Article archive / September 2021

Originally published: September 2021. Volume 12, No. 9. Source pages: 2.

Everyone in Louisiana has their hurricane story. Now it's Ida blowing down the coastal parishes. Last year it was Laura cutting a path through the state and all but leveling Lake Charles. Ask a New Orleans resident and they’ll tell you their Katrina story. Ask someone from Alexandria, and you’ll get a Rita story. Ask a Baton Rouge resident and you’ll get a story about Gustav, or Andrew, or even Betsy.

Too late to evacuate and reasonably safe from falling trees, Archimedes and I wound up “riding out“ Hurricane Sally last year at our vacation home in the Florida Panhandle. Thinking that she would go from a category one to a tropical storm, we were caught flat- footed when Sally rebooted to a category two in the middle of the night like an adolescent refusing curfew.

The only real consequence was the week long outage. No lights, no Internet, no television. We conserved battery power for our iPhones and computers, so modern life froze. My addictions failed me. No

access to work information or news or my favorite distractions— Star Trek and Lucifer.

By the third day Archimedes and I found ourselves in the undiscovered country. The noise and dizzy dancing of modern life quieted. Sally dragged in cool weather and we opened the windows. We drank coffee brewed over our campfire (gas stove). At sunset, sharing a bottle of Merlot, we watched the pink and blue sky fade. That's when Archimedes reminded me of his hurricane story.

He was 18 and happily working for “good money," $2.20 per hour, on the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, when Camille headed to shore in 1969.

Evacuation activities on the rigs were in turmoil and he substituted in as a welder's helper. With no safety equipment, he suffered flash burn to his eyes. He was blinded, in pain, and exhausted when his crew dropped him off at a coastline hotel to wait for a ride from his friend Vernon Whitfield (his real name), who had been working at the shoreline.

While the hotel owner and all the guests evacuated, Vernon finally arrived, and announced that they had no transportation, his car had given out.

Archimedes, exhausted and in pain, decided to settle in for some rest and to weather Camille at the hotel. But Vernon, typically reserved and unobtrusive, refused to leave without him. After several rounds of arguing, Vernon's dogged determination won out. The two hitchhiked to New Orleans, then caught a bus to Baton Rouge, the entire time Vernon leading Archimedes around by the hand.

Two weeks later, the young men were eager to return to work and retrieve Vernon's car. It took them a full day to reach the coast–– the roads were gone, completely washed out. Barges were wrecked on the beaches. Dead cows were sprawled in the trees. Camille made landfall as a Category 5.

Archimedes looked at me across the twilight of the room, and I knew what he was going to say next. The story never loses its impact for me.

“The hotel I had been planning to stay in was gone," he said. “All that was left was the slab.”

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

Article archive / September 2021

Originally published: September 2021. Volume 12, No. 9. Source pages: 4.

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) announced on August that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is funding two research projects at LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The $1,578,543 in funding will support research efforts for breakthrough obesity treatments and will help design a pilot program demonstrating the role diet can play to slow aging and add years to the time a person is in good health.

"Pennington Biomedical is one of the best facilities with some of the best research efforts and proven capabilities to bring about life-changing impacts in our community and the country. This funding will help build on that record of success and will support research efforts for breakthrough obesity treatments and will help design a pilot program demonstrating the role diet can play to slow aging and add years to the time a person is in good health. Providing resources to help Pennington Biomedical expand their current work benefits our entire community, region and country," Graves said.

Grant Information: Project: Metabolic Changes: Connecting temperature sensing neurons to sympathetic adipose tissue stimulation. Amount Awarded: $506,307

Grant Information: Project: A planning project to pilot test and optimize dietary approaches to slow aging and design a long- term trial. Amount Awarded: $1,072,236

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

Article archive / September 2021

Originally published: September 2021. Volume 12, No. 9. Source pages: 8.

Representative Jason Hughes HB 492 was signed into law by the Governor, removing the time limits for crimes against children.

According to the legislative digest, prior law (R.S. 9:2800.9) provided that prescription on an action against a person for sexual abuse of a minor or for physical abuse of a minor resulting in permanent impairment, permanent physical injury, or scarring commenced to run from the day the minor attained majority and was suspended for all purposes until the minor reached the age of majority, subject to any exception of peremption provided by law.

The new law provides that such an action does not prescribe, notes the digest.

New law provides that an action against a person convicted of a crime against a child, as defined by existing law, does not prescribe and may be filed at any time following conviction.

The existing law (Ch.C. Art. 603) is retained by the new law, and defines "crime against the child" as the commission or attempted commission of any of the following crimes against an unemancipated minor: (1) Homicide. (2) Battery. (3) Assault. (4) Rape. (5) Sexual battery. (6) Kidnapping. (7) Criminal neglect. (8) Criminal abandonment. (9) Carnal knowledge of a juvenile. (10) Indecent behavior with juveniles. (11) Pornography involving juveniles. (12) Molestation of a juvenile. (13) Crime against nature. (14) Cruelty to juveniles. (15) Contributing to the delinquency or dependency of children. (16) Sale of minor children. (17) Human trafficking. (18) Trafficking of children for sexual purposes. (19) Female genital mutilation.

The new law provides that a party whose action under prior law was barred by liberative prescription prior to the effective date of the Act may file such an action against a party for a period of three years following the effective date of the Act.

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

Article archive / September 2021

Originally published: September 2021. Volume 12, No. 9. Source pages: 8.

Sen. Katrina Jackson's measure, now Act 353, requires the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to develop and adopt guidelines for in-service training in recognizing the signs and symptoms of adverse childhood experiences and the utilization of trauma- informed educational practices to address student needs resulting from these experiences. Requires BESE to consult with the Louisiana Department of Health.

The new law requires that, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, all public and approved nonpublic school teachers, school counselors, principals, and other school administrators for whom the training is considered beneficial by BESE shall annually participate in at least one hour of in-service training on recognizing adverse childhood experiences and the utilization of trauma-informed education. Further provides that the in-service training required shall be provided on a day that other types of in- service training will be provided in accordance with the school calendar adopted by each public school[…].

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

Article archive / September 2021

Originally published: September 2021. Volume 12, No. 9. Source pages: 8.

Act 394 was signed into law from Rep. Aimee Freeman's HB 55.

Prior law required that a petition requesting the issuance of an ex parte temporary restraining order pursuant to the Domestic Abuse Assistance Act contain an affidavit signed by each petitioner that the facts and circumstances contained in the petition were true and correct to the best knowledge, information, and belief of the petitioner.

Act 394 provides that the petition shall contain a written affirmation, rather than an affidavit, signed and dated by the petitioner before a witness who shall sign and print his name. New law further explicitly provides the same for a complainant seeking protection from domestic abuse, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

Existing law (R.S. 14:123) provides that perjury committed in a civil action shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment at hard labor for not more than five years, or both. New law retains existing law.

Prior law further provided that any false statement under oath contained in the affidavit accompanying a petition requesting an ex parte temporary restraining order pursuant to the Domestic Abuse Assistance Act constituted perjury and was punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment with or without hard labor for not more than five years, or both. New law repeals prior law and provides that the affirmation provided by new law is subject to perjury pursuant to existing law (R.S. 14:123).

Existing law provides that a temporary restraining order shall be granted without notice when:

(1) It clearly appears from specific facts shown by a verified petition or by supporting affidavit that immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result to the applicant before the adverse party or his attorney can be heard in opposition. (2) The applicant's attorney certifies to the court in writing the efforts which have been made to give the notice or the reasons supporting his claim that notice should not be required.

New law retains existing law and provides that a temporary restraining order shall also be granted when an affirmation as provided in new law shows the specific facts required by existing law.

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

Article archive / September 2021

Originally published: September 2021. Volume 12, No. 9. Source pages: 16.

Act 452 creates the office of the state Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator, referred to hereafter as the "office", within the division of administration. Provides that the office shall be administered by an executive director who shall have the title of state ADA coordinator.

The new law provides that the office shall have the following functions, powers, and duties relating to the ADA:

(1) To serve as the coordinating body for ADA compliance for all state agencies within the executive branch of state government. (2) To assist state agencies in updating, strengthening, and enhancing the scope of self-evaluation and transition plans to ensure compliance with the ADA mandate. (3) To provide reports and recommendations to the legislature for the adoption of legislation to facilitate compliance with the ADA. (4) To offer subject matter expertise for all matters relating to the ADA. (5) To conduct general and customized training on ADA topics for state agencies. (6) To provide informal technical assistance about the ADA to the general public and collaborate with local ADA support systems. (7) To increase public awareness of the ADA for the purpose of helping more citizens to understand the letter and the spirit of the law.

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

Article archive / September 2021

Originally published: September 2021. Volume 12, No. 9. Source pages: 16.

Rep. Pauls Davis's measures was signed into Act 320, creating the La. Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Panel within the La. Dept. of Health (LDH).

Members of the review panel are to include: the state health officer or his designee, secretary of LDH or his designee, secretary of the Dept. of Children and Family Services or his designee, assistant secretary of the office of behavioral health of LDH or his designee, and others.

Also included are a sheriff appointed by the Louisiana Sheriff's Association, a police chief appointed by the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, executive director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence or his designee, executive director of a community-based domestic violence service organization or his designee, and others.

The functions of the review panel shall include the following: (1) Identify and characterize the scope and nature of domestic abuse fatalities in this state, (2) Research and review trends, data, or patterns that are observed surrounding domestic abuse fatalities, (3) Review past events, (4) Research and revise, as necessary, operating rules and procedures for review of domestic abuse fatalities, (5) Recommend systemic improvements to promote improved and integrated public and private systems serving victims of domestic abuse, (6) Recommend components for prevention and education programs. (7) Recommend training to improve the identification and investigation of domestic violence fatalities that occur in Louisiana.

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 9.

The new law allows certain offenders to earn additional

credits toward the reduction of the projected good time parole supervision date.

Prior law provides that an offender may be awarded up to 360 days toward the reduction of the projected good time parole supervision date for participation in certified treatment and rehabilitation programs. Prior law further provides that offenders who participate in a workforce development release program shall be eligible to earn an additional 180 days of credit toward the reduction of the projected good time parole supervision date.

The new law allows offenders who earn a bachelor's degree or a master's degree from a regionally accredited and a Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections approved educational institution to earn an additional 90 days of credit toward the reduction of the projected good time parole supervision date.

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 10.

Senator Luneau's Act 204 Tightens Requirements on Managed Care Organizations

The new law, Act 204, decreases the maximum length of time for a managed care organization (MCO) to complete a credentialing process once it receives all the information needed for credentialing from 90 days to 60 days.

The new law also decreases from 60 days to 45 days the time limit after an MCO makes a request for any needed verification or verification supporting statement for the MCO to inform an applicant that the requested documentation has not been received.

The new law provides that a healthcare provider shall be considered credentialed, recredentialed, or approved and will receive payment according to the Medicaid fee schedule if an MCO fails to act within 60 days of receipt of all information needed for credentialing.

New law requires that employees, contractors, and subcontractors of MCOs performing work or services related to the performance or supervision of audits, prior authorization determinations, and clinical reviews of mental health rehabilitation services providers shall receive annual training on all of the following:

(1) The state's Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider Manual.

(2) The relevant state laws, policies, and regulations related to the state's mental health rehabilitation program.

The new law requires that employees, contractors, and subcontractors of MCOs shall take all necessary steps to ensure mental health rehabilitation services providers are rostered, credentialed, or otherwise eligible to provide and be reimbursed for mental health rehabilitation services in accordance with prior law.

Prior law provided that any individual rendering psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services who does not possess the minimum bachelor's degree required in prior law, but who met all provider qualifications in effect prior to July 1, 2018, may continue to provide PSR services for the same provider agency.

Prior law required that prior to the individual rendering PSR services at a different agency, he must comply with the provisions of prior law relative to eligibility for receiving Medicaid reimbursement effective on and after July 1, 2018. The new law revises prior law to provide that any individual rendering PSR services who does not possess the minimum bachelor's degree required in prior law, but who met all provider qualifications in effect prior to July 1, 2018, may continue to provide those services for any licensed and accredited provider agency.

The new law requires that a mental health rehabilitation services provider has a right to an independent review of an adverse determination taken by a managed care organization that results in a recoupment of the payment of a claim based on a finding of waste or fraud.

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 11.

Existing law, Part III-A of Chapter 1 of Title 28 of the La. R.S., provides relative to civil involuntary outpatient treatment for persons suffering from mental illness; for petitions for court orders authorizing involuntary outpatient treatment; and for procedures of courts with respect to such petitions. Act 329 makes changes to prior law, including the following as described in the Digest:

New law changes the term "patient" to "respondent" throughout existing law.

New law deletes prior law which required that a person's history of noncompliance with mental health treatment result in certain outcomes in order to qualify him for court-ordered involuntary outpatient treatment.

New law provides that the person's history of noncompliance with mental health treatment, ipso facto, qualifies him for court-ordered involuntary outpatient treatment pursuant to existing law and new law.

Prior law provided that a petition to obtain an order authorizing involuntary outpatient treatment may be initiated by several authorized persons including any interested person through counsel with written concurrence of the coroner in the jurisdiction in which the person is found. New law deletes from prior law the requirement for written concurrence of the coroner.

New law requires the coroner in the jurisdiction in which the respondent was found to provide a written concurrence to the allegations for the respondent's involuntary outpatient treatment if ordered by the court.

New law defines "interested person" as anyone of legal age who has an interest in the outcome of a particular case, which may include but shall not be limited to any adult relative or friend of the respondent, any official or representative of a public or private agency, corporation, or association that is concerned with the respondent's welfare, or any other person found suitable by the court.

New law adds to existing law items of information to be included in petitions to the court for orders authorizing involuntary outpatient treatment.

New law requires that as soon as is practical after the filing of the petition for an order authorizing involuntary outpatient treatment, the court shall review the petition and supporting documents and determine whether there exists probable cause to believe that the respondent is suffering from mental illness which renders him unlikely to voluntarily participate in the recommended treatment and, in view of the treatment history and current behavior of the respondent, he is in need of involuntary outpatient treatment to prevent a relapse or deterioration which would be likely to result in him becoming dangerous to self or others or gravely disabled as defined in existing law.

New law requires that if the court determines that probable cause exists, it shall appoint a physician, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, or psychologist to examine the respondent and to furnish a report provided for in existing law (Physician's Report to Court) and testify at the hearing.

New law requires that the report set forth specifically the objective factors leading to the conclusion that the person has a mental illness that renders him unlikely to voluntarily participate in the recommended treatment and, in view of the treatment history and current behavior of the respondent, he is in need of involuntary outpatient treatment to prevent a relapse or deterioration which would be likely to result in harm of self or others or him becoming gravely disabled defined in existing law.

New law stipulates that the report shall also include recommendations for a treatment plan. New law revises existing law concerning procedures of courts with respect to petitions for orders authorizing involuntary outpatient treatment.

New law adds a requirement stating that when a physician, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, or psychologist determines the respondent has failed to comply with the ordered treatment, the local governing entity, case manager, or treatment provider shall make reasonable efforts to solicit the compliance of the respondent.

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 11.

Act 3 Allows for Donations to Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response Org

The governor signed HB 12 into law creating Act 3, which allows for an individual income tax checkoff for donations to the Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR) organization.

An individual can donate all or a portion of his state income tax refund to the Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR) organization in lieu of that amount being paid as a refund. Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response® is a nonprofit organization committed to serving youth and adult survivors of sexual trauma and building institutional capacity to prevent and respond responsibly to sexual violence in the community, according to the website.

Officials state: "Our organization’s roots are in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where we began as the Stop Rape Crisis Center, a division of the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office, in 1975. In 1979, the center was recognized as “An Exemplary Project” by the U.S. Department of Justice and what began as a grassroots initiative comprised of several volunteers, advocates and allies committed to establishing support services for rape survivors quickly became nationally recognized."

STAR® currently serves a wide population of survivors, including children who have been sexually abused, adults who were sexually abused as children, and those who have faced sexual harassment, sexual battery and assault, rape and attempted rape.

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 11.

Act 29 Helps Youngsters Falling Behind Due to Covid-19 Issues

Act 29 requires public schools, for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, to provide expanded academic support to each student in grades four through eight who failed to achieve mastery on any statewide assessment administered pursuant to the state's school and district accountability system during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. New law requires each city, parish, or other local public school board to develop an education plan and supporting budget to provide expanded academic support to students using federal funds provided for educational relief relative to COVID-19.

The new law allows a student identified as needing expanded academic support to be provided accelerated instruction or prioritized placement in a class taught by a teacher labeled as "highly effective" pursuant to the state's teacher evaluation system, if a highly effective teacher is available in the school.

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 1, 13.

Dr. Amy Mikolajewski Honored as 2021 Early Career Psychologist by Louisiana Psych Assn

Amy Mikolajewski, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane University School of Medicine was recently named the 2021 Early Career Psychologist by the Louisiana Psychological Association.

"Amy is a first rate clinician and scholar," said Dr. Laurel Franklin, awards chair for the Association, "which is best evidenced by her ability to secure funding at such an early stage of her career. As a postdoctoral research fellow at Tulane she secured a prestigious NIH K award- the first to be awarded at her facility since prior to hurricane Katrina."

Paul Frick, PhD, the Roy Crumpler Memorial Chair in the Department of Psychology at Louisiana State University, said, "Amy is an extremely well- deserving recipient of this award. Her research on the temperamental and parental influences on childhood behavior problems is extremely important and earned her a prestigious K-award from the National Institute of Mental Health. The state of Louisiana is lucky to have her in the state and her work will greatly advance both science and the potential well-being of Louisiana families."

Dr. Mikolajewski's research focuses on externalizing disorders over the lifespan, with a particular interest in biological, dispositional, and environmental correlates. She is the recipient and PI of the NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development grant for her project, "Psychophysiology and Social Processes in Very Young Children with Externalizing Problems."

"My current research is focused on understanding the biological and social processes underlying early childhood disruptive behaviors," she said. "I hope to build upon this work to examine the stability and predictive ability of these factors over time. In other words, are the biological and social processes that we're identifying useful for predicting later behavior? And how can we use that information to tailor treatment for young children with disruptive behaviors and prevent negative outcomes?

"In the meantime, I will continue to use our best empirically supported treatments to treat children with disruptive behaviors. I know my clinical work informs my research and hopefully, down the road, my research will also provide insights into ways to further strengthen our empirically- based treatment approaches"

Examples of Dr. Mikolajewski's publications include:

"Employing the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model and predicting successful completion in an alternative drug court program: Preliminary findings from the Orleans Parish Drug Court." In Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, with Allan, N., Merrill, L., Carter, M., Manguno-Mire, G.;

"An epidemiologic study of COVID-19 patients in a state psychiatric hospital: High penetrance rate despite following initial CDC guidelines." In Psychiatric Services, with Thompson, J.W., Kissinger, P., McCrossen, P., Smither, A., Chamarthi, G. D., Lin, Z., Tian, D.;

"Psychometric properties of a semi-structured interview to assess limited prosocial emotions." In Assessment, with Walker, T. M., Frick, P. J., Matlasz, T., Robertson, E. L., Mitchell, C, Lopez-Duran, N., Monk, C., Hyde, L. W.; "The Developmental Propensity Model extends to oppositional defiant disorder: A twin study." In Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, with Hart, S. A., & Taylor, J.; and

"Examining the prospective relationship between pre-disaster respiratory sinus arrhythmia and post-disaster posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in children." In Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, with Scheeringa, M.

Dr. Mikolajewski's work also includes book chapters on "Antisocial Personality Disorder" in Encyclopedia of Adolescence, and numerous presentations including, "Trauma type, baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and oppositional defiant disorder dimensions," presented at the Society for Research in Child Development; "Risk assessment in the context of conditional release decision-making: Outcomes and future directions," presented at the American Psychology and Law Society; and "Pre-disaster salivary cortisol prospectively predicts post-disaster posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in children," presented at the Society for Research in Child Development.

Included in her poster presentations are topics such as, "Differences in substance use trajectories across treatment tracks in the Orleans Parish Drug Court," presented at the American Psychology and Law Society, and "The developmental propensity model extends to oppositional defiant disorder," presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

She is the recipient and PI of the NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development grant for her project, "Psychophysiology and Social Processes in Very Young Children with Externalizing Problems."

How does she feel about this award? "To receive recognition for my work in this group is such an honor," she said. "I am so grateful for the encouragement and support," said Dr. Mikolajewski.

"For me, all the steps along the way to becoming a clinical psychologist have been meaningful accomplishments, from getting into grad school, to publishing articles, to getting licensed, to getting hired as faculty. You have to celebrate all the good stuff! The accomplishment I am most proud of is being awarded an NIH Career Development Award. It is very rewarding to work hard on a grant application and have experts in your field see the value in your plans and ideas. That said, I could not have done it alone. My mentors, Dr. Michael Scheeringa and Dr. Paul Frick, as well as numerous other consultants and colleagues have been incredibly helpful and generous with their time. Building an amazing network and being surrounded by brilliant scholars has been one of the best parts of the job."

Amy Mikolajewski, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane University School of Medicine was recently named the 2021 Early Career Psychologist by the Louisiana Psychological Association. (courtesy photo)

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 16.

Gathering to Celebrate Dr. Tom Hannie, Thursday, September 2, in Baton Rouge

There will be a celebration of life gathering in honor of Dr.

Tom Hannie on September 2 at 7 PM, said Trey Hannie, Dr. Hannie's son. The gathering will be at Serop’s on Corporate Boulevard in Baton Rouge.

The gathering will be informal and everyone is invited, and encouraged to bring their stories and enjoy time together, said Trey. Trey also said that Tom asked for this specifically in his will.

Trey Hannie said that he expects that friends, family, and colleagues will all enjoy the time together and the stories of his father.

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

Article archive / August 2021

Originally published: August 2021. Volume 12, No. 8. Source pages: 2.

by Julie Nelson Usually I'm horrified by the legislative group process. However, the recent conflict over women's athletics leaves me with an unfamiliar feeling–– that the checks and balances actually worked.

I was thankful to see a very complex and difficult topic discussed thoughtfully in most cases. The transgender issues are very delicate matters for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the vulnerability and fragility of this group of people.

Despite this and other challenges to open discussion, I was impressed with many of the legislators who seemed to handle the matter with consideration, respect for both world views, and a regard for fairness of the law.

The process of checks and balances appears to have worked. The original bill was passed by both chambers with a supermajority, then vetoed by the Governor. An historic veto session was called where the Senate overcame the veto, barely. But in the end, the House failed to override by two votes. Basically a cliffhanger, with the outcome of no new law. It was not wasted effort. People are thinking, paying attention. Both sides were heard even though the talk was extremely careful around the issue of biological sexuality, discrimination, and reverse discrimination.

Hope lies in the process. We are a little more desensitized to openly discussing the different perspectives. We are a little closer to developing a consensus—a shared view of reality. We are a little more patient with one another, with the time and energy needed for the therapeutic process of resolving conflicts.

But I was struck by one other thing in particular. In a committee meeting on transgender therapy issues a letter from a professional counselor was read. The author pointed to concerns about the mental health profession's culture:

“As it pertains to gender related issues, many mental health professionals feel stifled when it comes to advocating for the health and welfare of children and adolescents for fear of retribution from their employers, third-party payers, professional organizations, state licensing boards and colleagues.

“I’ve had many conversations over the course of two decades with mental health providers for an agreement of this type of legislation but do not express it for fear of retribution.

"Organizations like the ACA and the LCA have drafted letters that target your bill. These organizations do not necessarily represent all counselors regarding this issue., But only one side of the discussion. As a matter of fact, discussion regarding this issue isn’t even entertained."

I couldn't agree more.

"Science can flourish only in an atmosphere of free speech." –– Albert Einstein.

[Julie Nelson is a licensed psychologist, journalist, consultant, and publisher of the Times. She also holds other positions in the community. However, her opinions here are those of her own, and do not represent any group or association. She and the Times receive no compensation other than paid advertising. Email her at drj@drjulienelson.com, ––she welcomes feedback.]

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