March 1st, 2013
By James K Luiselli EdD ABPP BCBA-D
“Getting the Most Out of Clinical Training and Supervision: A Guide for Practicum Students and Interns” By Carol A. Falender and Edward P. Shafranske American Psychological Association Washington, D.C. 2012 ‘Masterful’ resource fills training literature void Reviewed by James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D Much has been written about conducting clinical supervision with psychology trainees. Indeed, as the authors of this book contend, “Supervision is the major means of transmission of the foundations of the psychology profession to students, trainees and supervisees in development.” And yet, there are few resources that address the needs and abilities of the people who [More]
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March 1st, 2013
By Edward Stern J.D.
On Dec. 14, 2012, a 20-year-old male shot and killed his mother in their home and then killed 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school The perpetrator reportedly broke into a locked school by shooting his way through a glass door, carrying a Bushmaster XM-16 rifle, a 10mm Glock 20SF handgun and a 9mm SIG Sauer handgun. A shotgun, allegedly owned by his mother, was also found in his car. He allegedly killed his mother with a .22 Marlin rifle which was left at her home and there was also a .45 Henry repeating rifle and a [More]
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March 1st, 2013
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
Last month marked the twentieth anniversary of New England Psychologist. This month is the twentieth anniversary of this column. It started with a telephone call from the publisher and an invitation to write a column about the day-to-day experiences of a psychologist and the reflections to which these experiences gave rise. And so we called the column, In Person. In all that I have written, I have always intended and hoped that my experiences would reflect yours as we journeyed together through our changing personal and professional lives. If you are reading these words in the later stages of your [More]
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February 1st, 2013
By Phyllis Hanlon
The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has given the green light for partial application now with full implementation of the law slated for 2015. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides more Americans with insurance coverage, including equal access to medical and mental health services, the role psychologists will play in the delivery of services remains unclear. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the ACA eliminates coverage exclusion due to pre-existing conditions; removes annual or lifetime caps on coverage; forbids rescinding coverage; and creates a basic benefit package [More]
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February 1st, 2013
By Phyllis Hanlon
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act represents one of the most ambitious health care reform initiatives this country has experienced. One of the law’s provisions calls for the creation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), systems that aim to provide improved care coordination and save money through better health management and preventative strategies. The ACO concept originated in March 2011 when the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a set of rules that would provide complete and coordinated care for Medicare recipients. Under a collaborative system, providers, practices and hospitals work together to treat a patient across several [More]
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February 1st, 2013
By Janine Weisman
What should you do if a gunman suddenly bursts into your school or workplace? The conventional answer has long been lockdown: hide quietly, lock or barricade doors, turn off lights and equipment and wait for police. But that passive response frustrates many as mass shootings – and anxiety about public and personal safety – continue to increase. Newer emergency response training programs teach participants to consider ways of fighting back against a shooter. School officials in Canton, Mass., recently implemented an active shooter training program for students and staff known as A.L.i.C.E. (Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate) that covers how [More]
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February 1st, 2013
By Phyllis Hanlon
As of January 1, psychologists nation-wide have a new practice issue with which to contend. After conducting its routine five-year review, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have made some changes to current procedural terminology (CPT) psychotherapy codes. Appropriate use of these new codes will mean the difference between reimbursement for services billed and denials. According to the American Psychological Association Practice Organization (APAPO), many diagnostic and therapeutic services bear new code numbers and the existing numbers for these services will no longer be used, although the basic services will remain the same. Specifically, three new psychotherapy codes [More]
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February 1st, 2013
By Phyllis Hanlon
The October 2012 issue of New England Psychologist reported on the passage of “An Act Improving the Quality of Health Care and Reducing Costs Through Increased Transparency, Efficiency and Innovation,” legislation largely due to the joint advocacy of the Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society (MNS) and the Massachusetts Psychological Association (MPA). The groups’ unified front not only served as a driving force in passing this bill, but has also become a prime example of professional cooperation. According to Michelle L. Imber, Ph.D., ABPP, a private practitioner in Boston and consultant for disability determination services, MNS and MPA have cooperated on issues for [More]
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February 1st, 2013
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Practice trends at odds with study results For a treatment that’s existed for nearly a century, the function of electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, is still somewhat of a mystery. Researchers are at a loss to explain why sending an electronic current through the brain, causing a convulsion similar to a grand mal epileptic seizure, relieves acute feelings of depression. Once known as “shock therapy” or “electric shock treatment,” ECT began in the 1930s when psychiatrists in Italy noticed that schizophrenic patients improved temporarily after a spontaneous seizure. Early attempts at replicating the effect with patients were partially successful and the [More]
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February 1st, 2013
By Pamela Berard
Researchers at Connecticut’s Hartford Hospital Institute of Living are conducting a clinical trial to investigate the use of neuronavigation in combination with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). TMS – an FDA-approved treatment for depression – delivers magnetic pulses to the surface of a patient’s scalp. Typically, a standardized measurement is used to figure out where to place the magnetic coil; but with neuronavigation, the Institute of Living is determining the location to administer treatment by using each person’s unique brain scan. “The neuronavigation uses the patient’s MRI, so we can actually say, ‘Here’s the area [More]
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