Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 16.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Training to be Held February in N.O.
A combination of sponsors including the Human Development Center, Tulane University Law School, the Advocacy Center, and the National Disability Rights Network, will come together to support nationally recognized experts and continuing education on the topics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The training will be held at the LSU Human Development Center in New Orleans, on Friday, February 3, 2017.
Topics to be covered include Diagnosis and Treatment, Early Childhood and Special Education, Juvenile and Adult Criminal Justic, and the issues of strategies and interventions from medical, social services, mental health and others. Advocacy will also be addressed.
The CDC studies has identified 0.2 to 1.5 infants with FAS for every 1,000 live births in certain areas of the United States. The most recent CDC study analyzed medical and other records and found FAS in 0.3 out of 1,000 children from 7 to 9 years of age. Studies using in-person assessment of school-aged children in several U.S. communities report higher estimates of FAS: 6 to 9 out of 1,000 children. Experts estimate that the full range of FASDs in the United States and some Western European countries might number as high as 2 to 5 per 100 school children. Experts look to the prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking among women of child-bearing age, to be a community risk marker. In Louisiana, 54.3 percent of child-bearing age women report using any alcohol and 16.8 percent reporting binge drinking.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 2.
Corrections & Clarifications
In last month’s issue we mistakenly identified Chelsea Hightower as Kelsey Powell, in the photo of IO psychology practitioners on page 15 in the People section. We are sorry for the confusion.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 16.
Assn of Family and Conciliation Courts Conference in January
The Louisiana chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts will hold its 2017 state conference on January 27–28 at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center on the LSU Campus in Baton Rouge.
Professionals can earn 12.5 approved CLEs/CEUs. Conference keynote speaker, Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, MSL, will speak on "Infants and Overnights." The conference supports professional networking and problem solving, on topics such as domestic violence, issues with adolescents, and grandparent rights.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 4.
LSBEP Eyeing Regulations for Unlicensed Assts
“This is something whose time might never come,” said Vice Chair Dr. Phillip Griffin, addressing the members of the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) at the November 11 Long-Range Planning meeting. He introduced discussion about some level of regulation of unlicensed assistants who work for psychologists. Griffin told those attending, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Dr. Griffin said that Louisiana had recently passed a law requiring background checks for unlicensed assistants for institutions, and that the topic for psychologists’ assistants, needs to be addressed.
He also said that in his role with the Applied Behavior Analysis Board, he had seen that the background checks on line technicians uncover a “lot of issues.”
Dr. Kim Van Geffen, Chair of Professional Affairs for the Louisiana Psychological Association, asked, “Have there been any incidents?” The board members did not confirm that there had been any issues, or provide any statistics. But Ms. Jaime Monic, current executive director for the LSEP, noted that background checks uncovered issues for psychologists that would surprise those attending the meeting.
Monic read the licensing law where the LSBEP is viewed to have authority over assistants, and said that it could include, “anyone under the supervision…”
Dr. Joe Comaty, also attending, said that the Louisiana statutes put the psychologist under a “strict liability standard,” where the psychologists have full responsibility for the actions of assistants.
Griffin said, “We haven’t thought of how this would work,” and explained that it was in the early stages of discussion.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 16.
Submissions Deadline Today APS Annual Convention, Set for May 25-28, 2017
The Association for Psychological Science will hold its 29th Annual Convention in Boston, May 25 to 28, 2017.
The Call for Submissions for Symposiums is December 1. Submissions may be sent via email. Deadline for submissions for posters is January 31, and submitters will be notified on a rolling basis.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 4.
Changes to Ethics Section Proposed by Psych Board
The board is suggesting changes to Chapter 13 for “Ethical Standards of Psychologists,” by removing specific reference to the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct, and replacing it with sections of the Code placed in the Rules, word-for-word, with some selections deleted.
Presently, §1301., “Preamble,” reads: “A. The Board of Examiners of Psychologists incorporates by reference and maintains that Psychologists shall follow the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct with the 2010 amendments adopted by the American Psychological Association's Council of Representatives on February 20, 2010, effective June 1, 2010. The Ethics Code and information regarding the code can be found on the APA website, http://www.apa.org/ethics, or from the LSBEP web site at http://www.lsbep.org.”
The new language would be: “Psychologists work to develop a valid and reliable body of scientific knowledge based on research. They may apply that knowledge to human behavior in a variety of contexts. In doing so, they perform many roles, such as researcher, educator, diagnostician, therapist, supervisor, consultant, administration (sic), social interventionists (sic), court mediator, and expert witness. Their goal is to broaden knowledge of behavior and, where appropriate, to apply it pragmatically to improve the condition of both the individual and society. Psychologists respect the central importance of freedom of inquiry and expression in research, teaching, and publication. Psychologists respect and protect human and civil rights, and do not knowingly participate in or condone unfair, discriminatory practices. They also strive to help the public in developing informed judgments and choices concerning human behavior. These rules set standards and guidelines are established (sic) for the welfare and protection of the individuals and groups with whom psychologists work.”
In the current version, the language ends at this point. The psychology board proposes to add new sections that tract the APA codes, with some sections deleted.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 5.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will accept clinical psychologists from programs accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) for employment and internships, according to a report in the September Observer, published by the Association for Psychological Science. The PCSAS will have same standing in the VA as the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation (CoA).
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 5.
Dept of Health Issues RFI for Provider-Led Accountable Care Organizations in Medicaid
The Louisiana Department of Health (formally the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals) is requesting information for Provider- Led Accountable Care Organizations.
“ACOs must focus on bettering the overall health of the population they serve. This is achieved through better-coordinated care as well as population health initiatives,” noted the authors.
In a November 4 announcement, Frank Opelka, Medicaid Program Manager wrote, “As part of its efforts to modernize payment mechanisms for Louisiana’s Medicaid program and its delivery system features, to shift from paying for volume to paying for value and to improve health care quality and outcomes, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is seeking comment on the possibility of inviting provider-led managed care plans to participate in the Healthy Louisiana Medicaid managed care program as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).”
Responses are due by 5 pm on December 9, by email.
According to the Request for Information (RFI), LDH is seeking community input on the development of requirements for the provider led ACOs. The authors of the RFI noted that they expect that ACOs would be organizations or groups of organizations with a hospital, a federally-qualified health center, or a rural health clinic. These organizations would be owned, governed and led by Louisiana health care providers and be capable of providing, “… for the case management and primary and secondary care needs of no fewer than 10,000 Medicaid beneficiaries annually,…”
“ACOs must implement ‘meaningful and identifiable’ reforms in patient engagement and care delivery, to demonstrate a significant effort to improve quality and value of patient care.
“ACOs must incentivize a realistically achievable shared savings mechanism for their providers to combat volume-driven care delivery,” and also “measure and report quality metrics that are readily accessible to its patients and governing board.”
The Medicaid Quality Committee, noted the announcement, includes medical directors of the managed care organizations (MCO), and seeks to improve and maintain the quality of the state's Medicaid Program by contributing specialized knowledge and experience to that available within the Medicaid Program. The aim is to provide a two-way channel of communication with the individuals, organizations and institutions in the community that, with the Louisiana Department of Health, receive, provide and/or pay for medical care and services. This is not a policymaking board; the committee's functions are advisory only, authors noted.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 6.
School Psychologists Offer PREPaRE Workshops Training December 3 & 10 in Gonzales
School psychologists Dr. Meagan Medley and Brandon Wilks will present the nationally developed PREPaRE workshop training on December 3 and 10, at the LeBlanc Special Services Center in Gonzales, Louisiana. Medley and Wilks are PREPaRE trainers, certified by the National Association of School Psychologist (NASP), and members of the Louisiana School Psychological Association (LSPA).
“While many school crisis management plans focus on what to do during the crisis, PREPaRE was carefully developed to equally focus on prevention and postvention, as well as including a quality assurance review following an incident,” LSPA President, Amber Boykin, NCSP, explained.
“The five mission areas of PREPaRE include prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. There is also an equal focus on the physical well-being of those involved in a crisis as well as the emotional well-being, where most school crisis management plans solely focus on the physical well-being in the event,” Boykin said. “With the implementation of ESSA, there will be authorized funding for such trainings within the school district.”
The PREPaRE workshop series cover: “Crisis Prevention and Preparedness: Comprehensive School Safety Planning.” And also, “Crisis Intervention and Recovery: The Roles of School- Based Mental Health Professionals.”
Dr. Medley, an Assistant Professor at Nicholls State University, Department of Psychology, Counseling & Family Studies, told the Times, “As a member of a school-based crisis team, I always find it helpful to ensure that all of the team members that may provide services be on the same page about providing services and prioritizing needs,” she said. “When in the midst of a crisis, it's best to have as many of the details ironed out ahead of time as you can.”
“School psychologists often can provide much of the crisis preparation training for staff, students and families,” Dr. Medley explained. “The knowledge base of a school psychologist can help to identify those at-risk for needing more intensive services as well as getting prepped for those services. Conducting needs assessments, helping to write comprehensive school-crisis plans, conducting drills, and evaluating ongoing preparedness are some of the skills that a school psychologist can help with in school preparedness.”
According to NASP, participants in these workshops learn how to prevent and prepare for psychological trauma, to reaffirm both the physical health of members of the school community and students´ perceptions that they are safe and secure, how to evaluate the degree of psychological trauma, respond to the psychological needs of members of the school community. They also learn how to measure the intervention and recovery efforts.
“School Psychologists are highly qualified mental health professionals as defined by ESSA,” Boykin explained, who understand the nuances of the school setting, students,’ and how to create “positive, connected school climates. When students feel supported and connected in their schools, this provides protective factors, increasing their resiliency in the event of a crisis, and may even prevent certain crises from occurring, such as suicide and school violence.”
Wilks and Medley are certified NASP PREPaRE trainers and have extensive experience providing trainings for school staff members, explained Boykin. “They also have field experience which makes their ability to talk about crisis management personal and they are passionate about what they do.”
The PREPaRE Workshops are designed to help for all mental health professionals who provide mental health crisis intervention support including school psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, administrators, and other individuals whom the team has identified as appropriate providers of psychological first aid, note the NASP.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 7.
Clinical psychology graduate students from the Louisiana State University Anxiety and Addictive Behaviors Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Julia Buckner, presented research at the 50th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, held October 27–30 in New York City.
Presenting scientific research were doctoral students Kim Dean, Emily Jeffries, and Austin Lemke, students of Dr. Buckner, LSU Professor and Director of the laboratory.
Ms. Dean presented Anxiety sensitivity and cannabis use- related problems: the impact of race. This work was coauthored with A. H. Ecker and Dr. Buckner.
Ms. Jeffries presented Social anxiety and poor sleep quality: the mediating impact of anticipatory processing, coauthored with Dr. Buckner.
Mr. Lemke presented Social anxiety and suicidality: unique and additive mediational roles of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. The work was coauthored with Ms. Jeffries, Sonia Shah and Buckner.
Mr. Lemke presented Synthetic cannabinoid use among college students. The work was coauthored with Jeffries, E. Mathews, C., Hsieh, G. Jones, and Buckner.
The Times asked Mr. Lemke about his work on anxiety and suicide. “I'm interested in the relationship of social anxiety to suicidality,” he explained. “This poster, titled ‘Social Anxiety and Suicidality: Unique and Additive Mediational Roles of Perceived Burdensomeness and Thwarted Belongingness,’ examined the role that thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness play in the relationship of social anxiety and suicidal ideation.”
According to the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide, a theory by Joiner (2005), individuals are vulnerable to wanting to die by suicide in the presence of thwarted belongingness, which is a greater sense of alienation from others, Lemke explained. And also, because of a perceived burdensomeness, a sense that one is a burden to others.
“We tested whether each factor mediated the relation of social anxiety to suicidal ideation. Both thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness mediated the relation of social anxiety to suicidal ideation both independently and additively, even after controlling for other factors such as depression, alcohol problems, and marijuana problems.”
This was the first known test of the additive effect of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness on social anxiety and suicidal ideation, he noted. “This study highlighted the importance of assessing for suicide risk in individuals with elevated social anxiety and gave support to the Interpersonal- Psychological Theory of Suicide.”
In Ms. Jeffries work, she explored aspects of how social anxiety is related to poorer sleep quality among college students.
“Anticipatory processing is the ruminative cognitive processes individuals engage in prior to social situations,” Jeffries noted. “Our findings suggest that the link between social anxiety and poorer sleep quality is partially accounted for by anticipatory processing. College students with greater social anxiety may engage in anticipatory processing about upcoming social situations [for example, participating in class] while attempting to fall asleep, which may result in poorer sleep quality,” she noted.
In her work, one of the conclusions was that clinicians should assess for sleep quality in those with social anxiety disorder. Also, Cognitive-behavioral techniques that target other maladaptive cognitive processes could reduce anticipatory processing, which could improve sleep quality, Jeffries concluded.
Ms. Jeffries is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and received her undergraduate from the University of Cincinnati in 2012. Mr. Lemke is from New Orleans.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 7.
National News Medicare Finalizes More Rules
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid finalized the rules for provider payments for 2017 on October 30. Mandatory cuts are made on all providers. The cut is 2 percent in 2016 and will be 2 percent in 2017, according to an announcement from the American Psychological Association (APA). APA officials also noted, “In addition to losses caused by sequestration, Medicare payments to psychologists have declined significantly since 2001 because under the current formula Medicare pays more for higher-cost, technology-driven services with high overhead.”
In another announcement, APA governmental relations officer, Doug Walter, noted that CMS has developed several new codes for the Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) but that psychologists and other behavioral providers cannot bill for these services. They are restricted to physicians in primary care, care managers, and psychiatric consultants.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 9.
Miracles for the Dying by Marilyn A. Mendoza, PhD
People always talk about Christmas miracles. It is a magical, hopeful time of year. Certainly anyone who has a loved one dying during the holidays hopes for a miracle to return their loved one to health. But there are miracles that happen to the dying all year long, yet most of us are unaware of them. These miracles bring peace and comfort to the dying and take away their fear of death. Many people would say these miracles are only a function of the dying brain, delirium or some other neurochemical byproduct. However, these miracles have a mysterious, holy and spiritual quality to them, suggesting that there is something more going on than can be explained by changes in bodily function. These miracles are produced by the dreams and deathbed visions of the dying.
Until recently these experiences have not been viewed as medically relevant and were easily dismissed and ignored. If attention were paid to them, it was usually as a sign that the patient needed to be medicated. However, research published in the Journal of Palliative Care found that these end of life experiences are emotionally and spiritually significant to the dying and those around them. A disservice is done to the dying and ourselves by not allowing the patients to talk about what is happening to them. The research demonstrates that these experiences “evoke peacefulness, comfort, a sense of wonder and awe as well as reconciling past events and accepting death.” These dreams and visions are quite different from hallucinations or delirium as they are not frightening or anxiety producing. They are described as “feeling very real” and are more memorable when compared to ordinary dreams. The majority of these dreams and visions involve reunions with long deceased loved ones or with spiritual figures. Whether awake or asleep, these experiences bring the same soothing and comforting messages: “I love you,” “I’ve come to take you home,” “Everything will be all right,” “I’ve come to show you the way.”
The most frequently appearing figures are mothers and angels. When loved ones appear in dreams and visions, they appear as whole again, younger and in good health. Patients are always changed by these dreams. Some who were experiencing anger and agitation become more peaceful. Others begin to smile and start to comfort their loved ones by telling them they will be all right because someone is coming to take them home.
“A 90 y/o woman had been speaking to dead family members for hours. But then her manner changed and she started talking about the angels made of bright lights filling her room. Then she took a final breath, smiled and died.”
It is unfortunate that many on their deathbed are reluctant to talk about these experiences for fear of being ridiculed and not believed. Unfortunately, the topic of death continues to be an area of fear and avoidance. As more information about the dying process becomes available, dying will not be such a lonely experience and asking about deathbed visions and dreams will be just as commonplace as checking vital signs. There comes a time when there is nothing left to do physically for the terminally ill. However, we as professionals can and should use this time to address their emotional and spiritual needs. This becomes a sacred time where we as therapists can help the patients and their families in their final transition.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 12.
Governor Edwards Speaks At the Louisiana School Psychological Association
Governor John Bel Edwards spoke at the Louisiana School Psychological Association’s Awards Luncheon, November 3, at the group’s Annual Conference held in early November, at the Double Tree Hilton in Lafayette.
Keever Hoffmann, LSPA President-Elect, said that Governor Edwards is noted to be a strong supporter of strengthening “student learning and preparedness at every educational level”.
Hoffmann also noted that the vast majority of school psychologists in the state of Louisiana work in K – 12 public schools. School psychologists provide direct support and interventions to students, including consulting with teachers, families, and other school- employed mental health professionals to improve support strategies; work with school administrators to improve school-wide practices and policies; and collaborate with community providers to coordinate needed services.
At this year’s conference, the Louisiana School Psychological Association hosted an estimated 200 attendees.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 12.
Dr. Addison Sandel Celebrates 90th BD
Dr. Addie Sandel recently celebrated her 90th birthday, when her sister organized a surprise celebration. “She set me up for a surprise party with all my relatives, cousins with spouses, and children from far and near,” said Addie. “Some flew, some drove, and some walked, but they all gathered at the flower and balloon bedecked community center in Florien.”
Addie’s sons took her out to dinner as a ruse, and lured her into the community center, she said. Her family and friends displayed hundreds of pictures of her, from birth to old age, she explained, including “a happy birthday banner with my young face and my old face printed on canvas that went half way across the room,” she said.
Dr. Sandel’s life and career activities were showcased in a special feature in the December 2015 issue of the Times.
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 11. Source pages: 4.
Federal health officials at HealthCare.gov have confirmed that premiums for the controversial health plan will increase next year by an average of 25 percent, with some states looking at over a 100 percent increase. Additional problems with large insurers leaving the exchanges because of losses, so that some areas have limited plans for those in the exchanges. Louisiana will go to three insurers in the exchange, from a high of five in 2014.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.