Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 10. Source pages: 5.
The Governor has cut state contracts by 3,574 from a high in 2016 of 14,125.
In September, Elizabeth Crisp of the Advocate reported that after the two years, the contract debate has grown quiet but Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration says that they have curtailed the number of outside consultants, as critics requested, and they continue to try to address the issue.
Crisp asked the question, What has happened with efforts to cut Louisiana state contracts?
The state contracts with thousands of companies and individuals for various state services. Contractors provide consulting on legal and land issues, review insurance disputes and help address the state's opioid crisis, among other functions – often for tens of thousands of dollars.
The next day the Governor’s Office answered, saying that in In 2016, Edwards, by executive order shortly after taking office, instructed all agencies, boards commissions and other budget units of the executive branch to review all professional, personal and consulting contracts to look for ones that can be eliminated or reduced.
In the years since, the number of state contracts reported has officially gone from 14,125 in July 2016 to 10,551 this July. Many are deemed "non-discretionary," which means they are viewed as essential government functions, though it's not clearly defined what that is or why an agency may give the distinction.
In April this year, the psychology board voted to continue contracts with Taylor, Porter, Brooks, and Phillips (current $6435 and tabled a discussion to amend the amount)
They continued the contract with Dr. Sasha Lambert ($100/hour and not more than $12,000), and also with Statewide Surveillance ($60 an hour and not more than $12,000).
They tabled a discussion to renew until further investigations about rates regarding the firm of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson. This is the firm of Mr. Jim Raines.
The members continued their regular contracts with the CPA and also the website management and IT contracts were renewed.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 10. Source pages: 7.
For over hundred years, the profession of psychology has advocated an appropriate level of training necessary to independently, and ethically offer services to the public. Heretofore, the educational standard required was a doctorate degree in the related field of practice, in many states. However, some states offer licenses and certification, for the master level provider though the privileges and scope of practice is typically very limited, and usually conducted under close supervision.
As time has passed, and as a consequence of many events, our profession led by the American Psychological Association (APA), has proposed reframing this issue and is now emphasizing the need to franchise master level providers with a greater role in service delivery.
This change in orientation by the APA was necessitated by a United States Supreme Court ruling (North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission, 2015). In essence, there must be a balance between privileges and training. The ruling indicated that individuals cannot be prohibited from offering services to the public if they have appropriate training. Individual state board prohibitions that are representative of blanket restraint of trade, are now considered illegal. This ruling impacts all professions where mid-level providers are under supervision or are prohibited from practicing.
Several states, such as Texas, have responded to this wind of change. At this moment, Texas is considering a restructuring of its master’s level licensing statutes including independent conduct of psychotherapy and some psychological testing. At this time, to qualify for such privilege’s individuals must complete a more structured training program which is currently under investigation. Those already licensed, and practicing must retake the EPPP and pass with a score of 70 percent to qualify for the new privileges.
The object of contention that must be addressed by each state centers on the scope of practice and the credentials necessary to participate. Doctoral level psychologists are not in agreement with one another on just how extensive privileges should be and how to integrate master level practitioners into the professional environment.
APA is seeking to contribute to this situation by establishing a model training program that will ensure master level individuals will achieve competency. Preliminary work by APA seems to favor a 3- year, 60-hour training program with a rigorous curriculum including practicum and internship. Additionally, there would be a post- graduation supervision requirement with a licensed psychologist. APA is considering accrediting master level programs to ensure consistency of training.
This movement is quickly gaining momentum and each state must seek to define the responsibilities and the degree of independence to be awarded. Louisiana Psychological Association has formed an investigative committee, which is now evaluating how Louisiana will address this issue in the future.
**** [Editor’s Note: Last issue we reported on APA actions, which included: The Board of Educational Affairs (BEA) had formed a task force. The task force shall be charged to outline a plan by which APA could pursue development of an accreditation system for master's programs in health service areas (clinical, counseling, school) of psychology.”
Goals are: 1) Developing a statement that broadly delineates the scope of accreditation for training at the master’s level as contrasted with the current scope at the doctoral level; 2) Prioritizing possible pathways for APA to establish accreditation of master’s programs in psychology; and 3) Identifying the necessary expertise for the accreditation decision-making body.]
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 10. Source pages: 7.
[Editor’s Note: August 3rd, Special Meeting. The regular board meeting took place on August 24 and minutes are not yet posted.]
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS
1. LEASE PROPOSAL: 4334 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816 – The board reviewed the revised proposal to eliminate the operating cost adjustment and replace it with the following increase per square foot: 3,325 rentable square feet, 2,891 useable square feet, located in Building B, (C150, 2,111 and C175, 1,214 rentable square feet). Five (5) years, commencing October 1, 2018 for Months 1-24: $4,502.60 payable monthly (based on $16.25 per rentable square foot per year) and Months 25-60: $4,571.88 payable monthly (based on 16.75 per rentable square foot per year).
By motion of Dr. Amy Henke, the Board moved in favor of accepting the proposal as discussed. The motion passed by unanimous roll call vote as follows: Boggs- YEA, Henke – YEA, Crouch YEA.
2. 2018-19 Budget Review and Recommendations – The Board reviewed and discussed budget impacts of the new lease rate, along with reinstating per diem and mileage reimbursement to board members in conjunction with final projections for receivables. Consideration was also given to Dr. Gregory Gormanous’s request to be reimbursed for overnight stay during regular board meetings. After review, by motion of Dr. Crouch, the board moved in favor of reinstating per diem and mileage reimbursement to board members. The motion passed by unanimous roll call vote as follows: Boggs- YEA, Henke – YEA, Crouch YEA.
With regard to Dr. Gormanous, Dr. Crouch moved in favor of awarding Dr. Gormanous per diem for one day for regular board meetings and reimbursing the amount in excess of the $75 per diem that is spent toward a hotel. The amount reimbursed for a hotel shall not to exceed the approved state rates. Further that reimbursement for car rental, in lieu of mileage for regular meetings would be reimbursed provided the rental is leased in accordance with PPM 49 and reimbursement shall not to exceed the standard mileage reimbursement. The motion passed by unanimous roll call vote as follows: Boggs- YEA, Henke – YEA, Crouch YEA.
3. LAC 46:LXIX. Chapters 1-7 Related to Dietitians and Nutritionists, Definition of Nutrition Counseling – The Board reviewed the proposed regulations of the dietitians and nutritionists board, published in the July 20, 2018 Louisiana Register. Dr. Henke agreed to review the proposed regulation and prepare recommendations to present to the LSBEP at their regularly scheduled meeting on August 24, 2018.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Louisiana State University Assistant Professor, Dr. Don Zhang and co-authors have uncovered an element of the dark side in seemingly innocent employment interviewing methods.
Zhang found that brainteaser questions, frequently used by companies such as Xerox, Microsoft, and Zappos, are related to characteristics of the “Dark Triad.”
The Dark-Triad is a composed of measures of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. Machiavellianism items include “It’s not wise to tell your secrets,” and “Avoid direct conflict with others because they may be useful in the future.” Psychopathy items include “People who mess with me always regret it,” and “People often say I’m out of control.” And, narcissism items include “I have been compared to famous people”, and “I insist on getting the respect I deserve.”
Brainteaser questions are a variant on the “stress” interview. Zhang and co- authors explain that the brainteaser items have the “goal of keeping the candidate off-balance and examining his or her ability to tolerate high-pressure interview tactics,” note the researchers.
The study, published in Applied Psychology, relied on employment questions such as “Why is a tennis ball fuzzy?” “Why are manhole covers round?” and “How many cows are in Canada?”
Brainteaser interview questions include those like “Estimate how many windows are in New York” and are just one example of aggressive interviewer approaches that lack “evidence for validity and is unsettling to job applicants.”
What does Dr. Zhang think is most important about the findings? “We found that managers’ willingness to use the ‘brainteaser’ interview questions was a reflection of their so called ‘dark traits,’ which are: narcissism, sadism, and Machiavellianism.”
“Our data shows that managers who ask these questions are on average less able to empathize with the interviewee. I think these results support our expectation that differences in personality, specifically the dark traits, may play a role in a manager's decision to ask these brainteaser questions during employment interviews.”
The employment interview has been a standard method in applicant assessment for many decades. However, there is ample evidence, the authors explain, that the regular, unstandardized interview has very little predictive value, only about four percent of the variance for job performance.
Why do so many hiring managers continue to use these methods, despite their lack of usefulness?
“There are many explanations,” Zhang said. “First, the academic field could do a better job communicating the research findings to practitioners and stakeholders. Most practitioners may not be aware of the research evidence nor are they equipped to interpret the evidence in the context of their work.”
“Second, people have innate need for control and autonomy, which can bias their preference toward using their own interview questions, despite the lack of validity,” he said.
“And third, there are individual characteristics, such as the ones we examined in our paper, that may influence a manager's preference for these types of questions. Often, the job interview serves multiple purposes, one of those is to fulfill the interviewer's motivational need to exert influence or authority over the interviewee. The type of questions that get asked––for example, brainteaser questions––may partly reflect those motivations.”
What would help more managers use better and friendlier techniques for employee selection? “I think media exposure of research helps,” Zhang said. “But more importantly, researchers need to find more ‘customer- friendly’ ways to communicate the value of their research findings.”
Dr. Zhang’s lab is conducting research on various aspects of the interview process. “Specifically, we are interested in managers' reaction toward evidence-based interview questions and how to bridge the gap between research and practice in job interview practices. We are also interested in job applicants' reactions to nontraditional interview questions. When companies use stressful questions, they may turn away good applicants. We hope that our research will better inform interview practices in organizations by making them more valid, more fair, and more friendly.”
“My lab is always looking for organizational collaboration in engaging in mutually beneficial research. If any local organizations are interested, I would love to get in touch.”
Those interested can reach Dr. Zhang at (zhang1@lsu.edu) or check out some of the recent research in his lab at his website (https://sites01.lsu.edu/faculty/zhanglab/)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 10. Source pages: 16.
The Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association will hold its 6th Annual Gulf Coast ABAC on October 12 and 13, in New Orleans, at The Westin on Canal.
Keynote Speaker is Dr. Mark Dixon, BCBA-D, who received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Nevada and has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst for over a decade. He is the founding President of the Illinois Association for Behavior Analysis and has also held the President position for the MidAmerican Association for Behavior Analysis.
Other presentations include, “The Ins and Outs of Supervision and Field Supervision,” Protecting Your Career: Troublesome Ethical Situations to Avoid and Manage for Practicing Behavior Analysts,” “Legal Update on ABA Coverage and Practice Issues: What You Need to Know,” and “Continuing Towards the Functional Analysis of Behavior,” and “Virtual Reality and the Future of Delivering ABA Therapy.” For more information and to register: www.labaa.net
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 4.
Standard & Poor, one of the the world's top credit rating agencies, wrote that they are removing Louisiana from the negative watch list. The rating has important effects on business, industry and government, including universities.
The Governor’s Office put out a press release thanking those responsible. “We knew it would not take long for the credit rating agencies to take notice of the bipartisan work we did during the last special session to stabilize Louisiana’s budget,” said Gov. Edwards. “Today’s announcement from S&P is further evidence that what we did was right for Louisiana. For too long, our state lacked the stability and predictability we needed, but those days are over. Thanks to the work of a bipartisan group of legislators, we have a stable budget that still allowed us to reduce the tax burden on the people of Louisiana by more than $550 million. We still have a long way to go, but with our economy growing, more people finding work, and our commitment to improve health outcomes and access to education, Louisiana is finally headed in the right direction.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 6.
The Board of Educational Affairs at the American Psychological Association(APA) will work on developing a plan for APA to accredit master’s programs in health service psychology, said the association this week.
The memo stated that the APA Council of Representative decided in August 2017 to study options and issues.
This past March the Council of Representatives voted to pursue the accrediting of master’s programs. According to the recent announcement, the “Council directed staff and governance, in particular the Board of Educational Affairs, to take steps to develop an accreditation system.”
The Board of Educational Affairs (BEA) has formed a task force. The task force shall be charged to outline a plan by which APA could pursue development of an accreditation system for master's programs in health service areas (clinical, counseling, school) of psychology.”
Goals are: 1) Developing a statement that broadly delineates the scope of accreditation for training at the master’s level as contrasted with the current scope at the doctoral level; 2) Prioritizing possible pathways for APA to establish accreditation of master’s programs in psychology; and 3) Identifying the necessary expertise for the accreditation decision-making body.
The state affiliate for APA, the Louisiana Psychological Association, has also developed a task force, chaired by Dr. Larry Dilks, and has been studying the issues, according to several sources.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 6.
Gov. John Bel Edwards joined State Police Col. Kevin Reeves and other education and law enforcement officials announced that the first round of assessments by the Louisiana Blue Ribbon Commission on School Safety have been completed. The commission was created earlier this year to evaluate the safety measures currently in place and determine the steps necessary to improve school security. The on-site assessments were conducted by Louisiana State Police (LSP), sheriffs, local law enforcement and the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office at public, private and charter schools.
“Evaluating and improving the safety of our schools is paramount for a successful school year, and it’s something all of us including our students, teachers, parents and communities are concerned about, “said Gov. Edwards.
With the assistance of stakeholders, LSP has successfully applied for two federal grants including the COPS School Violence and Prevention Program (SVPP). The SVPP will provide up to 75 percent funding for improved school safety measures that among other things will provide for improvement in security, coordination and training for local law enforcement officers, metal detectors and emergency technology. The Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will address the following:
•Training school personnel and students to prevent student violence
•Developing and operating anonymous reporting systems against threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications (apps), hotlines, and websites.
•Developing and operating school threat assessments and crisis intervention teams to coordinate with local law enforcement.
•Specialized training for school officials in responding to individuals with mental health issues who may impact school safety.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 6.
On August 29, leadership representing the Division of Administration, the Governor’s Office, LSU Health Shreveport and Ochsner Health System held meetings with north Louisiana legislators specifically to provide updated details on the intended public-private partnership between LSU Health Shreveport and Ochsner Health System.
This joint venture is critically important to the north Louisiana legislative delegation and the constituents and communities they represent, noted the announcement from the Governor’s Office. Participating members of this new alliance are confident that their efforts will result in strengthened clinical care, increased patient access, enhanced medical education and expanded research opportunities, said the release.
The agreement reflects a 50/50 partnership between LSU Health Shreveport and Ochsner with a shared vision for advancing healthcare and medical education in north Louisiana.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 7.
Dr. Tammy Savoie, licensed psychologist and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, is running in the 1st Congressional District of Louisiana for U.S. Representative and going straight up against the well-funded, incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise.
Savoie is not shying away from the challenge at all, but facing into the effort with a positive and upbeat local campaign. She has been called the most viable candidate to challenge Scalise––a view that could be related to her long list of credentials and achievements.
Savoie is psychologist with a doctoral degree from Emory and an MBA, and has served 38 years in the military including the Air National Guard and Air Force. She has served in the U.S., Japan, Afghanistan, and the U.K.
In 2016, she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and now provides mental health services to veterans and the Red Cross, and is an adjunct professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier.
We were lucky enough to slow her down for a few questions.
Q – Psychology Times: What do you plan on when you get to Washington regarding the group dynamics and polarization between the parties and in the country?
A – Dr. Savoie: I plan on working with all members of Congress to bring everyone together to solve issues. We must use problem solving techniques that we’ve all learned: identify the problem, identify the achievable outcome and then forge a path to that outcome. Work for consensus. These are all things my professional education and training have made me well versed in, and when combined with my 38 years of service to my country in uniform I believe I am uniquely qualified to bring to Congress. We must do this together: democrats and republicans; rich and poor; public and private; and academia and industry. When we all put our energy and efforts into solving problems, there really is no stopping the United States of America. I think there has been no better time to send a psychologist to Congress.
Q – Psychology Times: What are some of your ideas for approaching the problems (quality, costs, availability) in the health care system? What of your background as a psychologist might you rely on?
A – Dr. Savoie: Besides fixing and protecting the Affordable Care Act and providing a public option for individuals, we need to target populations that demonstrate specific health issues that can be addressed through prevention or targeted therapies. Population health strategies reduce costs and help communities that suffer from illnesses due to genetic, environmental, or social factors.
A – Dr. Savoie: As a psychologist, I believe in data! We have population health data that will help us target those in need to reduce the health care burden on all of us. I also understand the role of stress in every mental and physical health problem. When government policies provide needed resources for citizens, thereby reducing chronic stress, both mental and physical health outcomes improve, and the quality of life is heightened.
Q – Psychology Times: What about veterans’ care?
A – Dr. Savoie: As a veteran and a provider, I am committed to healthcare for our veterans. I believe the integrity of our VA Hospitals and clinics must be maintained. When I was working at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff with our coalition allies on health care policies, they all had what we called, “VA envy.” They envied the system the United States had in place to take care of its veterans, i.e., clinics and hospitals where the unique needs of service personnel can be addressed, studied and remedied. We must not dismantle this system.
A – Dr. Savoie: The Veterans Administration is the largest health care system in the United States. As a veteran myself, I appreciate the fact that the department has more than 300,000 employees serving more than 9 million veterans at 1,240 treatment facilities. The VA serves Veterans from WWII, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam and the Gulf War Era. The diversity of these cohorts cannot be underestimated; however, they all have one thing in common and that is their service to our country and the sacrifices they made.
There has been much media hype about the inadequacy of VA hospitals. However, the data just does not bear this out. The VA generally delivers care that is better or equal in quality to other health care systems. We must not allow the disintegration of the largest healthcare system in the country and the only one devoted to our Veterans for the sake of profit and privatization.
Q – Psychology Times: What are your thoughts on the wars, terrorism, and threats from other countries?
A – Dr. Savoie: As a veteran of 38 years in uniform, I know we must do everything we can to avoid war and to that end we must remain strong both militarily and diplomatically. We must show leadership which is currently sorely lacking in our country. My hope is that the people of this country will vote in November for a change in leadership that we so desperately need. The current administration has depleted our diplomatic corps to the bone. We must restore the State Department to its full strength and engage the world through diplomacy and leadership. The relationships and institutions that the United States has built since the end of WWII have been denigrated and decimated; this is a travesty. One of the greatest honors of my military career was representing the United States overseas to our NATO and coalition partners. It saddens me to see this administration and Congressional sycophants destroy precious relationships. The people of the United States must not let this stand. We all must demonstrate the support we have for our allies and let them know that we still stand shoulder to shoulder with them against the threats looming large over the world.
Q – Psychology Times: Anything else?
A – Dr. Savoie: Every experience in my life has led me to this moment. My graduate and postgraduate training in psychology were demanding and thankfully so. I know how to think critically, to question, and then to develop solutions. I have used this training throughout my military career and I hope to bring that training to bear upon a Congress that has lost its way. I spent 38 years fighting for my country in uniform, and now I look forward to fighting for my country and my community as our next member of Congress.
To learn more about Dr. Savoie visit her website at https://www.tammysavoie.com/
Psychologist and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Tammy Savoie, is running for Congress in the 1st District. Here, in 2006, she receives the Arthur S. Flemming Award for program management, from George Washington University. (Courtesy photo.)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 8.
June 2018 (posted August 30)
1. FARB 26TH Annual Meeting: Regulatory Law Training (September 27-29, 2018) – The Board discussed this training and its benefits to board operations/transactions. The board considered the proposal of the Physical Therapy Board to split costs to send Attorney Courtney Newton to represent both boards at this training. The board further considered the legal focus of the training, including: Deference: Eroding of Chevron Deference; Board Appointment and Removal; Board Certification: What it Means; Administrative Procedures Act; Conflict of Laws; Conflicts of Interest; Sovereign Immunity; Due Process: Notice and Opportunity to Be Heard; Confidentiality of Complaints; Bright Line vs. Standard of Care; Top Recent Regulatory Cases; New Legislation; Regulation In the News. After consideration of the legal focus of the training and benefit to the operations and transactions of the board, by motion of Dr. Koren Boggs, the board unanimously approved funds to pay 1/2 the costs of travel and expenses to include: registration, attorney fees, travel expenses [flight, baggage, taxi, mileage], hotel and meals not covered by the conference at state approved rates. The motion passed by unanimous roll call vote as follows: Griffin – YEA, Lambert – YEA, Boggs- YEA, Crouch– YEA.
2. RULEMAKING: Chapter 8: Continuing Education (Letter from the Louisiana Psychological Association RE: Objections): Ms. Monic reported that the rules for Chapter 8 had been submitted to the Legislative Fiscal Office on May 11, 2018 to initiate rulemaking on the revisions approved on March 16, 2018. The Board also reviewed and discussed an additional email from Dr. Julie Nelson, President of the Louisiana Psychological Association, objecting to the boards authority to establish a process for the board to preapprove continuing education activities for the renewal of a license. The Board further disagreed with LPA’s assessment that the members of the board were not qualified to review and approve continuing education activities. The Board discussed this matter and reaffirmed its intent to proceed with rulemaking.
3. 2018 Regular Legislative Session Updates - The Board discussed the following Acts of the 2018 Legislative Session: SB260 MILKOVICH – ACT 655; SB40 MILLS – ACT 515; HB748 EMERSON – ACT 693; HB372 CONNICK – ACT 623; HB189 WRIGHT – ACT 454. Noting that many would require revisions to policy and/or rules, Ms. Monic suggested a legal review by Attorney Courtney Newton for recommendations on applying the statutory requirements to the current policy and regulations of the LSBEP. Dr. Lambert moved in favor of a legal review and recommendation with regard to the new legislative requirements. The motion passed by unanimous roll call vote as follows: Griffin – YEA, Lambert – YEA, Boggs- YEA, Crouch– YEA.
4. Texas Behavioral Health Board: Sunset Report and Recommendations (3-28-2018): The Board reviewed and discussed the report and recommendations impacting the Texas Board of Examiners of Psychologists and their practice act. The Board discussed concerns for potential impacts on receiving qualified applicants from Texas and upholding the highest occupational standards in the practice of psychology in light of the recommendations in Texas to repeal certain training requirements, including the postdoctoral supervision year; elimination of provisional licensure; elimination of its ability to engage an applicant orally for examination of credentials; board consolidation under an executive counsel without defining the purpose of the executive council; and recommending the engagement of compact licensure. The Board will continue to monitor the legislative initiatives in Texas as well as other states.
5. Announcement from ASPPB RE: Hiring of new CEO, Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, PsyD – The Board received and reviewed the announcement from ASPPB regarding the hiring of new CEO Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, PsyD.
6. ASPPB Correspondence from Dr. Sharon Lightfoot (May 2018) RE: Reviewing feedback from about implementation of EPPP – The Board received and reviewed correspondence from Dr. Sharon Lightfoot, ASPPB President acknowledging receipt of feedback concerning their “efforts to enhance the EPPP” and advising jurisdictions that they would be spending considerable time reviewing the feedback to find ways to address concerns.
LITIGATION [LSA-R.S. 42.17.A.(2)]
Dr. Leah Crouch recused herself from discussion regarding this pending litigation. The Board discussed the status of the pending litigation in executive session: U.S. DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA – LAFAYETTE DIVISION, Eric Cerwonka v. LSBEP Civil Action No. 6:17-cV-01095-UDJ-CBW; 19TH JDC, EBR Parish, Eric Cerwonka v. LSBEP, No.656,587 Div. I; LA Supreme Court, Application of Eric Cerwonka for a Writ of Certiorari or Review Directed to the to the First Circuit Court of Appeal, Its Docket No. 2017 CA 1199. No action was required at this time.
July 2018
Executive Director Report – Ms. Monic notified the Board that the 58th Annual Meeting of the Association will be held October 17-21, 2018 at The Little America Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah. The 2018 ASPPB Annual Meeting program focus will be, “The Global Practice of Psychology: Impact on Regulation and Credentialing”. Ms. Monic reported that the fiscal impact statement on the proposed rules to amend Chapter 8 had been submitted to the Legislative Fiscal Office but had not been approved to date. Ms. Monic reminded the members of the Board to complete their ethics training for 2018. Ms. Monic reported that there are no updates on the following matters: U.S. District Court Western District Of Louisiana – Lafayette Division, Eric Cerwonka v. LSBEP Civil Action No. 6:17-cV- 01095-UDJ-CBW; 19th JDC, EBR Parish, Eric Cerwonka v. LSBEP, No.656,587 Div. I; LA Supreme Court, Application of Eric Cerwonka for a Writ of Certiorari Directed to the to the First Circuit Court of Appeal, Docket No. 2017 CA 1199.
3. Contract Review: Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, L.L.P. – The board reviewed the contract for TPBP and by motion of Dr. Henke, unanimously approved a 3rd amendment to the July 1, 2016- June 30, 2019 contract, to increase the total amount of the contract from $55,500 to 68,000 to cover the continuing legal expenses of the board.
5. Expedited Military Application – Ms. Monic discussed with the board the need to improve the expedited military application process following SCR 83 by Peacock which urges board to display prominently on their website, a process for licensure of military applicants and their spouses. Options were provided. Dr. Boggs agreed to review the current process and regulations with Ms. Monic to provide recommendations for better developing this process.
7. Board Member Reimbursement R.S. 37:2353(5) and LSBEP PPM Sec. 2003.C(3) – Dr. Henke requested the board consider reinstituting board member per diem and mileage reimbursement. Dr. Gormanous requested special consideration for reimbursement considering the distance he would have to travel noting safety concerns for the extended travel from his domicile. The board discussed this matter thoroughly. The Board requested Ms. Monic to obtain financial information on the impact of the current budget were the board to reinstitute these provisions for consideration at the next board meeting.
8. Legal Training Regarding Cases Impacting La. R.S. 37:2352(9), 37:2360 and 37:2361: Attorney Courtney P. Newton provided an in-service training to members of the board related to pursuing matters against individuals not licensed with the LSBEP, but are advertising using prohibited terminology such as “psychologist”, “psychological” and “psychology” in their description of services or to represent their credentials to the public
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 9.
POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT Nicholls State University Department of Psychology, Counseling and Family Studies Assistant Professor, tenure-track
Immediate Opening – position advertised through September 30, 2018, or until filled
Minimum Qualifications: ● Earned doctorate in school psychology from NASP or APA approved program ● Minimum Licenses Required: License as school psychologist (or eligible to apply) by LA State Board of Examiners
Other Minimum Requirements: n/a
Test(s) Required: n/a
Preferred Education: n/a
● Preferred Experience: Graduate-level teaching; history of employment as a full-time school psychologist; supervision of school psychologists; proven or demonstrated potential for scholarly productivity; solid evidence of an Applied Behavior Analysis background in training, publication, and work history.
● Preferred Licenses: Licensed Psychologist (or eligibility for licensure) with a declared specialty in School Psychology by the Louisiana Board of Examiners of Psychologists. BCBA certification also a plus.
Salary Range: commensurate with experience
Duties & Responsibilities:
10% Participate in Program; Department; and Unit accreditation processes; assume role of university-based supervisor for field experiences upon licensure
10% – Serve on faculty committees
10% – Scholarly activities and research
20% – Advise students and mentor undergraduate research projects; advise graduate students
50% – Teach Graduate Course work in School Psychology and undergraduate courses.
Please find the position application at http://jobs.nicholls.edu
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 16.
The Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association will hold its 6th Annual Gulf Coast ABAC on October 12 and 13, in New Orleans, at The Westin on Canal.
Keynote Speaker is Dr. Mark Dixon, BCBA-D, who received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Nevada and has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst for over a decade. He is the founding President of the Illinois Association for Behavior Analysis and has also held the President position for the MidAmerican Association for Behavior Analysis.
Other presentations include, “The Ins and Outs of Supervision and Field Supervision,” Protecting Your Career: Troublesome Ethical Situations to Avoid and Manage for Practicing Behavior Analysts,” “Legal Update on ABA Coverage and Practice Issues: What You Need to Know,” and “Continuing Towards the Functional Analysis of Behavior,” and “Virtual Reality and the Future of Delivering ABA Therapy.” The conference includes a Poster Session, Student Poster Competition, Conference Social Symposia, and other events. For more information and to register: www.labaa.net
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
In 1982 Logan Wright was president of the American Psychological Association’s Division 12 (Clinical Psychology). His presidential address was entitled Please Don’t Tell My Mother I’m a Clinical Psychologist—She Still Thinks I Play Piano in a Brothel. It was a witty, heartfelt rant about clinical psychology’s poor standing as a profession as compared to medicine. Wright attributed that failure to the proliferation of for profit schools for psychology practitioners and the absence of clear, enforceable standards for what constitutes doctoral training in clinical psychology.
Wright’s address did not remark on an important difference in the evolution of medical education and that for psychology practitioners, a difference that has had important consequences.
Until the 20th century, medical training in the United States was largely carried out in proprietary schools owned by practicing physicians, following the model of apprenticeship training. In 1910, Abraham Flexner’s Carnegie Foundation report detailed the variability and shortcomings of that situation, precipitating a migration of medical training into universities and a pattern of pre-medical undergraduate university studies.
Clinical Psychology’s story is different. That story begins in speculations by the philosophers of antiquity about the nature of things, including human nature. These ancients argued views of how life should be lived, but the views were not research based.
Formal research in psychology began in the university. The first psychological laboratory was founded by someone who did not call himself a psychologist, Wilhelm Wundt. He established the laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879. His first students did not call themselves psychologists either. They earned doctoral degrees in philosophy or physiology. Their focus was not on how to live well nor on healing, but on how to objectively note, i.e., to measure, the contents of consciousness.
William James introduced psychology to American universities. Like Wundt, he saw psychology as the study of the human mind. His famous description of the “stream of consciousness” and his theories about origins of emotion were not laboratory-based. He and his students, like those of Wundt, saw themselves as identifying the contents of the human mind, not as healers.
Thus the 20th century began with psychology situated in the university, as a specialty within philosophy or physiology, not as a healing practice. Once situated in the university, given its heritage of objective measurement, psychology was not entirely comfortable as a philosophical specialty. It looked for things to measure objectively and developed specialized areas of study—group behavior, human development, cognitive styles and the like. And psychology began to spin out of the speculative orbit into a “scientific” enterprise.
A Frenchman, Arthur Binet, carried measurement oriented psychology into the public sphere. In 1904 he was commissioned to help determine how many and which primary school students would need special education. He devised an age-indexed list of abilities, giving birth to the intelligence test and IQ, intelligence quotient, as its measure.
IQ, and the notion of it as genetically determined (and racially linked) quickly spread. That idea was seized upon by Cyril Burt in England, and H. H. Goddard in the United States in the first part of the century, and more recently by Herrnstein and Murray in their controversial The Bell Curve. The link between intelligence and eugenics—how to improve the human race—Is complicated and problematic, but not central to Psychology’s story.
World War I and II intervened, changing the course of history and of psychology.
Rapidly raising armies required the American government to assess inductees’ suitability for military service. University psychologists, trained to measure intelligence and other skills, were pressed into service, giving tests to evaluate trainees and guide their placement in the war effort. Eventually, these applied psychologists began to find employment in the Veteran’s Administration and in state institutions for the mentally ill or disabled.
As WW II unfolded, Nazi Germany identified Freudian psychoanalysis as a “Jewish Science,” driving psychoanalyst refugees to America. In the mid-twentieth century, psycho-analysis became, albeit until the rise of psycho-pharmacy, the queen of American psychiatric therapies. Intelligence testing, already identified as the purview of psychologists, was supplemented with personality testing. Universities began to train psychologists in giving paper and pencil tests for vocational and diagnostic classification and “projective” tests, like Rorchach’s Inkblot test and Murray’s Thematic Apperception Test, designed to permit inferences about unconscious motives and conflicts.
Tensions emerged in university programs training of these applied psychologists—now called clinical psychologists— magnified by psychology’s academic origin. The university teachers of clinical psychologists were required to earn pay and promotion on the basis of publications and grant-supported research. In other words, competition for university resources pitted academic psychologists against the “hard” sciences, and required academic psychologists to demonstrate their worth, based on criteria transplanted from the fields against which they were competing.
On the other hand, their students needed to learn how to provide a help to clients and customers in the form of diagnostic and treatment services. Concretely, academic psychologists had to do experiments and publish the results. And they wished to teach their students, who were looking forward to providing clinical services, to do the same—do experiments and publish the results—in order to have a cadre of research assistants. Training in how to do research took priority because of the obvious value of research assistants to researchers. And there was a further constraining circumstance. Due to the practical and moral difficulties of imposing strict experimental controls on human subjects, quasi- experimental and multivariate models came to characterize psychology’s scholarly journals and became the research mode in which graduate students were trained.
There were attempts to deal with the conflict between research and applied training. David Shakow introduced the scientist- practitioner model at the 1949 Boulder conference on the training of clinical psychologists. A follow-up 1965 conference in Chicago emphasized the importance of clinically trained full time faculty being responsible for university and internship training in clinical psychology. The American Psychological Association’s Education and Training Board incorporated the recommendations of the Chicago conference into its standards for accreditation, and federal agencies, including the VA, made APA accreditation a requirement for funding.
But as funding dried up, as Professor Wright’s cri de coeur indicates, the conflict between research and clinical priorities festered.
Profoundly unfortunate results ensued. One is the propagation of a cripplingly truncated view of scientific inquiry in psychology. Scientific inquiry in university departments is operationally defined as establishing the statistical probability of the truth of an hypothesis. Little or no attention is given to systematic observation and subsequent inference in the formulation of hypotheses. Absent the nourishment of inference, psychological theory building cannot flourish and hypothesis testing can become a trivial ritual.
Secondly, discomfort with graduate training that focused on an attenuated model of scientific rigor at the expense of real world experience with patients stimulated the development of applied psychology programs with little or no research elements, sometimes in for-profit settings, of the sort that invite the comparison that Dr. Wright protested.
Not only that, but clinical psychologists, having found employment in fee for service, insurance compensated practice or in institutional settings, must seek ways of demonstrating the worth of their work, the value of their services. That urgency finds expression in a current mantra of “evidence based approaches.” But what is offered as evidence are data generated by the impoverished model of science just described.
Perhaps the saddest and most unfortunate outcome may be this. Curiosity about human nature is central to being human, and for that reason, almost always and everywhere, introductory psychology is one of the most popular of undergraduate courses. Curiosity about human nature is also central to the liberal arts. But eschewing its philosophical roots, and confined by the attenuated model of science described above, introductory psychology courses in the public and private non-profit schools present students with accounts of the procedures and products of the truncated approach described above: quasi-experimental studies of social, cognitive, developmental, and their variants. The result is that students hungry to explore what it means to be human are deprived. And general education in the liberal arts is diminished.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Dr. Tammy Savoie, licensed psychologist and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, will be challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise in the 1st Congressional District of Louisiana come the November election.
Dr. Savoie, a psychologist with a doctoral degree from Emory and an MBA, has served 37 years in the military including 15 years in the Air National Guard and 22 years in the Air Force. She has served in the U.S., Japan, Afghanistan, and the U.K.
In 2016, she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and now provides mental health services to veterans and the Red Cross, and is an adjunct professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier. In late July the Uptown Messenger followed Savoie on the campaign trail and said that New Orleans Democrats rallied around her as the “first viable” challenger to Scalise.
“The difficult odds of upsetting U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise cannot be understated: the nationally- known Republican has never garnered less than two-thirds of the vote in his Congressional district,” reported the Messenger. “Nevertheless, Tammy Savoie is persisting. And, for the first time in what may be decades, Democrats in New Orleans believe they have found a candidate who can make the race for the seat competitive.”
“I think this is the first viable candidate in the 1st Congressional District in a long time,” said Bill Hammack to the Messenger. Hammack hosted a fundraiser for Savoie recently that filled the banquet room at Calcasieu in the Warehouse District.
Savoie’s supporters are energized by her background, a Jefferson Parish native with a PhD in psychology who served for decades in the Air Force. After retiring from the military in 2016, she turned down a job with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to return home to New Orleans, and join the Emerge class training women for prospective runs for office, reported the Messenger.
Savoie has an impressive background.
She grew up in Jefferson Parish, one of five children who learned the “value of service and perseverance,” from a merchant marine father and a homemaker mother.
In 1978 she was inspired to serve her country and enlisted in the Louisiana Air National Guard while she studied psychology at the University of New Orleans. She earned her PhD from Emory University and also an MBA from Touro College.
She served as the Chief, International Health in the Air Force Central Command, at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina from 2013 to 2016 before she retired and now is Adjunct Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier.
A single parent of a daughter, she was in active duty as an Air Force psychologist and treated service members and their families at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
She was stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, and served as Chief of Psychological Services where she created drug abuse prevention programs rated "exceptional" by the U.S. Army.
She was Mental Health Flight Commander at Laughlin Air Force Base, and appointed Deputy Commander of the Air Force's research office in London, UK, where she led a team discovering scientific solutions.
In 2011, while stationed at the Pentagon, Dr. Savoie deployed to Afghanistan to improve mental health services for the troops. She then traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, providing medical planning and educational services.
Dr. Savoie has numerous awards and decorations including the Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, AF Outstanding Unit Award with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, AF Organizational Excellence Award with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and NATO Medal.
She announced her candidacy on May 14 and has noted that she wants to "work across the aisle” to improve access to health care. She also noted that she wants to gather support for mothers and children, veterans, and improve the economy so that all families can benefit.
“Why am I doing this? Because I have to,” Savoie told the Uptown Messenger at the recent fundraising event. “If you are angry and worried about our country, you have to do something.”
Visit her website at https://www.tammysavoie.com/
Psychologist and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Tammy Savoie is running for Congress in the 1st District. (Courtesy photo.)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.