Article archive / September 2017

Originally published: September 2017. Volume 8, No. 9. Source pages: 4.

National Healthcare Group Recognizes La Department of Health Well-Ahead Initiative

In an August 22 press release, officials announced that Well- Ahead Louisiana, an initiative of the Louisiana Department of Health, has been honored with the Wellness Frontiers Award from the Healthcare Leadership Council.

Well-Ahead Louisiana earned this recognition for their work to create WellSpots across Louisiana, noted the authors. WellSpots are worksites, hospitals, schools, child care centers, colleges/universities and restaurants that have worked with the Louisiana Department of Health to meet wellness benchmarks and to implement voluntary, smart changes to make healthier living easier for all Louisiana residents.

There are currently 2,267 Well Spots across the state. “Each WellSpot designation is a small step toward improving Louisiana’s health outcomes and reducing the financial and personal cost of chronic disease,” said Melissa Martin, Director of Well-Ahead Louisiana.

WellSpots can be searched on the website, categorized by zip code or area and types, which include child care centers, colleges, hospitals, worksites and even restaurants. For example, in Baton Rouge, Another Broken Egg is a WellSpot. In New Orleans, Blaze Pizza is a WellSpot. Brown Bag Gourmet in Marksville and Blue Line Sandwich Co in Metairie are WellSpots.

Well-Ahead Louisiana is an initiative of the Louisiana Department of Health aimed at improving the health and wellness of Louisiana residents. Well-Ahead Louisiana aims to foster a statewide community-based network that promotes health in all places and spaces, connecting organizations and residents across the state to the resources that will make healthy living easily accessible. For information go to www.wellaheadla.com

Partners include many organizations and agencies. These include: Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Children's Bureau of New Orleans Healthy BR, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Region VI Field Office, Louisiana Association of Principals, Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum, Louisiana Housing Council, Louisiana Public Health Institute – Tobacco Free Living, Louisiana Restaurant Association, Louisiana State University Tobacco Control Initiative, March of Dimes, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, School Nutrition Association of Louisiana, Smoking Cessation Trust, Southeast Dairy Association, Southeast Louisiana Area Health Education Center, Southern University Ag Center, Tulane Prevention Research Center, and the YMCA of the Capital Area.

“The greatest healthcare challenge our nation faces today is the escalation of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. The good news is that we can successfully combat this problem through innovative approaches that encourage wellness and healthy lifestyles,” said Mary R. Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council.

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

Article archive / September 2017

Originally published: September 2017. Volume 8, No. 9. Source pages: 6.

One Mind Symposium Held August 23 in BR

One Mind Symposium: A Response to Persons Affected by Mental Illness, sponsored by International Association of Police Chiefs (IAPC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA-GAIN), and the Capital Region Mental Health Team (CRMH Team) was held Wednesday, August 23rd, at the Renaissance Hotel in Baton Rouge. Over 100 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, judicial system professionals, mental health professionals, and elected officials were in attendance.

The One Mind Symposium began with opening remarks from State Representative Valarie Hodges, Governor John Bel Edwards, Senator Bill Cassidy, Mayor Sharon Broome, and Chief Louis Dekmar, IAPC's Ascending President. In his remarks, Dekmar emphasized how the law enforcement officers can use calming techniques and then de-escalation techniques, to manage a situation where an individual is aggravated and agitated, and by employing these techniques de-escalate the situation.

The CRMH Team was chosen as hosts from teams all across the U.S., and worked with IAPC and SAMSHA-GAIN to host this interactive symposium. The CRMH Team includes team leader Commander Lawrence E. Callender, HSITFO, Dr. James Hussey from the Assistant Secretary Office of Behavioral Health of the Louisiana Department of Health, Thomas Jarlock from DHH, SSgt Patrick Bedwell from the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and State Rep. Valarie Hodges. The afternoon sessions were focused on various programs and techniques currently being implemented and resources available around Louisiana. Point Coupee Sheriff Bud Torres shared Best Practices procedures he has implemented and the successes that he had in the Point Coupee Sheriff's Office. EBRP Coroner, Dr. Beau Clark, gave an overview of what is happening in EBRP regarding persons suffering mental illness and substance abuse. Sheriff Randy Smith and Maj. Wharton Muller with St. Tammy Sheriff's Office and Ex. Dir. Richard Cramer, Florida Parishes Human Services Authority, shared Crisis Intervention Techniques (CIT) that the St. Tammy Sheriff's Office has implemented. Ex. Dir., Dr. Jan Kasofsy, and Dir. of Training and Emergency Preparedness, John Nosacka, with Capital Area Human Services (CASA) presented statistics and gave information services in the capital region.

A course of Mental Health First Aid for law enforcement on Thursday, August 24th provided an overview of mental health issues, warning signs and de-escalation tactics, geared toward first responders and law enforcement officers.

Rep. Hodges said, “This symposium, along with the Mental Health First Aid course, has given law enforcement and government officials the opportunity to come together with behavioral health professionals to discuss the best possible ways of handling mental health issues that may arise. We could also save millions of dollars by incorporating Best Practices instead of incarcerating non-violent offenders. […],” she said.

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

Article archive / September 2017

Originally published: September 2017. Volume 8, No. 9. Source pages: 6.

Psychology Board Issues Two Opinions Supporting Requests of Specialists’ Practice

In June the Psychology Board reviewed information and requests by the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology Committee and voted favorably on two Opinions. The minutes, approved July 28 list the Opinions:

Opinion #21 Regarding the provision of educational services to students in Postsecondary Education. Colleges and universities provide accommodations for enrolled students with identified disabilities as required through the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The institution supports these undergraduate and graduate students with services such as educational testing, review of formal evaluations, identification and implementation of appropriate accommodations, consultation with faculty, and skill development. An individual with an earned LSSP is qualified to provide educational and psychological assessment and recommendations related to school performance and educational needs. It is the opinion of the board that provision of school psychology services within a college or university disabilities center is within the scope of practice for an LSSP as stated in ACT No. 136. Licensees should understand that the services provided within a college or university disabilities center would remain within the scope of practice stated in ACT No. 136.

Opinion #22 Provision of school psychology services through Early Steps Early Steps is a program administered by the Louisiana Department of Health for infants and toddlers (aged 0-3) with delays in cognitive, motor, vision, hearing, communication, social- emotional and adaptive behaviors. The Department of Health implements early intervention for eligible children and their families as required by the United States Department of Education (34 CFR Part 303). The IDEA – Part C regulations include psychological services to eligible children within a multidisciplinary assessment and intervention framework. Professional staff are employed or contracted by the Department of Health to fulfill assessment and intervention needs of referred children.

Psychological services as described in § 303.13 are consistent with the qualifications of an LSSP, and include

“(i) Administering psychological and developmental tests and other assessment procedures; (ii) Interpreting assessment results; (iii) Obtaining, integrating, and interpreting information about child behavior and child and family conditions related to learning, mental health, and development; and (iv) Planning and managing a program of psychological services, including psychological counseling for children and parents, family counseling, consultation on child development, parent training, and education programs.”

Historically, in Louisiana, Early Steps was administered through the State Department of Education and fully staffed by appropriately certified professional school system employees at the district level. Multidisciplinary teams for the Early Steps program typically include certified school psychologists, licensed social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapist, and other related disciplines. While the administration of the Early Steps program has moved to a different agency, there have not been significant changes to services provided to children and families. It is the opinion of the board that an individual with an earned LSSP is qualified to provide school psychology services through the Early Steps program. The LSSP has the requisite training and professional practice history working within a multidisciplinary team format in the preparation of comprehensive integrated psychoeducational evaluation reports as well as service planning and implementation for individuals from birth through age 21. The licensee should understand that the scope of practice in providing these services remains consistent with ACT No. 136.

Members of the psychology board at a previous meeting. Out-going Chair, Dr. Darla Burnett (L), Dr. Jesse Lambert, and Dr. Koren Boggs. The board is struggling with budget problems. In other business, they recently issued two Opinions supporting the work of the subcommittee for Specialists in School Psychology.

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

Article archive / September 2017

Originally published: September 2017. Volume 8, No. 9. Source pages: 9.

Colorful Emotions: A Workbook to Help Children Express Their Feelings Michelle Moore, PsyD

Dr. Michelle Moore, using her strong background in psychotherapeutic and educational techniques, created and produced a delightful book that can be used to help youngsters express and label their emotions. Colorful Emotions: A Workbook to Help Children Express Their Feelings.

Colorful Emotions may be useful in helping children express and cope, in the context of other insights about the disaster and the child’s feelings.

Dr. Moore, a licensed clinical psychologist with a certificate in Infant Mental Health Specialist Certification, is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, at LSU Health Sciences Center, Department of Psychiatry, Section of Psychology, in New Orleans. At the Center she is also Associate Director of Pre-Doctoral Training.

The workbook includes beautiful cover art that is immediately pleasing, and two-page sections with a line drawing of a youngster with a large type labels such as “Happy,” “Sad,” “Lonely,” and “Helpful.” Adjacent to the artwork is a description to read to the child, or allow them to read for themselves.

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

Article archive / September 2017

Originally published: September 2017. Volume 8, No. 9. Source pages: 9.

Information sheet: Helping Kids Cope with Traumatic Events Anna Long, PhD LSU Speakers

LSU Department of Psychology Assistant Professor

Dr. Long’s tip sheet is a quick and useable guide available online through the LSU website. The information can offer guidance or confirm what a parent is already thinking, about how to communicate and how to relate to a youngster at a time of a disaster. From reaffirming the sense of wellbeing and safety, to fostering resilience, to being observant about individual reactions, Dr. Long’s tip sheet is clear, easy to understand, and useable. She helps point to issues that elevate the stress and points out factors to be watchful for, with a compassionate and understanding tone. Find the tip sheet at: Helping Kids Cope with Traumatic Events

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

Article archive / September 2017

Originally published: September 2017. Volume 8, No. 9. Source pages: 10.

Tulane psychology Professor, and Associate Provost at Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies Program, Dr. Michael Cunningham, has been named as one of the national winners of the 2017 Inspiring Leaders in STEM, reported by Barri Bronston of Tulane news in July.

“Inspiring Leaders in STEM Award recipients were nominated by colleagues and selected by Insight Into Diversity….” The candidates were considered for their “efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives,” reported Bronston.

Dr. Cunningham has authored an extensive list of research on areas of importance for understanding young African Americans, including “African American adolescent males' perceptions of their community resources and constraints: A longitudinal analysis,” in the Journal of Community Psychology.

He has also authored, The Black Male Experiences Measure,” in Handbook of Tests and Measurements for Black Populations; “School and community-based associations to hypermasculine attitudes in African American adolescent males,” in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry; and “Sex role influences of African American adolescent males: a literature review” in Journal of African American Male Studies.

Dr. Cunningham teaches Introduction to African American Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, Black Youth: Developmental Psychology Perspectives, Research Methods in Urban Communities, New Orleans Youth: Resilience and Vulnerability in Tomorrow’s Leaders, Advance Adolescent Psychology and Children of Color, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He was invited to participate at the National Science Foundation’s sponsored Colloquy on Minority Males in STEM, and is the recipient of the Barbara E. Moely Award for outstanding Service Learning Teaching, Tulane University.

In 2013 he was named with the Distinguished Contributions to the Society for Research in Child Development Award.

Dr. Cunningham is also the Suzanne and Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellow at Tulane.

Tulane’s biomedical engineering associate professor Michael Moore and doctoral student Katherine Elfer, were also honored in the national award and will be featured with Dr. Cunningham and others in the September 2017 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

Tulane’s Dr. Michael Cunningham (L) was recently honored for his work with inspiring young people. Other honorees are biomedical engineering associate professor Michael Moore (C) and doctoral student Katherine Elfer. Dr. Cunningham is Tulane psychology Professor, and Associate Provost at Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies Program. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano/Courtesy Tulane)

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

Article archive / September 2017

Originally published: September 2017. Volume 8, No. 9. Source pages: 11.

ULM Grad Student Seth Tackett Earns APA Travel Award

ULM News Report

Seth Tackett, a first-year graduate student in psychology at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM), traveled to Washington, D.C., Aug. 3-6, to present his research at the 125th Annual American Psychological Association Convention, according to ULM news.

Tackett, is from Oak Grove, Louisiana, and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from ULM in 2016.

This is the first time a ULM psychology student has received the APA Student Travel Award, which according to Bill McCown, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, is quite an honor, said the report.

Tackett was among more than 250 students to apply and only a few were selected. McCown said the award is rarely given to master’s degree students, and that it usually goes to doctoral candidates at Tier 1 schools who are completing dissertation research.

“Selections were based on the merit of the students’ research,” McCown told ULM News, “with some ‘really big players’ competing.”

In his research, Tackett examined minority students’ graduation rates, fears of failure, gender-role conflicts and choices of college majors.

Mr. Tackett believes that if minority students and their advisors become aware of psychological factors that shape students’ expectations and performances, it will lead to optimal career planning and better goal setting, noted the article.

“I am from a small Louisiana town, but at ULM I have been exposed to people and ideas from all over the world,” Tackett said to ULM News. “My research mentors, Dr. Janelle McDaniel and Dr. Jack Palmer, are as inspirational and as dedicated as anyone could find anywhere.”

Tackett plans to follow in the footsteps of his mentors after he earns his Master of Science in General Psychology.

“After I graduate I plan to pursue my Ph.D. in psychology and achieve my dream of becoming a professor,” he said to ULM News.

“I can’t imagine any other university preparing me better for the next phase of my life. The skills I learned here will be with me forever.”

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 12.

The Rorschach Institute held its inaugural meeting July 19 and was well attended by founding members, said organizer and founder Dr. Christopher Garner.

Dr. Garner, licensed clinical psychologist in Baton Rouge, is the founder of the Rorschach Institute, established last year to promote competence with the Rorschach itself with concern for integration with other measures.

Garner previously noted that this is the “first ever” institute of its kind in Louisiana.

The gathering included those with licenses and a variety of experience in the Rorschach, a post- doctoral student and also doctoral graduate students. “A diverse group of people,” Garner said.

Garner said that the attendees discussed possible mission and goals: These included developing the group into a local professional society focused on the Rorschach and integrated assessments involving other major personality tests; a place for members to discuss and mentor one another in these matters; an institute that offers training for those who do not know how to use the instrument; and offering of continuing education and training for more learned colleagues.

“The Rorschach is best with perpetual learning and life-long learners,” said Garner. “For example, a Rorschachers scoring/coding accuracy can get off track in isolation and without feedback because of the developmental, systematic errors–errors that are idiosyncratic to particular users, even the most experienced.”

“Way down the road, we may offer scholarships for students and members to attend conferences. No membership fee in the near future,” he said.

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 15.

Submissions Due September 12 APA Division 39 To Meet in New Orleans for 2018

The Division of Psychoanalysis, Division 39 of the American Psychological Association, will hold its spring meeting April 18–22 in New Orleans at the Intercontinental Hotel. The theme is Generations: Ghosts & Guardians.

Submissions are open now and due by September 12, notes Louisiana clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Anen, who is this year’s conference co- chair.

Dr. Anen is hoping to receive submissions from the Louisiana community for the conference.

“Our Steering Committee is hopeful and excited about creating a robust, engaging, and thought- provoking range of programming. Having local clinicians and practitioners be involved would be part of that, in my opinion,” he said.

“We have tried to create a meeting that recognizes its location, something not always pursued with Spring Meetings in the past. Our theme aims to examine the influence of generational dynamics on individual, family, and social life. Given the richness of culture, food, tradition, and music that have been passed down over the years in Louisiana and New Orleans, we hope to explore issues relevant to both clinicians as well as the community.”

The theme, Generations: Ghosts & Guardians, calls on the quote from William Faulkner, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” And the convention flyer showcases the Louisiana setting as meaningful avenue to history, human experience, and imagination.

“Moving through time, each generation passes forward values, traditions and conflicts. How do generational forces cast their shadow upon the future? From nursery to grave, ghosts and guardians are transmitted across generations,” note the conference planners in the flyer.

“New Orleans has always been an intersection defined by the heritages and struggles of its generations: tradition is alive, cemeteries are architectural wonderlands, and funerals are parades. Our host city invites discussion of the traumatic legacies of slavery and colonization embedded within its foundation as well as the more recent tragedies and regenerations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

“Possessed by capacities for imagination and play, the Big Easy is committed to multigenerational expressions of art, music, and revelry that provide resilience as well as encourage the opportunity for greater community and commonality. We invite you to journey to New Orleans during its tricentennial year and share your experiences of generations, ghosts, and guardians within psychoanalysis, the mind, and the world.”

The conference theme is also reflected in the artwork, “And The Jazz Band Played On,” by Richard Lewis, Art of New Orleans. See more of the work at https://www.facebook.com/Richard-Lewis- Art-of-New-Orleans-314532508672893/

Anen said that the conference planners are excited about the keynote speakers, Lynne Layton and Kirkland Vaughans, and the panels and panelists.

These presenters “… will investigate issues spanning development, political group dynamics, inter-generational transmission of trauma, fatherhood, the legacy of slavery at individual and societal levels, as well as how personal experience shapes theory and clinical work. Clearly we are hoping to offer programming that can appeal to many,” said Anen.

“Co-chairing a conference has been a novel and rewarding process,” Dr. Anen said, “much thanks to my diligent and generous Co-Chair, Sanjay Nath, and to the creativity of our Steering Committee, which includes several Louisiana psychologists,” he said.

“From crafting a theme, to selecting keynotes and speakers, to considering how to organize a schedule, there has been a learning curve in understanding all the moving parts of what will hopefully be a successful and engaging conference. I’m glad I accepted this opportunity and am looking forward to next April.”

How did Dr. Anen happen to be in the state?

“I am a New Orleans resident of more than 5 years, having moved to complete my internship at the LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) clinical psychology program, which was an excellent training experience and helped me to learn about the city and its people,” he said.

“In addition to being in private practice, I also provide consultation as an Adjunct Clinical Faculty for LSUHSC and am on the Board of the New Orleans-Birmingham Psychoanalytic Center. When I am not busy with Co-Chairing and my other responsibilities (not as much as I'd like these days), I continue to enjoy trying to adjust to life in New Orleans with friends and family.”

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 16.

Gulf Coast ABA Conference to Host Dr. Janet Twyam Oct 6-7

The Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association will hold the annual Gulf Coast ABA Conference, October 6-7 in New Orleans.

The 2017 Keynote speaker is Dr. Janet Twyam. Janet Twyman, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA, is past president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and a noted proponent of effective instruction and using technology to produce individual and system change. A career educator, she has been a preschool and elementary school teacher, a principal and administrator, and university professor. Dr. Twyman has presented on leveraging new technologies for diverse learners and settings at the United Nations. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (chairing the Education Group) and PEER International (assisting township schools in Port Elizabeth, South Africa).

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 16.

The Louisiana Group Psychotherapy Society will hold its 2017 Fall Institute in Baton Rouge, October 28.

This year the group will feature Dayne Naretta, LCSW, CGP, who will speak on the topic, “What's All the ‘Brouhaha’ About Functional Subgrouping?” Mr. Naretta will examine what subgrouping is, what it isn’t, and how to use it to resolve conflict. See LGPS website for more information.

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 16.

Nursing Board Replaces Its Two Physicians with Two Voting Consumers

The Board of Nursing published a Rule in July that replaces the two physicians on the nine- member board and adds two consumers.

“Currently, we have nine registered nurse members and two physicians who serve as ex- officio non-voting members of the board. During the 2016 Legislative Session, the two seats that are currently held by physicians changed to allow any citizen of the United States and resident of Louisiana and who have never practiced nursing to obtain either seat. These two consumer members will be voting members of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.”

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 2.

The poignant loss of our colleague Conni Patterson, reminds us that medicine sometimes has little to offer a person who comes down with a dangerous form of cancer.

Not much real progress has been made in curing the serious cancers, even though we’ve been at it since Nixon signed the National Cancer Act and threw down the “War on Cancer” gauntlet in 1971. I wonder if Nixon saw Kennedy put a man on the moon and thought, “How hard can it be?”

You can’t blame him––Not finding something you are looking for after 46 years requires some talent, just applied in the wrong directions.

Since I can’t image that the failure is at the individual level, that leaves the group level and the large system as the culprit for this poor job performance. One process variable at fault is probably––information flow.

The medical/pharma industrial complex has a bad rep when it comes to information flow. It took 25 years for them to stop x-raying pregnant women after we knew it hurt the unborn; the news of folic acid and neural tube deficits seemed to take that long; and the link between Vitamin D3 and cancer, preached by outsiders for years, is only lately common knowledge.

I had my own first-hand experience when my sister died of a serious cancer in the 90s. Like Conni, she had a nasty, glandular cancer. Suzie first went through the surgery, but then it spread and then she did the chemo and then MD Anderson sent her home to get her things in order.

I frantically scrambled around for an experimental treatment, which Suzie now qualified for, since she’d run through the rest. We decided on a “biological response modifier” designed by a Presbyterian minister of all things, Mr. Hill, where he attempted to use a tricky combination of insulin and potassium to force the person’s internal biochemistry to go into infection-fighting mode, and rev up the immune defenses by 10, 100 or 1,000 fold. He had studied spontaneous remissions and found that this was what happened with them, and he’d shown success in animals. It was non-toxic and she could stay at home.

The effort took constant micromanaging on my part, getting the physician, nurses, pharmacy and lab on the same page, daily if not hourly to keep her in the effective biochemical “zone.”

We obtained a “mild response” but not enough to save her life. Mr. Hill judged that her immune system was too weak by that time and the growth of the cancer too fast.

That was 1996. I followed Mr. Hill’s efforts for a number of years and he reported to me that trying to get a study done properly through the official channels was extremely frustrating. He found that the precision needed was almost impossible for the medical staff and it became clear to him that the motivation was just not there to truly test his method. The patients were always already very sick and their immune systems weakened by chemotherapy. The last I heard, he was going to look for some avenue to test the method in healthy, newly diagnosed people, but that was not allowed in the US and so he’d have to find something international. He was not a young man then and I don’t know what happened to him and his work.

If there were a cure for cancer, could it make it to the light of day, or to the tipping point, so that people would have the information when they needed it?

Psychologists should see our roles as not only producing scientific and psychological truth, but to somehow cause this information to get to the level of our society so that it makes a difference.

This year the Times did not sweep the Best Investigative Reporting in our Division 7, which is the Louisiana Press Association division for some of us little guys. At first I was disappointed, since we’d won for three years in a row.

But when I found out that another little guy, the Lafayette Independent had not only grabbed the first place in Division 7 but had gone on to win the whole shooting match, beating out the heavy-weights like the Advocate and Times-Pic, for the Freedom of Information honor, the most prestigious award of the Press Association, I just felt happy for them. I felt happy for all of us.

They had the courage to force the issue, to kick in the door, so that a town official gave over the information that the public deserved. A judge even put the guy in jail for failing his duty as a records custodian.

Hooray for the little guy. And hooray for freedom of information.

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 2.

Several Corrections & Clarifications

We had several goofs last month. (1) Attorney Wayne Stewart, community member, pointed out that we reported that an effort to prohibit corporal punishment of students with exceptionalities had failed. The bill we reported on did fail, but its twin HB79 passed into Act 266. We corrected the version asap and are truly sorry for the misleading report in the first run, and greatly thank Mr. Stewart for his help! (2) Loyola Professor Dr. Evan Zucker pointed out that we had omitted Loyola from our report on SEPA and SWPA, which left out his and Maria Padilla’s work, “Sleep Quality and Impulsivity in College Students.” Dr. Zucker also presented on the Psi Chi panel, “Graduate School Q&A.” (3) Our reporting also left out Loyola’s Dr. Kim Ernst who presented, “Effects of Sequential and Paired Positioning Requests on Donor Intentions.” We corrected the online edition and regret the omission in the first run. We appreciate Dr. Zucker’s help!

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

Article archive / August 2017

Originally published: August 2017. Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 3.

Letters to the Editor

[Editor’s Note: We received this letter in June from Dr. James referring to our June rerun of the award- winning Psychology Times’ feature article, “Our WWII Fathers,” by Drs. Magee, Andrews, and Nelson. We inadvertently forgot to run the letter in our July issue. We apologize for the delay.]

Dear Dr Nelson,

I wanted to take a moment to write and thank you for the heart felt stories about our WWII military Fathers.

As a Psychologist who served 26 years on active duty in the Army, this story brought back fond memories of the great men and women I have served with for nearly 3 decades. The stories touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes as I thought about our greatest generation and how much we owe the soldiers of the WWII generation . . . many of them never came home, died for freedom around the world and defeated the tyranny of the Hitler regime. Sadly most Americans just don't know the sacrifices soldiers go through for little financial rewards. Our fathers served because they believed in democracy, freedom and in service to this great nation.

I myself was awarded a Bronze Star in Iraq so in a small way I know personally what these great men who were awarded Bronze Stars, Silver Stars and Purple Hearts went through to receive such awards and the selfless sacrifices they endured for us all.

Dr Nelson, even though I had 10 deployments in my career, the modern day soldier's life is far easier than the life of a soldier in WWII. When our fathers and grand fathers left for the war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, they were gone for 3 to 4 years. There were no cell phones, no wifi, no Skype or VTC, no laptops, no DVDs, no Game boys or Play Stations, no McDonalds or Burger King restaurants but only Army MREs to eat. These soldiers had no showers or warm beds to sleep in so they usually slept on the ground in the freezing cold & snow all across Europe and no coming home on leave until the war was over. In spite of all of this, any time I meet a WWII veteran and I ask him, "would you do it over again if you had the chance to do it all over again?" A bright smile always lights up their face, a pause. then a "hell yes I would" follows every time. These men of WWII were true heroes and fought to help save humanity.

Thank you again for sharing these wonderful memories.

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