Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 6.

Members of the Licensed Professional Counselors Board continued to discuss revisions to rules for Act 320 at their November and December meetings in 2011, according to minutes published last month.

Act 320 is the legislation passed in 2011 that clarified and expanded the scope of practice for counselors, and that required counselors to establish collaboration and consultation with someone licensed under the state medical board when treating individuals with “serious mental illness.”

The board members also discussed a list of rule revisions, called a “wish list,” that is being developed by the subcommittee on rules, according to the minutes.

At the November LPC board meeting, Cindy Nardina asked the Rules Committee “to consider further defining the list of serious mental illness in the rules, specifically defining the level of severity required for each type of illness to be considered serious.” Also discussed at the November meeting were issues about specifying additional courses for counselor interns. M. Reynaud suggested a redefinition of the Abnormal Psychology course, but discussion suggested that it these changes could require a change in the law.

At their December 16, 2011 meeting the LPC board continued to discuss changes to the rules for Act 320. One member noted that she hoped that sufficient changes could be made through rules so that the Counselors’ Association would not have to change act 320. Mentioned in the minutes were concerns that the restriction to the Louisiana Medical board should be any state medical board.

The LPC board passed Emergency Rules in July 2011, because the Act 320 took effect when signed by the governor. This placed new responsibilities on some counselors who were then required to arrange collaboration and consultation with someone licensed under the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, either psychiatrists, medical psychologists, or physicians.

The Emergency Rules are published in the July 2011 issue of the Louisiana Register.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 6.

In his address to licensees in the recent LSBEP Newsletter former Chair Dr. Joseph Comaty, MP, wrote, “I leave with great satisfaction and also some degree of regret. It is a tremendous honor and tremendous responsibility to serve our profession and the public.”

He noted, “…it did not seem long enough to accomplish all the goals I had set for myself and the Board.” He noted the challenge of learning all the procedures and rules and laws, and also the challenge of fulfilling the responsibility to protect the public. He commented that he was thankful for the support of his colleagues on the board, the Executive Director and assistant, and the board’s legal counsel.

He also noted that he has served during significant challenges, such as managing the shift of medical psychologists to the medical board, and attempting to prevent expansion of scope of practice of LPCs under SCR 100, and also SB 268.

His complete address is available on the LSBEP website.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 10.

Long-time LSU professor and head of the developmental psychology graduate program at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Dr. Nathan W. Gottfried, died January 16, 2012, at the age of 83.

Dr. Gottfried was a retired professor emeritus and a licensed psychologist under the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. He was known to many in the community as a kind, thoughtful, and effective educator, researcher, and colleague.

A memorial service will be held today, Wednesday, February 1, from 2–4 p.m. at the LSU Faculty Club on the LSU Baton Rouge campus.

Dr. Nat Gottfried received his doctorate in psychology from Columbia University in Ohio, and spent the majority of his career at LSU Baton Rouge where he influenced the training and careers of thousands of undergraduate and graduate psychology students. He was the head of the LSU Developmental Psychology Graduate Program and also later the Director of the LSU Psychological Service Center.

With colleague Dr. Bill Seay, Dr. Gottfried authored The Development of Behavior: A Synthesis of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, published by Houghton Mifflin, 1978.

Nat developed and administered the first LSU faculty teaching evaluation. He also developed an observational test, “An observational technique for pre- school children,” along with Bill Seay, in 1970, published by Educational Testing Service.

He was a disaster research consultant and helped evaluate the human impact of environmental disasters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico. With Drs. Larry Siegel and Rosemary Hays-Thomas (formerly Lowe), Dr. Gottfried worked on a the 1982 Illinois Central Gulf freight train derailment near Livingston and the aftereffects of fires, explosions and chemical spills on those living in the surrounding community. He and his colleagues examined the event and the impact of stress on those involved, published in “Emotional Distress 18 Months After a Train Derailment and Chemical Spill,” in Advances in Personality Assessment, Volume 7, 1988.

He was instrumental in the “MinneMath Program” and developed tests for evaluating math teaching and teaching effectiveness.

Dr. Gottfried authored and coauthored over 40 research articles, including “Attachment Relationships in Infant Twins: The Effect of Co-twin Presence During Separation From Mother, with Bill Seay and Erin Leake, in the Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1994.

With Audrey Sistler, professor at Southern U., Nat published and presented “Shared Child Development Knowledge Between Grandmother and Mother,” at the 95th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

He coauthored, “The social distance of the exceptional: A study at the high school level,” with Reginald Jones and Angela Owens, in Exceptional Children, 1966, and also “Psychological needs and preferences for teaching exceptional children.” with Reginald Jones, in Exceptional Children, 1966. With J. Horrocks he published, “Psychological needs and verbally expressed aggression of adolescent delinquent boys,” in Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 1966.

He served his country in the United States Marines.

Dr. Gottfried is survived by his wife, Gretchen Wilson Gottfried; two daughters, Deborah Hays and Judith Kingman; his sister, Gloria Leberman, from Conneticut; his brother, Sidney Gottfried, Mill Valley, California; and five grandchildren. He is also survived by his stepchildren, Charles Wilson, Charlotte Asher, Dwight Wilson, Duane Wilson and Greer Cowart.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 13.

Adrenal fatigue (stress-induced subclinical adrenal insufficiency) may be an overlooked contributor to mood disorders. Patients may be suffering with adrenal fatigue if they complain of: fatigue, insomnia, poor blood glucose regulation, shakiness between meals, irritability, headache, cravings for sweet or salty foods, reliance on caffeine to get through the day, inability to cope with stress, and weight gain (especially around the middle). The adrenal glands determine the output of important hormones such as cortisol, and catecholamines such as norepinephrine, and epinephrine, responsible for the “fight or flight” response.

With chronic, high stress, patients can deplete their adrenal reserves, decrease their cortisol output, and suffer with the symptoms described above. Adrenal exhaustion is a common finding in our fast-paced, driven American culture, particularly in patients who seem to “run themselves ragged,” or “are always stressed.” A patient’s cortisol levels throughout the day can be measured using a salivary test.

When adrenal fatigue is detected, many clinicians give nutritional supplements to raise cortisol levels. Adequate rest and measures to balance blood sugar are also recommended to improve adrenal function and restore the patient’s stress response and blood sugar regulation. When adrenal function is improved, patients report increased energy levels, better sleep-wake cycles, improved mood, and higher endurance, even with high stress situations. Assessing adrenal function with a simple saliva test may be a useful adjunctive tool in the diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 15.

Dr. John Pickering told the Times that he and Thay Dao Quang, Abbot of the Baton Rouge Vietnamese Buddhist temple, are planning a day-long “Mindfulness Day for Mental health Professionals” at the Tam Bao Meditation Hall in Baton Rouge. Dr. Pickering noted that this will happen most likely some time in March.

Thay is a zen-trained Buddhist monk with 20 years meditation experience and also has a masters in community counseling. Dr. Pickering has been practicing zen mediation for nearly 40 years. More details will be available in the next issue.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 15.

SEPA – APS STUDENT CAUCUS. Ms. Margaret Hindman is the LSU representative for the Association for Psychological Science Student Caucus. Margaret will be chairing the Caucus meeting at SEPA this month. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 16 from 9:30 to 10:20 am in the Napoleon A1 room at the Sheraton. Above Margaret (facing camera) and friend exhibit at APS in Washington. (Photo courtesy of Ms. Hindman.)

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 1.

The community has been stunned by three losses: Dr. Mary Ann Goodwyn, Dr. Nathan Gottfried, age 83 (see page 10), and Dr. Lisa Jo Pate, age 44.

Dr. Pate died of cancer on January 24. She was an LSU graduate who served on Tulane University’s Medical School faculty from 2001 to 2004. She was living in Maryland with her husband and two young sons, and working at Harvard University’s OCD Institute. Dr. Pate was the daughter of former LSU coach Skip Bertman and Mrs. Bertman. A memorial article will follow in our next issue.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 16.

On February 13, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., LPA will host Dr. Carolyn Weyand’s, “Using Dreams in Psychotherapy.” Dr. Weyand notes that sharing dreams expresses patients' trust in their therapists and their desire to know themselves more deeply. Contemporary psychotherapy dream work melds empirical data with a century plus of clinical experience and will explore this data in the two-hour workshop.

Dr. Weyand is a psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice, faculty member of the New Orleans Birmingham Psychoanalytic Center, and also on the faculty of the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance, teaching psychotherapy to mental health professionals in China.

LPA will host “An Experiential Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,” presented by Dr. Emily Sandoz on Feb 16, from 9 to 11 am, online.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is based on emerging clinical science that demonstrates the broad utility of mindfulness and values in psychological wellbeing. ACT is part of a growing group of psycho- therapeutic approaches that represent a shift in focus from diminishing distress to building psychological skills in the presence of distress.

Dr. Sandoz is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the director of the Louisiana Contextual Psychology Research Group. She is the co-author of three books, five chapters and three articles on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and has provided 28 workshops on mindfulness and values-based interventions in 6 countries.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 1, 3.

Executive Director of Louisiana Disability Determination Services (DDS), Ms. Terri Spurgeon, sent a message to consultative examination providers cautioning them about a presentation hosted by the Louisiana Psychological Association. The seminar was presented by Dr. Michael Chafetz who gave information about statistical predictions and validity for Social Security evaluations, generally performed by psychologists.

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, 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 tried to speak with Ms. Spurgeon but was unsuccessful in reaching her for comment.

The two-hour, online seminar that prompted the DDS January 11 memo was titled “Current Issues in Social Security Disability Evaluations.” The presentation included statistical methods and published research concerning malingering on social security examinations, data about false positives, and validity for these evaluations.

Dr. Michael Chafetz, a board certified clinical and neuropsychologist from New Orleans has published a number of research articles on this subject. He also presented this topic recently as an invited speaker at the American Psychological Association convention in 2011.

In one of his studies of comparison groups he and coauthors found that low- functioning individuals have clear differences, depending if they are motivated to do well or to do poorly. He discovered this in a comparison between those seeking benefits, to those seeking a job, to those seeking to regain custody of their children.

He also has found that up to 42 to 46 percent of disability claimants score as probable malingering and that with empirical data, psychologists can produce a more accurate prediction both of those who are truly disabled and also of those who are not disabled. In the January seminar, he calculated that savings for accurate predictions could total $180 billion.

His research, a set of publications beginning in 2006 includes, “Malingering on the Social Security Disability Consultative Exam: A New Rating Scale,” in Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, a 2008 article in The Clinical Neuro- psychologist, “Malingering o the Social Security Disability Consultative Exam: Predictors and Base Rates,” and a 2011 article in Applied Neuro- psychology, “A Case of Malingering by Proxy in a Social Security Disability Psychological Consultative Examination.”

In a 2010 paper examining SSA policies, “Symptom validity issues in the psychological consultative examination for social security disability” (The Clinical Neuropsychologist), Chafetz pointed to policies in SSA that promote a high rate of false positives for disabling illnesses. And, he pointed to ethical issues when the psychologist is asked to do less that his or her best to make sure of findings are valid. Chafetz concluded that SSA should consider revising policies so that psychologists can better identify those truly disabled.

According to Dr. Chafetz, in 2008 the Board of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) provided a 90-minute conference call for Social Security Administration leaders to discuss validity issues in the psychological exam. During this call, the AACN Board members provided SSA leaders with relevant information and invited the leaders to outline their criticisms. However, the SSA leaders did not follow up on that offer.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Disability Insurance program is not financially sustainable and funds will be exhausted by 2018.

Dr. Mike Chafetz is a New Orleans neuropsychologist, 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.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 16.

The 2012 Southwestern Psychological Convention will be held April 12 to 14, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The theme for this year’s convention is “Trauma & Resilience.”

Invited speakers include James Pennebaker, Ann Masten, Robert Sternberg, and Daniel Schacter from Harvard.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 1, 14, 15.

The Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) will hold its annual convention in New Orleans February 15 to 18, 2012, at the Sheraton on Canal Street. Dr. Roy Baumeister, from Florida State University will present "The Why, What, and How of Human Consciousness."

Dr. Susan Thorson-Barnett, Chair of Psychology at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, will present “Microskills.” She will look at “I'm hearing what you are saying, but what are you saying?”

Professors from Louisiana Tech will present a Panel Discussion, “Considerations in Research Involving Human Participants in Multiple Settings,” with Mary Livingston, Alice Carter, Louisiana Tech University; Thomas Mitchell, University of Baltimore Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences; Jerome Tobacyk, Louisiana Tech University; and Angela Kennedy, Department of Health Information Management, Louisiana Tech University.

The Southeastern Industrial and Organizational Psychological Association (SEIOPA) will have five speakers as part of an Industrial-Organizational Psychology interest group. The speakers are industrial- organizational psychologists working in industry and academia in Louisiana. Presenters will be Brett Richard, Performyx Christy Corey, University of New Orleans Charles Handler, Rocket-Hire Le Lai, Tulane University, and Courtland Chaney, Louisiana State University, retired.

Dr. Rosemary Hays-Thomas, Professor at University of West Florida, and who received her IO specialization from LSU, and who is not at U. of W. Florida, will present “Managing Diversity in Organizations.”

Sudents will present a number of posters, including “Risk Factors of Vicarious Traumatization in Psychology Graduate Students,” by W. Michael Nelson, Colleen Furey, and Anna Ghee, from Xavier University, which is a nominee for Outstanding Professional Paper Award.

“Viewing Television Storm Coverage of Hurricane Gustav and Youth Post Traumatic Stress Reactions: The Role of Pre Disaster Symptoms,” will be presented by Rebecca Graham, Donice Banks, Brandon Scott, and Carl Weems, University of New Orleans.

“Dyadic Meta-Accuracy in Leader-Member Exchanges: Antecedents and Relational Outcomes,” will be presented by Jared Ledoux and Tracey Rissuto, Louisiana State University.

And also “Five Factor Traits, Work Locus of Control, and GPA,” by Rami LeBlanc, University of Lafayette and “Face-to-Face vs. Virtual Dyads: Teamwork in American and Asian Cultures,” is included by Rami LeBlanc, University of Lafayette.

“Exposure to Negative Social Reactions Reduces Support for Rape Victims,” will be presented by Amy Brown, and Samantha Marks, University of Louisiana-Lafayette

“Paranormal Beliefs of Latvian and American University Students,” will be by Arturs Utinans, Gunta Ancane, Riga Stradins University ; Jerome Tobacyk, Mary Livingston, and Julia Tobacyk, from Louisiana Tech University.

W. Michael Nelson and John Forrette, from Xavier University will present “Community Service: Survey of Senior Undergraduate Psychology and Marketing Majors.”

“Chinese Girls who were Adopted: Affective Response to Adoption Language,” is a poster presentation by Christine Dacey, Julia Jacobs, and Michael Gaskell, from Xavier University.

Mind Your Brain: College Student’s Knowledge of Neuroscience. Ruth Williams Morris, Southern University.

“Sex Differences in Relationship Regret: Role of Perceived Mate Characteristics,” by Susan Coats, Southeastern Louisiana University, Jamie Harrington, Baylor University, Monica Beobeouf, and Hannah Locke, Southeastern Louisiana University is included.

“Age and Time Constraints Affect Decisions Concerning Nonwage Employee Benefits,” by Kacie Fayard and Kim Ernst, from Loyola University New Orleans, will be presented.

For additional information go to http://www.sepaonline.com.

Dr. Susan Thorson-Barnett, NSU Psychology Dept Head will be presenting several times at SEPA this month. Photo courtesy NSU News

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 16.

The Louisiana Psychological Association will host Dr. Michele Larzelere’s “Role of the Primary Care Psychologist,” Webinar on February 8, from 10 to 11 am. This webinar will explore the benefits of integrating mental and physical health care, for both patients and providers. Dr. Larzelere will discuss the many roles of the primary care psychologist and the specialized skills and attitudes needed to function optimally in this setting.

Dr. Larzelere is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Family Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. She has been a core faculty member in the LSU Family Medicine Residency since 1998, teaches medical students and family medicine residents, and maintains a part-time practice located in the LSU Family Practice Clinic at Ochsner Kenner Regional Medical Center (OKRMC).

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 1, 4.

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Secretary Bruce Greenstein announced on January 20 that Dr. Anthony Speier will become the New Assistant Secretary for the Office of Behavioral Health. Dr. Speier is a licensed psychologist who earned his PhD in psychology from LSU.

Dr. Speier’s appointment takes place immediately. He has been serving as Interim Assistant Secretary of OBH and has served the department for 30 in a number of roles, according to the announcement. These roles and duties have included Director of the Division of Community Service Systems, Statewide Director of Disaster Mental Health Services, Director Division of Program Development and Implementation. He began serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of Health and Hospitals, in 2008.

"Tony has been instrumental in shaping the Louisiana Behavioral Health Partnership and Coordinated System of Care which will transform how behavioral health services are paid for and delivered in our state with a much greater focus on community-based care and coordination of care for better outcomes," Deputy Secretary Kathy Kliebert said in the announcement.

Kliebert had previously held the position of OBH Assistant Secretary until being named DHH's Deputy Secretary early last year. "His caring approach to leadership has helped us steadily take the bold steps needed to change the lives of people with behavioral health care needs,” she was noted to say.

In this role as Assistant Secretary, Dr. Speier will direct the short and long term goals of the department, including the delivery of quality mental health and addiction services, and “the implementation of the Louisiana Behavioral Health Partnership and the operation of community services and public psychiatric facilities in the state,” according to the announcement.

Dr. Speier has been recognized nationally for his work with the Louisiana Spirit program, coming after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and aim to help the people of South Louisiana deal with the psychological consequences of the devastation.

The news release also announced the appointment of Dr. Laura Brackin to the Assistant Secretary for the Office for Citizens with Development Disabilities. Secretary Greenstein said, "Both Dr. Brackin and Dr. Speier bring a passion for service and strong leadership skills to our executive team. We will be relying on them to help us carry out the many transformative initiatives we have been building in recent years. At the same time, their leadership for innovation and efficiency will help us build a stronger agency with the focus on putting people first."

Dr. Tony Speier is married to Dr. Karen Speier, medical psychologist, who also attended LSU, and who practices in Baton Rouge.

Dr. Tony Speier with wife, Dr. Karen Speier, at the LSU alumni gathering in 2010. Dr. Tony Speier was recently named Assistant Secretary for Office of Behavioral Health in LA Department of Health and Hospitals.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 1, 5.

Members of the board met last Friday, January 27, in a long-range planning session and continued work on a revision of the psychology practice law. Con’t pg 5

This is part of the 2012 Sunset review process. The updated version of the law includes some changes and the board could approve this latest version as soon as this Friday, February 3, at a regular meeting.

“There are some changes,” Executive Director Ms. Kelly Parker told the Times. She also said that the board is “definitely” working to be “proactive” in this process and to stay ahead of any demands made by the legislature. She said, “We are ahead of schedule for Sunset.”

At some point during the upcoming legislative session the board will likely be called on to submit information to legislators, which may include a new practice law to replace the one that is to be automatically terminated by Sunset. It is also possible that the current law can stay active and in place, if a new one is not requested, explained Ms. Parker.

The LSBEP members recently completed a long-range planning meeting where they discussed Sunset, telepsychology, frivolous complaints and other topics.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / February 1, 2012

Originally published: February 1, 2012. Volume 3, No. 6. Source pages: 3.

The 2012 Regular Legislative Session will convene at noon on Monday, March 12 at noon and adjourns no later than June 4, 2012. Some bills are being filed now. Go to http://www.legis.state.la.us/

Other than bills about retirement and constitutional amendments, bills to be prefiled must be received by legislative services by February 29. Legislators may also introduce up to five other bills if received by April 2.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.