and Dean Dr. Laura Lindsay, LSU has combined the School of Education, the School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Library and Information Science, the School of Social Work and the University Laboratory School. As of July the collective group is the College of Human Sciences and Education.
Dean Lindsay noted on the website, “Over the last decade, the University has engaged in conversations about the need to realign academic programs that focus on education and human services. By bringing together programs and capitalizing on their individual strengths, we have created a dynamic new college that addresses the socially significant problems we face as a state and a nation.”
“In this new configuration, they are increasing their impact by forging partnerships and sharing resources that enrich and empower their ability to provide our students with an extraordinary education and opportunities to impact the lives of our citizens,” wrote Lindsay.
The new College of Human Sciences & Education will offer 7 undergraduate degree programs and 18 graduate programs, enrolling more than 1,600 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 7.
According to the press release in June, the “purpose of the Governor’s Advisory Board of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is to use training, experience, or special knowledge concerning the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency, the administration of juvenile justice, or the reduction of a juvenile delinquency.
Governor Jindal reappointed David Burton, of DeRidder, the District Attorney for Beauregard Parish.
Debra Deprato, of Baton Rouge, who is the Project Director for the MacArthur Foundation’s Louisiana Models for Change initiative, a research, education and outreach initiative for youth in the justice system, was also reappointed. Departo will be reappointed to serve as a representative of public agencies concerned with delinquency prevention or treatment, as required by statute.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 11.
In this month’s issue of The Clinical Practitioner, the publication for members of the National Alliance of Professional Psychological Providers (NAPPP), author John Caccavale, PhD, notes that as many as 100,000 people die each year as a result of prescribing errors by physicians. He adds that medication disproportionately contributes to harm. Also in the issue, editors rerun Dr. Joseph Mercola’s column on natural health products, pointing to Mercola’s summary of the dangers of psychotropics. Mercola is a D.O. and his long-running blog/website is a popular health consumer site, often pointing to problems with traditional medicine’s approach.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 11. Source pages: 6.
Legislative Coordinator: Dr. Courtney and Ms. Parker brought the Board up to date on all legislative matters. The Board discussed Senator Morrell’s resolution. The Board also carefully reviewed and discussed the legal advice issued by Lloyd Lunceford, Esquire, regarding the practice of behavior analysis. The Board agreed to request an attorney general opinion regarding the practice of behavior analysis.
Liaison to Professional Organizations and Boards: The Board discussed following the recommendation of ASPPB and changing the rules to only accept APA accredited doctoral programs and/or APA accredited internships. The Board also agreed that if this change is made, there would be a grandfathering phase of approximately 2-3 years.
Long Range Planning Meeting: Dr. Matthews moved to create a rule change to incorporate the criminal child abuse statutes which require psychologists be mandatory reporters in Title 46. Dr. Matthews moved that this matter be added to the Long Range Planning agenda. The motion was unanimously approved. .
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 11. Source pages: 15.
Professional Training Resources will host the 10th Annual Mental Health Summer Symposium on July 25 to 27, 2010, in Lafayette at the West Pinhook Road Hilton.
This year the training includes “Hoarding” by John Simoneaux, PhD and “Intellectual Disability: Aspects of the Law that Every Mental Health Professional Should Know,” by Mike Chafetz, PhD, ABPP.
Luke Elliott, PhD will present “ADHD Across the Lifespan,” and John Strain, LPC, will present, “Calming the Storm: Crisis Intervention from Theory to Practice.” Attorney William “Chuck” Credo, will provide a workshop on, “Louisiana Mental Health Law: Insanity and Incompetence.” And John Simoneaux will provide the seminar, “Ethics and Boundary Violations.”
More information at http://professionaltrainingresourcesinc.com
Dr. John Simoneaux (center) with son Steven (left) and son Byron (right) are frequent musical contributors to “Summer Symposium,” a three-day conference presented by PTR, Dr. Simoneaux’s Training firm.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.