November 1st, 2012
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Ten years ago, Michael McManmon’s life changed drastically. When the founder of a post-secondary college and employment program for young adults with learning differences was approached by a staff member who thought he showed many of the traits of Asperger’s, he began to see himself anew. After more research into the syndrome, McManmon started work on his own issues, which, in turn, led him to focus more on the children with Asperger’s he had already been serving. Because of his diagnosis, McManmon, Ed.D., has been able to broaden his own horizons. Today, the College Internship Program has expanded to six [More]
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November 1st, 2012
By Janine Weisman
Research has suggested politicians, especially U.S. presidents, are narcissists. But are they psychopaths too? Successful ones share a boldness associated with psychopathy, according to a new study led by Emory University clinical/personality psychologist Scott O. Lilienfeld, Ph.D. The study, comparing 42 U.S. presidents up to and including George W. Bush, was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. President Barack Obama was not included because his personality data was unavailable. William Henry Harrison and James Garfield were excluded because of their brief presidencies. Presidents ranking highest in what Lilienfeld calls “fearless dominance” – the ability to control others [More]
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November 1st, 2012
By James K Luiselli EdD ABPP BCBA-D
“Billing and Collecting for Your Mental Health Practice: Effective Strategies and Ethical Practice” By Jeffrey E. Barnett and Steven Walfish American Psychological Association Washington, D.C., 2012 Authors offer ‘nuts and bolts’ advice Reviewed by James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D If you are a psychologist in private practice, the matter of billing and collecting for services rings true. Quite simply, your clinical skills alone do not drive success. Rather, you must be paid in a timely manner without impacting the care you deliver to clients. While most of us acquired billing and collecting pragmatics through trial-and-error, reading this book [More]
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November 1st, 2012
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
On the first Tuesday in October 2012, 130 people being treated for mental illness quietly slipped away from Worcester State Hospital. They were preceded by more than three times that number of staff who had started the exodus the previous week. The first group boarded a luxury motor coach at eight in the morning for the quarter mile ride to the new Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital just down the hill from the 1950’s era building that was the last remnant of one of the first state hospitals in the country. The move was the culmination of nearly a decade [More]
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October 1st, 2012
By Phyllis Hanlon
In the last 15 years, research into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has shed more light on this complicated diagnosis, reaffirming some concepts and dispelling others. While new interventions have been, and continue to be, studied and new assessment tools created, some of the previous therapies still prevail. In recent years, ADHD has gone from being a specialty diagnosis to one of the most diagnosed and treated disorders, according to Barry Josephson, Ph.D., of Psychological Associates in Warwick, R.I., a multi-disciplinary practice. Six to ten percent of the population carries a diagnosis of ADHD, which translates to two children in [More]
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October 1st, 2012
By Pamela Berard
In the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shootings, the issue of students and mental health is again in the spotlight. Kristine Bertini, Psy.D., senior psychologist, University Health and Counseling, University of Southern Maine, says since Columbine, threat assessment and follow-through has been more closely examined at academic institutions across the country. Bertini says it’s important to spread the word about warning signs. “People need to know what to look for and how to make a referral to a professional.” USM has trained faculty and staff in both areas, with an emphasis on a “warm transfer” to counseling services. [More]
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October 1st, 2012
By Janine Weisman
Blame a little something called the Tenth Amendment. The U.S. Constitution guarantees states rights. That means individual states get to determine who may practice psychology and what type of license they must have. But things can get confusing when a psychologist licensed in one state has to travel to another to provide services for a client. Skype and other examples of modern technology make the situation even more complicated. Massachusetts allows psychologists licensed in another state to provide services within its borders one day per month or 12 days per year. Vermont requires the filing of an application form and [More]
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October 1st, 2012
By Phyllis Hanlon
This past July, the N.H. Psychological Association (NHPA) made history with the passage of House Bill 1508, creating an independent board for psychologists. Previously, Granite State psychologists belonged to the Board of Mental Health Practice (BMHP), which included social workers, pastoral counselors, marriage and family therapists and other mental health disciplines. Kathryn E. Saylor, Psy.D., executive director of the NHPA says that in recent years, structural changes and some questionable practices by the BMHP raised concern and prompted an audit by the Joint Legislative Committee on Rules (JLCAR). She says, “JLCAR found something wrong with the rules that were detrimental [More]
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October 1st, 2012
By Phyllis Hanlon
Determining the reasons insurers deny coverage of services can be a time-consuming, resource-draining task. But thanks to the combined advocacy efforts of the Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society (MNS) and the Massachusetts Psychological Association (MPA), consumers and practitioners will gain greater access to information with the passage of the “Transparency Bill.” According to neuropsychologist Karen Postal, Ph.D., ABPP (CN), instructor of psychology in Harvard Medical School’s department of psychiatry, patients who received denial notices have the right to appeal individually to the Office of Patient Protection, a lengthy and frustrating exercise. She says insurers have “found a clever workaround” when it comes [More]
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October 1st, 2012
By Jennifer E Chase
Spurwink is a cute name for a serious, nationally recognized agency that for 50 years has provided mental health and educational services to New England children, adolescents, adults and the families that care for them. The Portland, Maine-based collaborative prides itself on what President Dawn Stiles calls “a comprehensive array and continuity of services across the lifespan of individuals, from preschool services for kids with autism or behavioral issues, to in-home support services.” To keep offering the best services within the bounds of its finances and resources, however, this summer Spurwink strategically closed its flagship program and moved its youngest [More]
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