Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 9.
The Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, announced in March that it would change its name to the Health and Medicine Division. “This new name builds on the heritage of the IOM’s work in medicine while emphasizing its increased focus on a wider range of health matters.”
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 4.
Bills addressing the Medicaid expansion, cost containments for public healthcare, provider requirements, and many other topics are flooding into the committees on Health & Welfare.
A number of bills have been referred to committee last month and are currently pending, possibly due to the complexity of issues involving Medicaid expansion and the state’s serious and continued financial problems, which require juggling.
Included in these Medicaid proposals are: HB 461 which would require copayments for Medicaid-covered physician visits and non- emergency services provided in hospital emergency rooms. HB 492 is similar, authorizing collection of copayments in medical assistance programs. Both have been pending since March 14.
HB 497 by Representative Barbara Norton is an extensive measure that would provide for the Medicaid health home state plan options for those Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness. It would provide minimum delivery requirements for health home providers. It has been pending since March 14.
HB 517, by Representative Tony Bacala, is a proposal that would authorize the Department of Health and Hospitals to impose provider fees on every class of healthcare provider, facility, and service recognized in federal Medicaid regulations. This would include psychological services, as well as all other health services, such as home healthcare services, physician services, outpatient prescription drugs, dental services, and chiropractic services. The measure would also cap the fees.
SB 52 by Fred Mills proposes to create a single preferred drug list for Medicaid coverage.
He also proposed HB 106 with changes in Medicaid eligibility standards.
Senator Fred Mills at his desk in the Louisiana Senate last year. In the current legislative session he has introduced several measures, one of which relates to Medicaid standards.
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. 4. Source pages: 9.
In December 2015, defendants in the government’s case against psychologists who delivered Medicare services for people in nursing homes, asked for information to use in their defense.
According to documents posted by Leagle, defendant Gertrude Parker and her counsel asked for 1) affidavits to the seizure warrants that resulted in the forfeiture of Parker’s bank accounts; 2) the Medicare beneficiaries for whom the United States contends fraudulent services were billed; 3) the United States’ documentation and interpretation of CPT Code 96101; and 4) the identities of the unnamed co-conspirators.
Medicare publishes information about CPT Codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association but which are public by the Obama administration. The CPT code 96101 is psychological testing with a report written by a psychologist.
From available documents, it appears that the Government attorneys asked that the identities of “unnamed co-conspirators” be kept secret from defendants. Both sets of defendants appear to have requested to know the identities of these individuals. Because of an apparent time limit, this seems to have been denied Defendant Parker. However, Judge Carl Barbier appears to have granted it to Defendants John Teal and Beverly Stubblefield.
Dr. Rodney Hesson and Ms. Parker own and operate a firm that provided services across four states for several of years. Dr. Teal, a medical psychologist from Mississippi licensed in Louisiana, and Dr. Stubblefield, a well-known member of the community, are said to have worked as employees at the Hesson firm for a short time.
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. 4. Source pages: 4.
Bill Would Abolish Regents, Create New Bd of Trustees
Representative Thomas Carmody has put up a bill, House Bill 169, that would abolish the Board of Regents and the management boards, and transfer their duties and responsibilities to a newly created board, to be named the Louisiana Postsecondary Education Board of Trustees. The measure appeared on the Interim Calendar on 2/26/2016. March 14 it was read by title and referred to the Committee on Education, where it is pending.
According to the digest the new Board of Trustees who have powers to revise or eliminate programs, departments, subdivisions, and formulate revisions including distributions of funds. Each institution, instead of each management board, would submit budget proposals. The proposal would move management of public hospitals to the Board of Trustees, according to the digest.
The measure would be an amendment to the state’s constitution.
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 10.
Comments Due by April 9 Psych Board Proposes More Changes to Continuing Education Rule
The state psychology board is proposing more changes to its Rules for Continuing Education, also called Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The proposed changes modify the major changes that were made in October 2013, and which take affect in some way for most psychologists this year.
The newest proposed changes were put forth in the March issue of the Louisiana Register. Comments from the public must be received by the board by noon on April 9.
The 2013 changes added several new types of training allowed for professional development, and increased the number of required hours from 30 to 40.
Among the more significant changes proposed in March, are the following:
1) an increase the length of time that licensees must maintain continuing professional development records, from two years to six years.
2) a reduction in credits claimed for presenting a training workshop. Previously presenters could claim up to four times what attendees of the workshop earn. The new change reduces it to two times the length.
3) for “Practice Outcome Monitoring,” one client equals one credit. This changes the 2013 procedure that one questionnaire equals one credit. 4) all self-directed learning, which includes what was previously called “Home Study” is to be limited to no more than 10 hours.
5) a new document for verification, called the “CDP Verification Form,” is required for logging activities and docu- menting hours, and used for peer consultation, practice outcome measures, professional activities, and self-directed learning, and possibly others. Other changes include the addition to “Peer Consultation” as involving a “structured and organized format.”
A specific note that professional activities do not include lobbying activities is included.
For publications, credits are clarified to be: one article is equal to 10 credit hours; and a book or a book chapter, related to the field of psychology, is equal to 10 credit hours. The new Rule will delete the confusing wording in §808, having to do with calculation of credits.
In a memo dated February 29 and posted on the psychology board’s website, Executive Director Ms. Jaime Monic wrote that modifications to the Rule are expected to be effective by June. This appears to also mean that changes may be in place for the July 1 renewals.
Current LSBEP Chair, Dr. Marc Zimmermann and Vice Chair, Dr. Darla Burnett, at a previous planning meeting. The board is making more corrections and changes to the Rules for continuing education. Public omments are due by April 9.
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. 4. Source pages: 5.
House Bill 763 aimed to create and support “intervention and stabilization units” by the human services districts, passed the House and will be heard presently in the Senate Health & Welfare committee.
The proposed law defines the “intervention and stabilization unit” as a type of crisis receiving center in which a staff of mental health and behavioral health specialists provide a high level of screening and assessment to people experiencing mental health or behavioral health crises.
The digest for the proposal notes that the purpose is 1) To properly connect patients experiencing mental health or behavioral health crises to either acute or ongoing community-based treatment; (2) To diminish the need in a community for recurrent crisis services for persons suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, or both conditions; and (3) To serve as a crisis continuum component that assists law enforcement officers, hospital emergency departments, and jails by treating persons with mental health and behavioral health conditions in an appropriate setting.
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 10.
Louisiana U.S. Senator, Bill Cassidy, has helped author S. 2680, called the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016. Co-authors are Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Patty Murray of Washington, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Some of the elements of the bill include helping the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) by supporting a coordinating committee and best-practices efforts.
Grant programs are included for individuals with serious mental illness, as well as supporting efforts to promote integration of primary and behavioral health care. There is a reauthorization of a suicide prevention grant program and support of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program.
The bill includes a number of efforts without clear methods for funding the programs, according to Peter Earley, author and advocate for mental health reform. Early noted that the bill could be improved by embracing some of what is proposed in “Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act,” and also the “Comprehensive Behavioral Health Reform and Recovery Act of 2016.”
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 5.
A measure correcting a problem with a 2015 law, exempting certain facilities that provide substance abuse and mental health services to specialty courts, from certified providers.
SB 210 will change wording to ensure that providers are qualifed.
Present law provides for exceptions relative to facilities operated solely to provide substance abuse or mental health services to specialty courts.
Proposed law provides that the provisions of this Part shall not be considered to permit the rendering of mental health services by persons or facilities that are not properly licensed, certified, or registered.
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 10.
Am Psychological Association “Stress In America” Report Finds Discrimination a Stress
The American Psychological Association released its annual study of stress in American in March, titled, “Stress in America: The Impact of Discrimination.”
The authors note the connections between discrimination and stress, mental health, and the impact on employment in this year’s report. They note that nearly seven out of 10 adults in the United State report having experienced some type of discrimination. Almost half of all adults, the authors say, have experiences major forms of discrimination.
Among the conclusions, authors said the adults experiencing stress are largely optimistic and find that social support lowers the stress. Also, while women are typically more stressed, men’s stress has increased. The younger generation is reporting more stress, with money and work being the central issues identified. Adults who are LGBT report higher stress levels that their non- LGBT peers.
The report is available online at the Am. Psychological Assn.
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 5.
The LPC Board may be exempted from a law that authorizes entities issuing licenses for certain fields of work to issue provisional licenses to ex-offenders. The present law gives certain requirements about these entities who issue licenses to ex-offenders.
The bill is HB 251 and is scheduled for debate on the House floor on April 7. It was reported favorably out of committee. Sources say there will be an amendment.
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Conference May 20–21 in New Orleans Integrated Approaches Featured at LPA
At their annual convention this May, the Continuing Education Committee of the Louisiana Psychological Association will host a distinguished group of psychologists who educate and practice in the developing field of integrated health care.
“Epigenetics is the new ‘buzzword’ in areas of psychology and science, and appears to be a revolution in the understanding of how life works,” said Dr. Gail Gillespie, Chair of the Education Committee for the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA).
“The term epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence,” she explained. “Epigenetic change can be influenced by such factors as environment, nutrition, and lifestyle. New research is continuously uncovering how environmental factors switch genes on or off,” she said, “which affects how cells read genes, and the resulting connection to a variety of human disorders and fatal diseases.”
Gillespie is involved in one of the newest movements in this area called Energy Psychology. “The connection between epigenetics and psychology is most clearly revealed in new ‘energy psychology’ methods,” she said, “which are a collection of novel psychological interventions that balance, restore, and enhance functioning through the stimulation of specific meridian points on the body.”
One of the techniques she uses and teaches her patients is a tapping method for acupressure points. “Among other mechanisms, the parasym- pathetic nervous system is activated,” with this technique, Gillespie said, “which results in a deep calming effect – likened to systematic desensitization…” but more efficient and effective. This is just one of many new tools in this mind-body area.
Gillespie said she is delighted for LPA to host Dr. Gerald LaHoste, biopsychologist and professor at University of New Orleans, who will give a keynote address on “Epigenetic Foundations in Health,” May 20.
LaHoste will be followed by a distinguished panel of experts representing an array of health service contexts, Gillespie noted. Included will be Mary Lou Kelley, PhD, Professor and Director of Pediatric Psychology Service at Baton Rouge Clinic; Sarah Moody– Thomas, PhD, Professor at the LSU School of Public Health and director of the Community Health Program; and Deborah Palmer–Seal, PhD, licensed psychologist with the Health & Education Alliance of Louisiana.
Christoph Leonhard, PhD, Chair at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier University, will also speak on the panel, and discuss the Health Services Psychology training model from the American Psychological Association (APA).
In direct responses to the behavioral health care mandates under Obama Care, APA adopted a new accreditation system in February 2015, which takes affect in January 2017, and brings some key changes, Dr. Leonhard said.
The Affordable Care Act brings the integration of behavioral health into all health, including primary care, he explained. “While psychologists aren't necessarily going to be providing this care,” he said, “this mandate presents a huge opportunity for psychologists to play a much larger role in providing services in integrated health care settings. In these settings, psychologists will assess, treat, and/or consult on mental health and behavioral disorders for patients not commonly seen in traditional psychological service settings …”
This includes chronic medical problems such as obesity, substance use disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and others, he explained. “… we are training students to become 'health service psychologists,’” he said. “This term is intended generically to refer to psychological service providers, whether they be clinical psychologists, school psychologists, or counseling psychologists.”
Another way the training standards are different is the emphasis on the “working in interprofessional care settings,” he said.
“There is much psychologists already know about seizing opportunities as health service psychologists in interprofessional care settings,” Leonhard said. “Our skills in being team players with other allied health professionals as we collaborate to prevent, assess, and improve health conditions will be particularly helpful.”
“All allied health professions share a commitment to evidence-based practice but often as psychologists we are particularly well trained to assess health and mental health conditions in a reliable and valid way and to document the positive synergistic effect the addition of behavioral health care services can make to the management of many of the disorders that make up the bulk of the disease burden nation wide,” Dr. Leonhard said.
“Finally, supervision and consultation competencies have been upgraded and are now co-equal with other mandatory competencies, such as assessment, intervention, and diversity competencies,” he said.
Dr. Leonhard does see certain challenges. “It is up to us to show that as health service psychologists we are interested in doing this work, that we have specific competencies uniquely qualifying us, and that health outcomes benefit from including us in interprofessional health care teams.”
He also said that it is up to psychologists to move from their typical cottage industry type work and evolve to a new role in the interprofessional settings of the future.
The Chicago School at Xavier was set up from the beginning to train health service psychologists, Dr. Leonhard noted, and to implement these new APA standards and competencies.
The one they added was teaching. The model is the “ … Community Engaged Scholar- Practitioner model,” he said, and the department has a “… special emphasis on serving the diverse population of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Delta South region.”
The LPA Convention is scheduled to be held May 20–21 in New Orleans.
Xavier researcher Efehi Edomwonyi (L) speaks with Dr. Christoph Leonhard at the recent SEPA conference. Dr. Leonhard is Chair at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier. He will speak on new the “Health Services Psychologist” training model at the May conference of the Louisiana Psychological Assn to be held in New Orleans. Dr. Gail Gillespie (R) at a previous workshop. She is Chair of Continuing Education for the Louisiana Psychological Association and a practitioner in “Energy Psychology.” Dr. Lacey Seymour, LPA president, is in background.
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. 4. Source pages: 5.
SB 332 by Sen. Morrell Would Add Gender Identity to Employment Discrimination Protections
Senator J.P. Morrell has offered Senate Bill 332 which adds sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in provisions prohibiting discrimination.
The proposal adds definitions for purposes of the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law. The proposed law defines “sexual orientation” as an individual’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. The proposed law defines “gender identity or expression” as a gender- related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of a person regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth.
The present law authorizes the attorney general to institute civil proceedings to annul the articles of incorporation when a business or its officer engages in certain acts. The proposed law keeps much of present law but removes references to homosexuality. The proposal is currently pending in Senate Judiciary B. Senator Morrell has also submitted a bill for providing education programs in juvenile justice facilities, which is pending Senate floor debate. SB 303 would be called the ”Educational Accountability and Rehabilitation Act of 2016,” according to the digest. The measure provides for the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of juvenile justice, to develop pupil progression plans for schools under its jurisdiction and to publish the plans on its website. The bill puts forth methods for developing, implementing and measuring programs for juveniles involved in the correction systems.
Requirements for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to adopt rules to develop specialized accountability for this program is called for, along with a variety of administrative type measures.
Senator J.P. Morrell (R) at an interview in a previous legislative session. He is the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, dealing with taxation matters. And he has authored a measure to help stop discrimination due to sexual orientation.
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. 4. Source pages: 17.
Hasha, Sandoz, Landry Present for Mindfulness Day April 9, Baton Rouge
On Saturday, April 9th, 2016, the Tam Bao Meditation Hall will conduct its 7th annual Mindfulness Day for Mental Health Professionals, an all-day workshop providing six hours of continuing education credit for LPCs, psychologists and social workers.
This year’s workshop is titled, “Mindfully Addressing Emotions.” The event is held at the Tam Bao Meditation Hall, 975 Monterrey Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA
Presenters for this year’s program include Thay Dao Quang, M.Ed.; Margot Hasha, Ph.D., LCSW, CT; Emily Sandoz, Ph.D.; and Helen Landry, LCSW.
Thay Dao Quang, will provide the “Introduction, Mindfulness instruction, and Guided sitting meditation.”
Margot Hasha, Ph.D., LCSW, CT, will present, “Mindfulness Practices for Facing Grief and Loss.”
Emily Sandoz, Ph.D., will provide a presentation on “ACT: Using Mindfulness to Sponsor Meaningful Action.” Helen Landry, LCSW, will present, “Integrating Mindfulness Interventions into Your Therapy Practice.”
Dr. John Pickering, psychologist and one of the organizers, said, “Previous workshops have included topics about use of mindfulness interventions in psychotherapy, introduction to various evidence- supported therapies based on mindfulness, neuropsychological mechanisms involved in mindfulness, and the use of meditation to enhance therapists’ attention, presence and empathy.”
The popularity of Mindfulness as a therapy method and technique has grown in recent years, as evidence for its effectiveness and research findings have been helped understanding.
“As always, there will be several short periods of guided meditation led by a Zen Buddhist monk throughout the day,” Dr. Pickering said.
The lotus window is one of those decorating the Tam Bao Meditation Hall in Baton Rouge, where the Annual Mindfulness Day is held each year. (Courtesy photo.)
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 6.
A bill that will add starvation and malnutrition to the definition of "serious bodily injury" to child abuse reporting laws, has passed the Senate in a 33 to 0 vote. It now moves to the House.
The law, authored by Senators Claitor, Barrow, Colomb and Representative James, retains the present law and is to be known as the Alfred C. Williams Child Protection Act. Present law provides that any person who, pursuant to present law, is required to report the sexual abuse of a child, or the abuse or neglect of a child that results in the serious bodily injury, neurological impairment, or death of the child, and the person knowingly and willfully fails to so report is to be fined not more than $3,000, imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than three years, or both.
Present law defines "serious bodily injury" as injury involving protracted and obvious disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty, or substantial risk of death.
Proposed law retains present law and adds injury resulting from starvation or malnutrition to the definition of "serious bodily injury."
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Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 18.
Professional Training Resources and Dr. John Simoneaux will offer “Going to Court Even If You Don’t Want To,” for mental health professionals throughout April. Training opportunities are offered in Lafayette on April 8, in Kenner on April 15, and in West Monroe on April 22.
The workshop is aimed to help mental health professionals analyze various challenges that non-forensic specialists may encounter when they are ordered to testify. Participants will be provided strategies for preparing for court and communicating with attorneys. Information about direct and cross- examination is included.
More information is available online at the PRT website.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.