Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 10. Source pages: 9.
Clinical & Medical Psychologist, Dr. Joseph Comaty, and Louisiana State University Emerita Professor of Psychology, Dr. Claire Advocat, were featured speakers at the 2015 Fall Conference of the State Psychologist Association of New Mexico, held September 26 & 27, in Albuquerque.
Dr. Comaty spoke on, “Treatment of Special Populations: Focus on Vulnerable Populations,” He provided information on the treatment of children with selected neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD, ADHD, Tourette’s Disorder and the treatment of older adults with behavioral health disorders including those with dementia. Participants learned the most commonly used psychotropic drugs for the treatment of selected disorders of the identified vulnerable populations, and most frequently encountered adverse effects of the currently used psychotropic drugs.
Dr. Advocat presented, “Introduction to Basic Epigenetics.” She described the phenomenon of epigenetics and how it works, and discussed why epigenetic processes are relevant to the practice of prescribing psychologists. Attendees learned to about the physical components that make up the epigenome, and how they act to modulate our DNA, and the significance of epigenetics to psychological and physical health.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 10. Source pages: 13.
Student Corner Loyola Student Earns LPA Top Research Poster Honor
Ms. Sarah Scalese, a graduate of Loyola University who studied physicians’ perceptions of psychology consultations won the first place under-graduate research poster at the recent Louisiana Psychological Association convention.
Scalese worked with Dr. Amy Henke of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, to capture information about collaboration in health services.
Scalese and Henke surveyed physicians within seven specialties at Children’s Hospital and found the most commonly cited reasons for consultations with psychologists were mental health, building diagnostic evidence, and helping patients cope with illness.
Physicians also reported problems due to long waiting times for psychological services and patients refusals.
Scalese and Henke found that physicians expressed a desire for increased involvement with general outpatient services, including services from medical psychologists, and had generally positive relationships with psychology in medical settings.
The authors said the results suggest an acceptance of pharmacological treatments over non-pharmacological treatments.
The Times asked Scalese what she found to be the most important findings of her work. “What I believe to be the most fascinating, and most relevant finding to us in Louisiana, is that 77% of surveyed physicians requested more services from medical psychologists! I believe this could suggest an acceptance of psychologists as prescribers, but certainly could also highlight physicians’ adherence to the medical model (i.e. more comfort with drugs than behavioral intervention).
“It could also potentially point to a lack of success on psychology's part in helping the general public understand the power of non-pharmacological intervention,” Scalese said, “particularly as research shows that quality therapy is more efficacious for mild/moderate mental illness (i.e. mild/moderate depression) compared to medication (and results in less relapse following discontinuation!)”
Ms. Scalese is originally from the Philadelphia area and moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola.
“At Loyola, I took a field practicum class and was lucky enough to be placed in the Adolescent Behavioral Health Unit at Children’s Hospital. There, I shadowed Dr. Amy Henke, a clinical psychologist who serves as a consultant to the medical team,” she said. “It was such an incredible learning experience, I didn’t want to leave at the end of the semester. Eager to get more research experience, when Dr. Henke informed me the Psychology Department could benefit from a quality improvement project to enhance collaboration within treatment teams, I jumped at the opportunity!”
This was Ms. Scalese’s first independent research study. “… there were many small bumps along the way, despite the great support Dr. Henke provided me. I found that I had to work at a snails pace to ensure I got everything right. In particular, I had difficulty translating the data into a clear and concise visual format so that people viewing my poster could quickly understand my findings.”
Ms. Scalese is currently in the process of applying to graduate schools in clinical psychology and she hopes to study childhood trauma. She is currently working full time an Early Childhood Development Center.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 10. Source pages: 13.
LA Counseling Assn Hosts Record Crowd at September Conference
The Louisiana Counseling Association (LCA) held its convention in Baton Rouge in September. Officials reported a record attendance of almost 1,200 participants.
President Tim Fields said to members that the record crowd caused some inconveniences– “tightly packed” sessions and creative parking – but “our counseling compassion and energy to learn, share and celebrate pulled us through…”. He also noted in his message to members that the organization’s membership has grown to 2,236. Fields thanked his conference team, Executive Director Diane Austin, Business Manager Austin White, President-Elect Dr. Iman Hawash, Dr. Matt Lyons, and Strategic Planning Chair, Joyce Fields. Ms. Fields is Academic Counselor at LSU and also the Archive Chair for LCA.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 16.
The Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association will host the 2015 Gulf Coast ABA Conference October 9-10, 2015, in New Orleans. The conference will be held at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel located on the corner of Canal and Bourbon.
Keynote speaker this year is Dorothea Lerman, PhD, BCBA-D, who is Professor of Psychology, Coordinator of the M.A. Behavior Analysis Program, and Director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the University of Houston.
Lerman served in the Associate and Assistant Professor roles at Louisiana State University between 1997 and 2004. She has been Editor-in-Chief for Behavior Analysis in Practice, Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and Associate Editor for Research in Developmental Disabilities.
Dr. Lerman has served as president of APA Division 25 and also as conference co-chair for the Autism track of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. She has published numerous research articles in the field.
The Gulf Coast ABA conference will also include workshops, symposia, and poster presentations. Attendees will be able to earn continuing education and engage in community conversions with others at social and scholarly events. More information can be found at the association’s website.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 16.
Baton Rouge Louisiana Psychological Association to Hold Fall Conference November 7
The Louisiana Psychological Association will host a Fall Meeting for continuing education training, to be held in Baton Rouge on Saturday, November 7. For more information go to the LPA website.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 16.
La School Psychological Assn to Gather November 11- 13 in Lafayette, La
The Louisiana School Psychological Association will hold its 35th Annual Conference, on November 11- 13, at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, in Lafayette. This year’s theme is “Promoting Accessible and Sustainable School Mental Health Services.”
Invited speakers include Dr. Debra Duhe who will present on “Autism Diagnostic Observation Sechdule-2, Toddler Module , Video Training Program Upgrade.” And also Dr. Krisin Johnson will speak on “Using Technology to Enhance you Mental Health Services.”
Dr. Howie Knoff, will present, “Interventions for Students with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges.” And Dr. Jerome Sattler, will present on “Recent Developments in Assessment of Children.”
Other presenters include Dr. John Simoneaux who will present on “Considering Cultural Issues,” and Dr. Kevin Jones, presenting a Professional Development Forum. Dr. Constance Patterson, will offer a School Psychology Trainers Forum. And, Dr. Stacy Overstreet will present Prepared II, Day 1.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Governor Jindal has appointed Dr. Koren Boggs and Dr. Jesse Lambert to serve on the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP), according to a memo dated August 14, 2015, obtained by the Times.
Dr. Boggs is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the Autism Center of Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. She is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and International Society for Autism Research.
Dr. Lambert, of St. Amant, is a licensed clinical psychologist with St. Elizabeth Physicians in Gonzales. He is a member of the Baton Rouge Area Society of Psychologists and student member of the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists (LAMP).
The appointment came after a three-month delay and an ongoing dispute between the psychology board and the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA) over the names submitted to the Governor for appointment.
After the close of the election in January 2015 to fill a regular opening. LPA sent the names of Dr. Beverly Stubblefield and Dr. Koren Boggs to the Governor. The letter was signed by then LPA President Joe Tramontana. He wrote that Stubblefield obtained 176 votes and Boggs had 132 votes in the 2015 election. He asked that the top vote getter be appointed.
Then in May, the Senate did not confirm Dr. Comaty, which left an unexpired vacancy. Comaty had been appointed in 2014 after a contested election in which the top vote getter was Dr. Constance Patterson. Emails show that LAMP was influential in Dr. Comaty’s appointment over Patterson.
On June 1 the LSBEP held a special meeting and voted that the January letter by LPA listing Dr. Stubblefield and Dr. Boggs was wrong. The LSBEP voted that the statute should be interpreted to mean that “all” results were to be reported, including Dr. Lambert, who was 3rd place with 71 votes. The LSBEP directed Cindy Bishop, current Executive Director at LPA, to send all results to the Governor’s Office.
Dr. Lambert’s appointment maintains the six-year majority presence of medical psychologists or LAMP members on the state psychology board.
Medical psychologists (MPs) constitute about 5 percent of those licensed by the psychology board. While MPs are required to be licensed under the medical board, including their practice of psychology, a state psychology license is optional for MPs.
The LSBEP also published an Emergency Rule on July 15, which appeared to eliminate the possibility that top vote-getter Dr. Patterson might be appointed to fill the Comaty vacancy. LPA wrote asking the Governor to consider appointing Patterson, since she was high vote getter in the 2014 election.
Emails obtained this week show that on July 17, Boards & Commissions Director, Dirman Barker and the Executive Council at the Governor’s Office had a phone conference with Ms. Kelly Parker about the Rule. However, no additional information was given.
Emails obtained last month by the Times indicated that the LSBEP had requested private meetings with Boards & Commissions officials. In an email sent from Ms. Parker’s iPhone on July 9, she appeared to have met with Mr. Barker Dirmann. The topic is not known.
On August 18 the Times requested to physically examine the meetings calendar at Boards & Commissions but the request was denied. A release of documents this week did not include any calendar information about meetings.
According to the appointment letter signed by Governor Jindal, and sent to Secretary of State Tom Schedler, Dr. Boggs will replace outgoing Chair, Dr. Rita Culross. Dr. Boggs’ appointment is noted to be until 2020.
Dr. Lambert’s appointment letter notes that he is to fill the position vacated by Dr. Joe Comaty. The term is noted to extend to 2020. However, past vacancies have been filled for the unexpired portion of the term created by a vacancy.
The appointment letters were sent to Ms. Parker, Operations Director, and the LSBEP on August 25 by email.
Dr. Boggs received her degree in 2007 from the University of Mississippi and has been licensed for a number of years and in Louisiana since 2013.
Dr. Lambert has been licensed since 2009 in clinical psychology. He graduated from Argosy University in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Lambert was asked to complete a web application on the morning of August 4, and Dr. Boggs that afternoon, according to emails released by Boards & Commissions. No other nominees were contacted, based on the emails.
A look into one of the large wall mirrors in the Governor’s Offices that bookend the reception area. The Governor made appointments to the psychology board last month.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 16.
2016 –– Submissions due October 13 Southeastern Psychological Association to Meet in New Orleans, March–April 2016
The Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) will hold its 2016 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, March 30 through April 2, at he Sheraton New Orleans.
Invited talks include Dr. Oscar Barbarin, previously the Lila L. and Douglas Hertz Endowed Chair in Psychology at Tulane University, and who began a new appointment as Chair of the African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland in August 2015. Dr. Barbarin has published widely on the socio-emotional development of children, particularly boys of color. Other invited speakers include Dr. Pam Imm, community psychologist and Dr. Paschal Sheeran, who will speak on the psychology of health behavior change.
SEPA is the largest psychological organization in the Southeast, and its mission is to stimulate the exchange of scientific and professional ideas across the diverse areas of psychological inquiry and application. SEPA consists of both professional and student members.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 2.
The Opposite of Participative Government by J. Nelson
The August appointment of the 3rd place candidate, Dr. Lambert, a member of LAMP (Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists), and the steps that occurred politically in order for Dr. Lambert to be appointed, and Drs. Stubblefield and Patterson to not be appointed, confirm that the state psychology board is so entrenched in politics that only an intervention can help.
1) During the legislative session the LSBEP worked to pass a law that would have removed the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA) from the nomination process for the board.
The magnitude of the proposed change slipped past an oblivious LPA until it came into focus during the legislative session, but the real issue is that the board entered the political fray, not so curiously on the side that benefited the special interest group, LAMP.
This story included irony of Shakespearean proportions, when the board convinced FARB, an association of regulatory boards, to write a letter of support, based on the 2014 Supreme Court ruling that special interest shouldn’t be motivating decisions on regulatory boards. It is doubtful that FARB had any insight that their support aided the special interest group that has consistently exercised its political power for years on the LSBEP.
2) After a failed confirmation of a LAMP member, Dr. Comaty, the psychology board held a surprise Monday morning meeting in June, not properly communicated to the citizens by the way, and voted to give themselves authority to reinterpret the meaning of the 1964 state psychology licensing law regarding nominations/appointments.
This is astounding. By their action they declared that they are the authority to interpret the meaning of a 40-year old section of language about names going to the Governor.
Consistent with textbook group process errors, the lack of logic in their motivated action escapes them. They say the law means that “all results” of an election must be reported to the Governor. But if this were true––it is not––then the authors of the law would have created a method without a logical selection hurdle for service on a state board. The authors would have been suggesting a random, chaotic, and illogical methodology, which at best would be a clerical task with wasted energy on a farce of an election.
3) The board also published an Emergency Rule that appears to give them even more power to dictate and define the nomination process. This move eliminated another top-vote getter from consideration to fill the stop left by the failed confirmation of the LAMP member.
4) During the legislative struggles, LSBEP rejected out- of-hand, a request for democratic solutions to citizens’ political disputes, a request for a democratically designed nomination committee. (We have to ignore for now the related problem that those in the larger social environment keep “asking permission” for their own rights and obeying in Milgram style a board that exists only because the citizens themselves created it.)
It doesn’t matter that LAMP is the group behind the scenes pulling strings, it could be any political, self-interest group. We should invoke John Adams’ warning that we all need knowledge, wisdom and virtue if we expect to retain our liberties and if our social system is to thrive.
The LSBEP problems are dire. The politics continue to govern who holds seats on the board, rather than the combined voice of those voting as to who will do the best job. People are regularly placed on the LSBEP, not because they are experienced, wise and virtuous, but because they are members of a political group.
Second, the actions of the LSBEP show a strong and problematic overlap with the political, even Machiavellian, culture with norms that are the antithesis of what psychology is about and the principles we rely on. These norms directly affect LSBEP’s critical-thinking and judgment. We can predict that the quality of the board’s decisions and outcomes are similarly affected across its services.
And then, perhaps most significant long-term, the impact of the recent actions is to destroy citizens’ participation in their own government. The result of this is increased apathy, less energy and productivity, poorer decisions and problem solving, and less creativity and innovation.
But my preaching is not helping the LSBEP or anyone else for that matter. The patient is not motivated to change; the patient doesn’t have the KSAOs needed to change; the larger context is blocking change, etc., etc.
An AA truism might apply. Perhaps we must hit bottom to get better.
The question is, “Where’s the bottom?”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 3.
In August the state medical board, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME), published a Statement of Position regarding the “Use of Social Media by Physicians and Other Healthcare Providers.”
While the statement refers to physicians, it is applicable to all healthcare providers under the LSBME jurisdiction, said the authors.
The Medical Board noted that “Physicians can protect their professional relationship with patients, colleagues, and others by refraining from interacting with current or past patients on personal social networking sites such as Facebook.”
They said that it is important to note that “complete confirmation of the patient’s or physician’s identity is not possible on an electronic medium.”
The statement said that physicians should avoid posting unflattering portrayals of other healthcare providers or engaging in cyber-bullying. They said that this “… undermines public trust and could be considered unprofessional conduct.” Also, physicians must be mindful of their employer’s social media or social networking policy.
“In concordance with HIPAA laws, physicians must always protect patient privacy and should never do anything to compromise their confidentiality. While it might be of use for physicians to discuss information concerning their patients and other medical experiences outside of a clinical setting, physicians should refrain from posting or referring to identifiable patient information online.”
The authors write that physicians should constantly monitor the content that they post and what is posted about them as well as their privacy settings. They strongly recommend that physicians separate their personal and professional content online and well as keep communications consistent across all forms of communication with patients.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 4.
Drs. Susan McDaniel and Nadine Kaslow issued a memo to members of the American Psychological Association (APA) on August 14, 2015, saying that the Council of Representatives voted to prohibit psychologists from participating in national security interrogations.
The move came at the APA annual convention last month where representatives from around the country discussed the issues in a report by Daniel Hoffman. Hoffman found what he viewed as “collusion” between some APA officials and the members who worked for the Department of Defense.
McDaniel and Kaslow noted, “During our annual convention in Toronto last week, the Council voted overwhelmingly to prohibit psychologists from participating in national security interrogations.” The measure passed by a vote of 157-1, with 6 abstentions and 1 recusal.
Dr. Darlyne Nemeth, APA Council Representative and member of the Louisiana Psychological Association, told colleagues, “… I am not surprised by the dynamics revealed in this report.” She explained that she feels that the business of APA is largely conducted by the Staff and that the Council is “granted the illusion of governance,” and that the democratic process is lacking.
The resolution amends the 2013 APA Policy Related to Psychologists' Work in National Security Settings and Reaffirmation of the APA Position Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The new Resolution points to the APA Ethics Code to “take care to do no harm,” and then notes that “psychologists shall not conduct, supervise, be in the presence of, or otherwise assist any national security interrogations for any military or intelligence entities, including private contractors working on their behalf, nor advise on conditions of confinement insofar as these might facilitate such an interrogation.”
The ban “… does not apply to domestic law enforcement interrogations or domestic detention settings where detainees are afforded all of the protections of the United States Constitution, …”
“APA will continue to serve as a supportive resource for psychologists in organizational settings,” said the Resolution’s authors, “including in military and national contexts, to assist them in abiding by APA policy and the Ethics Code, while recognizing that APA members, including military and national security psychologists, strive to achieve and are responsible to uphold the highest levels of competence and ethics in their professional work.”
The policy adopted by the Council directs that psychologists can “only provide mental health services to military personnel or work for an independent third party to protect human rights at national security detention facilities deemed by the United Nations to be in violation of international law, such as the U.N. Convention Against Torture and the Geneva Conventions.”
The resolution “… invokes Ethical Principle A to ‘take care to do no harm,’” but they noted that it does not amend the Ethics Code at this time, and so is not enforceable.
Dr. Nemeth, said to colleagues, “… the 2002 relaxation of the APA Code of Ethics was apparently done with good intentions. In the end, the various changes, however, had unintended consequences regarding psychologists’ involvement in the interrogation process, which many considered to be unacceptable.” She told colleagues that she will have a “wait and see” position regarding meaningful changes.
The primary finding of Hoffman Report centered around a 2005 task force that Hoffman and others felt was topheavy with military psychologists. While the task force took the position, “Psychologists do not engage in, direct, support, facilitate or offer training in torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment,” they also found that psychologists may serve in various national security-related roles, gave only broad guidance about ethical problems, said Hoffman.
Psychologists speaking at a meeting. L to R, Drs. Joe Tramontana, Darlyne Nemeth, and Kim VanGeffen. Dr. Nemeth voted in the APA Council of Representatives vote recently, the move that banned psychologists from working in interrogations.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 4.
The American Psychological Association has placed the Louisiana State University clinical psychology doctoral training program on the “Accredited, on probation status” list. The action was reported last October and the program is currently still listed as on probation.
This decision means that APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA)” judgment ia that the program is not consistent with the Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation. According to the APA report, a program not coming into compliance within two CoA meetings after a show cause notice is assigned "accredited, on probation" status. Although it is an accredited status, "accredited, on probation" is considered by CoA to be an adverse action that serves as notice to the program, its students and the public that in the professional judgment of CoA the accredited program is not consistent with guidelines.
Remaining in good standing is LSU school psychology doctoral program. Also in good standing is the LaTech counseling doctoral program and also Tulane’s school psychology program.
The LSU clinical program is the only APA accredited clinical doctoral program in the state.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 5.
The Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists is seeking a licensed psychologist to serve in the capacity of complaints coordinator.
The individual serving in this capacity must have a strong background in ethics. This is a part-time position. Historically this position has been held by a former board member.
Interested licensed psychologists with expertise in ethics (teaching/research/practice) should send a cover letter and vita detailing their experiences in ethics and professional issues to Greg.Gormanous at La.gov.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 9. Source pages: 6.
Dr. Jason Harman, a psychological scientist with a background in human decision-making has joined the faculty at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge campus. Dr. Harman is the first new member in the rebuilding of the Industrial- Organizational psychology faculty after a two-year hiatus of the 60-year program.
Dr. Harman’s background includes work at Carnegie Mellon, Ohio University, and Bowling Green State University, with research interests in dynamic decision-making, organizational behavior, consumer behavior, and goal pursuit.
Harman told the Times that he plans on continuing his line of research on decision-making in his new position as Assistant Professor.
“I’m currently working on a write-up of a very exciting mathematical model of decision making that provides a unified account of every major anomaly in decision making research that no psychologically feasible model has yet to explain.”
He said that early feedback from leaders in this scientific area has been very positive and he is hoping for a high impact manuscript, perhaps in The Psychological Review.
“In the near future, I will be advancing some of my applied work,” he said, “hopefully with collaborations around LSU, doing research with the intent of helping people make better decisions in organization, medicine, and the environment.”
Dr. Harman said that his three years at Carnegie Mellon University were invaluable for understanding interdisciplinary collaboration. He worked in the interdisciplinary department, Social and Decision Sciences, with psychologists, economists, and public policy experts, he explained.
“The lab I worked in––The Dynamic Decision Making Lab––really embodied that interdisciplinary spirit. Cleotilde Gonzalez, the lab director and an unparalleled mentor, was trained in Human Factors but is best known for cognitive modeling,” Harman said. “My fellow post-docs were from all over the world and trained in psychology, economics, philosophy, and computer science.”
As an example, the three most significant papers Harman produced, he explained, were published in three different sciences––psychology, computer science, and operations management.
According to previous interview with Search Committee Chair, Dr. Janet McDonald, the department will also be adding an Associate Professor in the IO program who will direct the Industrial-Organization Ph.D. program and guide its future growth in collaboration with the Department Chair, Dr. Jason Hicks.
“The department is very fortunate to have hired Dr. Harman. His research expertise will benefit not only the IO program, but the department on the whole,” said Dr. Hicks. “I can also envision very interesting and productive research collaborations with others at LSU that have an interest in his research areas,” he said. “We look forward to Dr. Harman’s influence on the rebuilding process for the IO area.”
Dr. Harman said, “Rebuilding the IO program here at LSU is going to be an adventure and I think we have the opportunity to create a unique and well known program very quickly.”
“Two keys to this are the hiring of two new IO faculty members this year and building exciting collaborations with faculty across the campus,” Harman said. “Those relationships hold a greater potential for the future than I could imagine and I’m excited to see where things go.”
How does he like it at LSU? “Apart from the heat and the man-eating insects, I love everything so far! The campus is beautiful,” he said. “The psychology department is both well supported by the university and friendly and welcoming––a rare duo from my experience visiting different universities during my job search.”
The LSU Industrial-Organizational Psychology Program was one of the oldest, continuously running I/O programs in the US, with a long, distinguished legacy. It marked its 60th anniversary in 2012, beginning in 1952 with Dr. Bernard Bass, an early expert in I/O who gained national acclaim for his work in transformational leadership.
Dr. Jason Harman (L) unpacks boxes at his new office in the LSU Psychology Department. Chair Dr. Jason Hicks (R) is looking forward to rebuilding the Industrial-Organization area.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
In the spring the Legislature raised the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 50¢ and passed HB 158 to increase the awareness of the Smoking Cessation Trust. But after 50 years and major improvements, Louisiana still needs more quitters.
Dr. Sarah Moody-Thomas and Dr. Amy Copeland are in the vanguard of changes in the state. The Times talked to them about their work and efforts to reduce the leading preventable cause of death.
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Surgeon General’s report on smoking. The report, Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General, shocked a nation where a full 44 percent of people smoked and 56 percent did not believe in adverse health consequences for smokers.
For the next 50 years psychologists and behavioral scientists lent their effort to the public health challenge. The changes have been considerable. Today, only 17.8 percent of adults smoke.
But it is still not enough. Smoking accounts for one in five deaths. And in Louisiana 23.5 percent of adults and 12.1 percent of high school students smoke, according to the Campaign for Tobacco- Free Kids.
Dr. Sarah Moody- Thomas, the Charles L. Brown, Jr., MD Professor of Health Promotion at LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, School of Public Health, is working diligently to push that number lower.
“Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the nation and the world,” Moody- Thomas said. “A question…What are psychologists willing to do to change this?” she said.
Dr. Moody-Thomas is the Director of the Behavioral and Community Health Services and the LSU Tobacco Control Initiative, called the TCI.
“These are exciting times in the field of tobacco control,” she said. “We have known for the past 100 years that tobacco use is harmful. Last year, with the publication of the 2014 Report of the Surgeon General, our nation celebrated 50 years of progress toward reducing tobacco use and the disease burden and mortality caused by smoking.”
“The discipline of Psychology should take pride in this anniversary,” she said, “the research and practice of our colleagues contributed to understanding the complex behaviors associated with tobacco use, addiction and cessation.”
Moody-Thomas points to several important figures. Numbers from 2011 to 2013 show that the rates declined from 25.7 to 23.5 percent for adults in Louisiana, she explained.
“Although low-income and minority populations continue to have the highest rates of smoking,” she said, “we’ve made small gains in reducing the prevalence of tobacco use among adults in the state.”
She noted that more males smoke (25.2 percent) compared to females (19.1 percent). High school graduates smoke more (35.9) than college graduates (13.2). And those earning less than $15,000 a year smoke more (31.9 percent) than those earning $50,000 a year (18.7)
More Caucasians smoke (22.6) than African Americans (20.8) or Hispanics (17.0). Also, Moody-Thomas noted that 33.8 percent of persons without health insurance report that they are smokers.
The political and culture climate in the state is seeing some changes. In June this year the legislature raised tax on cigarettes by 50 cents, from 36-cents to 86-cents a pack. Lawmakers also passed House Bill 158 to increase awareness of and access to smoking cessation programs and services available in Louisiana. The bill directed the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) to coordinate public health, Medicaid, and other programs with the Smoking Cessation Trust.
The Smoking Cessation Trust was established in 2011 after the judgment in a class action lawsuit, Scott v. American Tobacco Company, directed tobacco companies to fund a statewide 10-year smoking cessation program to benefit more than 200,000 Louisiana smokers.
Dr. Moody-Thomas is looking toward building on these changes. “The next steps are to use technology to increase awareness of free cessation resources available to tobacco users and expand utilization of the services,” she said.
“Our state has yet another landmark decision in the field of tobacco control––The Smoking Cessation Trust [SCT].” She said, “This free program offers evidence-based cessation services to smokers who are certified as members of the class.”
“The TCI has been working with partner facilities to implement the use of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology to increase awareness of SCT benefits and provide electronic referral to determine eligibility and certification.”
Dr. Moody-Thomas said she welcomes any opportunity to share information with anyone interested in learning more.
“Psychologists are among the health care professionals who may be eligible to bill the SCT for treating members of the class,” she said.
Louisiana residents who started smoking before September 1, 1988, may qualify to receive services. Approved members of this class can receive at no cost cessation services, including cessation medications, individual & group cessation counseling, telephone quit-line support, and/or Intensive cessation support services.
“Those interested in finding out if they are eligible for reimbursement for treating tobacco users should visit the SCT website,” Moody-Thomas said.
Moody-Thomas pointed out that some of the recent policy changes in the state may have a positive impact.
“The Smoke-free Air Ordinance in New Orleans and the statewide increase in the excise tax on a pack of cigarettes are among the policy changes,” she said.
“Recent legislation increased the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 36 to 86 cents,” she said. This increased tax on cigarettes may be important, “because research indicates every 10 percent increase in tax on a pack of cigarettes results in a 4 percent decrease in tobacco use among adults and a 6 to 7 percent decrease among youths.”
“And, price increases are even more effective in reducing smoking among males, Blacks, Hispanics, and lower- income smokers,” she explained.
The “…Clean Air ordinance gives voice to a unique group of underserved, and over-exposed, persons––musicians, and bar and casino workers,” she said. “The hope is that other cities and municipalities will adopt similar ordinances to protect the health of all residents.”
Fully implemented in seven of LSU’s public hospital facilities before the transition to public-private system, Dr. Moody-Thomas’ TCI program was a recognized success. Its patient “quit rates” doubled between 2007 and 2009. In 2010, the National Association of Public Hospitals recognized the TCI as an outstanding program for the use of health information technology in the identification and treatment of tobacco use.
“The TCI continues to provide evidence- based cessation services to patients, facility employees and community members throughout the state,” Moody- Thomas said. “These include provider training, individual and group behavioral counseling and cessation medications. We are emerging from the transition that occurred when oversight of the public hospital system transferred to private entities.”
“I chose to view this change as an opportunity,” she explained. “It has been an opportunity to share the skills, expertise and lessons learned during the successful ten-year development and evaluation of the TCI program.”
Dr. Moody-Thomas has extensive experience and background in the community. She has served as a member of the psychology faculties of Louisiana State University and University of New Orleans (UNO), and became chair of the psychology department at UNO. While at UNO she maintained a small clinical practice. Her expertise has been recognized by her appointment to two committees of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine: Preventing Nicotine Addiction in Children and Youths, and Cancer Research Among Minorities and the Medically Underserved.
Another group at the vanguard of work and research in smoking cessation is the team at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Smoking and Substance Abuse Clinical Research Laboratory, where Dr. Amy Copeland, Medical Psychologist, Associate Professor at LSU, and Adjunct Associate Professor at Pennington, leads a team of researchers and clinicians to help people stop smoking.
In combination with her research efforts to discover the cues for relapse, she and her team use empirically supported counseling techniques, and a combination of behavioral and pharmacological therapies, to produce best possible outcomes.
The Times asked Dr. Copeland and advanced doctoral student MacKenzie Peltier, M.A., about their work at their Smoking and Substance Abuse Clinical Research Laboratory.
“We continue to identify and investigate cognitive and affective variables that influence smoking and substance use initiation, maintenance, and cessation efforts,” Copeland said.
“Examples of these are smoking outcome expectancies, such the person’s beliefs about the reinforcing and punishing effects associated with smoking.” She pointed to examples such as “Smoking helps control my appetite” or “A cigarette helps me calm down when I’m nervous.”
“We’ve found in the past that cognitions such as these—especially those relating to management of negative moods are very potent motivators to smoke,” Copeland said, “and some such beliefs even persist in exsmokers despite their nonsmoking status. Unfortunately, these beliefs can be a risk for relapse.”
“One of our most exciting new studies involves the use of electronic cigarettes [e-cigs] and the attitudes toward their use, especially among college students on campus,” explained Copeland.
“Many users attempt to quit smoking regular cigarettes by using e- cig/vaping devices and are unaware that these present many of the same health concerns as do regular cigarettes. In fact, we’re finding that individuals who smoke regular cigarettes are the most uninformed about adverse effects of e-cigs, as compared to nonsmokers and current e-cig users.”
Copeland and MacKenzie see the new trends and efforts in public health as very positive. “The fact that Louisiana State University (LSU) is now a smoke-free campus is a huge accomplishment that many on campus have been striving for many years,” Copeland said. “My lab and graduate students were involved in the student organization that advocated for a Tobacco Free campus.”
“There will also be opportunities for us––our campus clinic––to assist those who violate this policy, as they will receive sanctions from the LSU Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability.”
“Also, it is important that there is a growing movement towards tobacco free policies,” she said, “but many are utilizing vaping/e-cigarettes to ‘get around’ the bans.” She noted that future policies need to include vaping to continue moving towards truly tobacco-free environments.
In the past, Copeland and her team have looked at heavy smokers who are not necessarily interested in quitting smoking. In a previous interview she explained, “We are using motivational interviewing strategies by providing health-related feedback on breath carbon monoxide, pulmonary lung functioning and blood pressure. We call it a health screen for smokers.”
“Most smokers want to quit, on some level,” she said. “If they are not particularly motivated at the time, then the more tailored the information is to their specific needs, as far as health feedback, the more meaningful it is to the patient.” Dr. Copeland explained, “Identifying concerns for the smoker can be key to motivating smokers to quit.”
One of her current manuscripts addresses this area, “Personalized health feedback to heavy smokers as a brief motivation interviewing strategy.” Copeland’s hope is that this type of brief intervention can ultimately be delivered in a primary care setting by health professionals.
She explained that the literature indicates that when physicians or psychologists spend just five minutes talking to patients about quitting smoking, it can make a “huge difference.”
“When they are ready, encourage the combination of behavioral counseling, cognitive behavioral, and some sort of pharmacotherapy. These make withdrawal a lot easier for people. It still takes work, but these certainly take the edge off of withdrawal symptoms.”
Dr. Copeland stated that there are many resources online, making good information and advice available to smokers who cannot, or opt not to, participate in face-to-face programs.
However, she said, “I still think the group setting is best for people. You can see the camaraderie develop among group members as they go through withdrawal together.” She noted that then they can support each other and implement the tools they’ve learned, the cognitive and behavioral coping responses, to get through the urges.
“Once people understand the associative nature of urges and cravings, and that laying down new memories and forming new associations will work, it’s going to get a lot easier.”
Dr. Sarah Moody-Thomas, Professor of Health Promotion at the LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Public Health. She is the Director of the LSU Tobacco Control Initiative.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.