Download The MPA Spring Convention and Other Learning

The MPA Spring Convention
and Other Learning Opportunities
Christopher Sterling, Psy.D.
E
njoyment of learning is one of the most
rewarding experiences of our profession. To
add to this excitement, this year’s Annual
Spring Convention on March 28 will address the
topic of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Attendees at this year’s spring convention will enjoy
two excellent presenters: Dr. Ira Glovinsky and Ms.
Beth Osten, M.S., OTR/L. Glovinsky and Osten will
provide up-to-date information about new
developments regarding diagnosis and treatment of
Autism Spectrum Disorders. This will be a rare
opportunity to hear and learn from two presenters
each of whom has decades of experience – all while
in the comfort of MSU’s Henry Center in East
Lansing.
Ira Glovinsky is a licensed psychologist with a
background in psychology and special education. He
graduated from The University of Michigan with a
Ph.D. in Special Education with a specialty in
emotional impairments in children, and then went on
to receive his license in psychology. Glovinsky is
presently on the Ph.D. faculty of the Interdisciplinary
Center for Developmental and Learning Disorders
(ICDL) Graduate Program where he teaches courses
in Human Development and Individual Differences.
He is also the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
for the ICDL Graduate Program.
Dr. Glovinsky worked closely with Dr. Stanley
Greenspan and together they published two books on
bipolar patterns and mood swings in young children
(Children and Babies with Moodswings, 2002;
Bipolar Patterns in Children, 2007). He has also
published articles on pediatric bipolar disorder in
refereed journals.
Glovinsky’s background includes work in neonatal
intensive care and in early intervention for preschool
aged children with emotional disturbances. He has
directed two clinical preschool programs including
one at Hawthorn Center, a children’s psychiatric
hospital in Northville, Michigan and The Village
Education Center. He has a specialty in autism
spectrum
disorders
and
is
certified
in
Developmentally Based, Individual Difference,
Relationship Based (DIR) treatment, one of two
professionals to be certified in DIR in Michigan. He
is a Fellow of the Michigan Psychological
Association and a member of the American
Psychological Association and Society for Research
in Child Development.
Presenting with Dr. Glovinksy will be Beth Osten,
MS, OTR/L, who has more than three decades of
pediatric
experience.
Osten
received
her
undergraduate degree from the University of
Washington, Seattle, and her master's degree from the
University of Illinois at Chicago. Her graduate
studies focused on sensory integration theory and
practice, as well as on infant motor development. She
brought this expertise to her practice in clinical,
research and academic settings, including Beth Osten
& Associates, Michael Reese Hospital, the Illinois
1
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
Institute for Developmental Disabilities, and the
University of Illinois at Chicago.
Beth Osten specializes in sensory processing and
motor disorders in infants and young children,
including children on the autism spectrum. She
helped to develop the Test of Infant Motor
Development, a diagnostic motor evaluation for
premature and young infants. Currently, she is a
faculty member and lecturer with both the ICDL and
the Profectum Foundation, which trains parents and
practitioners in developmental and behavioral
interventions. She has presented both nationally and
internationally on topics including infant motor
development, care to the high-risk infant, sensory
integration, the treatment of autism spectrum
disorder, and the DIR model.
After Dr. Glovinsky and Beth Osten review the early
history of Autism Spectrum Disorder, contemporary
theory will be presented. And the complex
information
processing
related
to
“underconnectivity” will be discussed. Participants
will learn to translate this information and apply it to
the early signs of the disorder, especially after 12
months of age. The presenters will also discuss the
DSM-V as it relates to Autism Spectrum Disorder. In
addition, clinicians and therapist will be introduced to
components of treatment of children with Autism
Spectrum Disorder and their families.
The
importance of relationships to treat Autism Spectrum
Disorder will also be addressed.
Recent practical concerns have been a focus of the
Program Committee’s attention. On May 17, 2014,
MPA will bring Dr. Steven Walfish to present on two
topics: the complexities of closing a practice due to
retirement, moving, or other life changes, and issues
regarding billing and collection. This presentation
will allow clinicians to sign up for either or both
topics.
It is hoped this will allow Michigan
Psychologists to pick and choose the topics they are
most interested in learning.
Learning opportunities will continue through 2014 as
coming seminars will be addressing the Affordable
Care Act, ICD-10, and Identity and Culture. Keep in
touch on the MPA website for dates.
Contact Christopher Sterling, Psy.D. at
[email protected].
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The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
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3
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
Meet Your President: Tamara McKay, Ph.D.
Jack P. Haynes, Ph.D.
Dr. Tamara McKay began her involvement with and
commitment to MPA as a student during her Wayne
State University graduate program years. I know
from my own direct experience at that time that
Tamara was actively participating at MPA workshops
and conferences. As the new MPA president Tamara
has particular interest in diversity and in the
restructuring of the Diversity Committee. Tamara
also values MPA increasing its emphasis on social
justice and social responsibility. It is clear in
speaking with Tamara that she is not only committed
to MPA but also to psychology and broader social
advocacy concerns that should involve psychologists.
Tamara has been interim director of CAPS since
2012, employed by the University of Michigan-Flint
since 2007.
She works in a clinical setting
supervising providing mental health services and
disability services -- physical and psychiatric
disabilities, temporary or chronic, under ADA
accommodations. She is involved in training as well
as advocacy. Section 504 comes into play in terms of
having an accessible campus. Tamara often works
with students with chronic exposure to poverty and
violence, which can be significant factors. At the
present time Tamara does not have a private practice.
Tamara completed her Ph.D. in the Wayne State
University Clinical Psychology program in 2011 and
is in the process of preparing for taking the EPPP
examination. Her training also has been as a
generalist, working mostly with adult clients, but also
some children and adolescents.
experience. She also has a teaching background,
recently having taught in the
U of M-Flint
Psychology Department.
Tamara is from a small town in Genessee County,
also living one year in Lansing and three years in
Detroit. She feels that part of her identity as a
psychologist
is
understanding
community
psychology. She grew up aware that context matters.
She thinks deeply about the interaction of individual
differences,
personality
development,
and
environment.
Tamara has a 20-year-old son who is a college
student at a private school out of state. In the little
time she has for hobbies and other pastimes, Tamara
likes to watch movies, likes to fish (no ice fishing),
crochets, and is learning to knit. She also works on
her house in her spare time.
Tamara welcomes and encourages input from and
broader participation by MPA members. She looks
forward to a thoughtful and active year as MPA
President.
She
can
be
contacted
at
[email protected].
To comment or to reach Jack Haynes, Ph.D.,
email him at [email protected]
Psychology was a career change for Tamara. She
began in public administration in the not-for-profit
sector. Her current work combines her clinicallybased training and skill with her administrative
4
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT:
Advocacy
Tamara McKay, Ph.D.
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the
service of others.
--Mahatma Gandhi
health issues in Michigan (see MPIC’s Members
page for a complete listing).
Never believe that a few caring people can't change
the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.
--Margaret Mead
It occurred to me that others may want information
about organizations with which to become affiliated.
Some may benefit from mentoring on how to get
involved in advocacy efforts and how to make an
impact in their communities, for instance students
and early career professionals.
If you have
information to share or would be interested in
becoming a mentor, please contact me directly.
Advocacy is a profoundly rewarding way to make a
contribution to the world and be a part of something
greater than ourselves. In my candidacy statement
for President-Elect, I wrote, “MPA plays a vital role
in providing public education and advocating for
many important issues. The individual and collective
expertise of our members has transformative power
for our clients, communities, and the state of
Michigan.”
Psychologists make a difference in the lives of so
many in a multitude of ways. While the day-to-day
work of supporting and treating clients consumes so
much of our time and energy, we still find a way to
use our expertise to be advocates for others. These
are commendable and noble endeavors. It is a
privilege to belong to a group of professionals that
give so much and use their power for good. I thank
you for all that you do.
In December, 2013, the Michigan Partners in Crisis
(MPIC) held an annual convention where it reviewed
the progress of its efforts to address issues related to
Mental Health Courts and related legislation. A
summary of MPICs 2013 Initiatives and Outcomes
can be found on the website here. It was humbling to
witness the passion and dedication of so many. It
was also enlightening to find out more about other
associations and organizations that address mental
Of course, the most immediate way of increasing
your level of involvement is to join one of the MPA
Committees. MPA is a volunteer organization and
relies heavily on members’ contributions to sustain
its efforts. A full list of Policy Committees can be
found under the “About MPA” tab on the web site.
Thank you to everyone that has shown an interest in
the vacant Chair positions. The Board is reviewing
that material and will announce new Committee
Chairs following the March meeting.
It isn’t easy to maintain involvement in these
activities as the practice setting and parameters
continue to evolve. But this work is incredibly
important, so please be encouraged, remain
committed, and stay the course. You make a
difference!
For those interested in mental health legislation, a
Legislative Tracking Report is available at
www.michiganpsychologicalassociation.org/docs/MP
A-Tracking-Report.pdf.
To comment on this column, contact
Tamara McKay, Ph.D. at [email protected]
5
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
Be a Better You by Taking Care of You
Cheval Breggins, MBA – Executive Director
Many of my friends and associates stated that they
were less busy during the winter season because once
they returned home they were in for the day. The
severe winter season was too much, even for avid
winter lovers. Now, time springs forward and so does
our life within a day. Tax season has replaced skiing
season. Many people have added additional tasks on
the calendar. We have replaced severe winter and
holiday shopping with the tax season and the “good
weather” activities.
Regardless of the change of seasons, what did not
change were our methods for managing stress and
time. Liam E. Bennett wrote an article entitled, Stress
and Time Management: Managing Your Busy Life
and suggests that the management of stress and time
are tied together. As we add activities to our life
calendar, we begin to think that and behave as if we
cannot back away from responsibilities and
commitments. These thoughts and actions not only
increase our stress level, but we begin thinking and
acting as if we have to accept the current level of
stress -- which is not true.
We have family, work, and personal obligations that
take time and raise the stress level. We may have a
significant other, children, grandchildren, and aging
parent obligations and responsibilities that cannot be
eliminated or reduced. Liam Bennett suggests that we
brainstorm options that allow us to better manage
responsibilities resulting in making life easier for us.
We could collaborate with other parents to establish a
car pool system for the children and grandchildren.
We could ask our significant other to adjust their
schedule to pick up one or two of our commitments.
We could ask siblings to assist in the care of aging
parents.
Now that we have left the house for the day,
managing stress and time are often major issues for
our professional or work life. Bennett states that the
development and assessment process of our calendar
is paramount. Make sure we give ourselves time to
really get something done and not schedule meetings
or tasks on top of each other. Remember a Smart goal
or objective must be Realistic. We must prioritize our
meetings and tasks. We only have so many work
hours in one day and you may not be able to do it all
(build Rome, for instance) in one day. When
developing the calendar, build in time to work in
peace and quiet. Your quiet may require some lowvolume, soft, and relaxing music in the background.
Before, during, and after work we may have
religious, community, or children event obligations
that require your time. Managing stress and time
becomes an issue when we overcommit in our
personal life.
Yes, Liam Bennett said this, but I am sure we have
our own testimonials. We must ask ourselves how
many volunteer opportunities can we take on and
continue to be effective. We must have a plan for
each personal obligation that includes recruiting
others to become part of the team immediately or as
your replacement. We must provide opportunities for
others to serve, while we serve in an advisory
capacity.
This article may have described some of your
patients or colleagues. As experts in the helping
6
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
profession, you must help you. If you are struggling
managing time and stress, you can become unhappy - even if the weather is good according to your
standards. Not only will you become unhappy, you
will be less effective in all that you do. Work to
improve your stress and time management. Taking
care of yourself will result in a better you taking care
of others. Your comments
welcomed.
and
suggestions
are
always
I welcome your input, questions and concerns about MPA;
you can contact me at [email protected] or call me at 517-391-0182.
MPA Spring Convention
March 28, 2014 - MSU Henry Center - 3535 Forest Road , Lansing, Mi 48910
Join Us This Spring To Learn About Topics Important To Every Psychologist
2014 SPRING CONVENTION – AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
PRESENTERS: Ira Glovinsky, Ph.D. Beth Osten, M.S., OTR/L
Welcome to the 2014 Spring Convention of the Michigan Psychological Association. We’re pleased to announce
that our presenters will be Dr. Ira Glovinsky and Ms. Beth Osten. They will provide information on current
research, diagnosis, and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The Spring Convention is an excellent opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and network with psychologists
from across Michigan. The convention is also where we honor psychologists in Michigan that are recipients of
both the Distinguished Psychologist Award and the Beth Clark Award, as well as acknowledge the new MPA
Fellows. There will be time during the luncheon to find out about the activities of MPA by speaking with
Committee Chairs and other Committee members.
As always, there will be vendors at the Spring Convention offering products and services of value to psychologists.
If you’re not already a member of MPA, please talk with any member of the Board of Directors and/or Committee
member about how to join and become involved with this wonderful organization.
Presenters
Ira Glovinsky, Ph.D.
Dr. Ira Glovinsky is one of two persons certified in the state of Michigan in Developmentally Based, Individual
Differences, Relationship Based Therapy (DIR), a treatment model that is used with children on the autism
spectrum. He specializes in pediatric mood disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder. His work with infantile
autism disorder started in the 1970s. He has co-authored two books with Dr. Stanley Greenspan, Bipolar patterns
in Children and Children and Babies with Mood Swings. He has published articles and monograph chapters on
pediatric bipolar disorder. Dr. Glovinsky is the Chief Academic Officer of the Interdisciplinary Council for
Development and Learning, an online doctoral program offering a Ph.D. in Infant Mental Health and
Developmental Disabilities. He is presently in private practice in West Bloomfield, Michigan and heads a
multidisciplinary center, Glovinsky Center for the Family.
7
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
Beth Osten, M.S., OTR/L
Ms. Beth Osten, M.S., OTR/L is a prominent pediatric therapist with 40 years of experience working with children
with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental challenges. She has been an international presenter on
infant mental health topics. She has presented and worked with Dr. Stanley Greenspan as a contributor to the
“Diagnostic Manual for Infancy and Early Childhood”. Her work also contributed to “Psychodynamic Diagnostic
Manual” (2006). She is presently the director of a large multidisciplinary pediatric therapy practice in the Chicago
area.
Agenda
8:30 a.m.
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
10:30 - 10:45 a.m.
10:45 - Noon
Noon - 1:30 p.m.
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
3:00 - 3:15 p.m.
3:15 - 4:15 p.m.
4:15 - 4:45 p.m.
5:00 - 5:30 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
Historical perspective of Autism Margaret Creak’s Nine Points to Minshew’s Complex
Information Processing
Break
Biology, Socio-emotional, and Neurodevelopmental Disorder of relating, communication
Lunch & Learn and Awards
Treatment using a team approach
Break
Team treatment continued Working with grieving parents
Questions, Wrap-up and Evaluations
Annual Meeting
Meet & Greet — Beggar’s Banquet, 218 Abbot Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823
Register at the MPA Website by clicking here
BOOK REVIEW
Cheating Parents: Recovering from Parental Infidelity
by Dennis Ortman, Ph.D. (2014)
Reviewed by Jim Windell
We all know the names: General David Petraeus,
Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John
Edwards, and President Bill Clinton. Famous men –
and fathers – who had affairs. But in all the media
coverage of these affairs, what gets forgotten is a
very simple and direct question: What happens to
children when a parent is unfaithful?
Those are the questions that psychologist Dennis
Ortman asks – and answers – in his latest book,
Cheating Parents:
Infidelity.
Recovering
from
Parental
In a recent interview, Ortman was asked about this
book and how he came to write it.
“It’s really a follow-up to my previous book,
Transcending Post-infidelity Stress Disorder: The Six
Stages of Healing,” Ortman said. “What I noticed
was that there wasn’t much of anything written about
the impact on the children of an unfaithful parent. I
8
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
found in couples therapy that people often said that
their parents were unfaithful.”
He also noticed that as children in a home in which
there is an unfaithful parent that the children go along
with the pretense and secrecy. “Often these kids don’t
really realize what was going on until maybe decades
later,” Ortman pointed out. “That’s what I call the
time bomb effect.”
What he means by the time bomb effect is that the
repercussions of living in a family with parental
infidelity show up when the children become adults
and they are in intimate relationships. “I found that
there are usually three kinds of later responses to
being the child of a cheating parent,” Ortman said.
“They may feel angry or depressed and not know the
reason. They may experience confusion about sex
and appropriate boundaries in relationships. And
especially, they may find it difficult to trust others
and themselves.”
In the latest of his five books, Dennis Ortman, a
Sterling Heights psychologist and former priest in the
Archdiocese of Detroit, writes about the patterns in
family where cheating has taken place, but he also
writes about the effect on the grown-up child’s future
parenting styles, and about these now-adult children
of the unfaithful getting help.
“Unless they heal from their childhood wounds,” he
said, “they will either mimic or compensate by going
in the opposite direction of their own parents in the
ways they relate to their children. Some become
strict, authoritarian parents who want to protect their
children with rigid rules. Others become emotionally
over-involved, seeming to be more friends than
parents of their children. Still others become
emotionally disengaged, offering little closeness or
guidance.”
Dennis Ortman has a graduate degree in theology
from the Gregorian University in Rome and a
doctorate in clinical psychology from the University
of Detroit-Mercy. He has published three previous
books on recovery from dual diagnosis and
infidelity. In addition to working as a psychologist in
private practice for 20 years, he has given workshops
around the country on the meeting of Freud and
Buddha, a mindful approach to therapy and addiction,
and recovery from dual diagnosis and the trauma of
infidelity. Prior to this book, he published a book
about his personal journey: Waiting for the
Archbishop: Memoirs of a Former Priest in
Transition
In the newest book he offers advice for parents who
have experienced an infidelity in their family. “They
need to help themselves before they can help their
children,” he said. “They need to calm their own
emotional storms, resolve their own difficulties, and
make wise decisions so they can have the energy and
clear thinking to address their children’s needs.”
Professional help, he suggests, is often needed.
Ultimately, though, he has found that adult children
of unfaithful parents need to grieve the losses from
their childhood and learn to forgive their parents.
To contact Dennis Ortman, you can email him at
[email protected]; to comment on this article, you
can contact Jim Windell at [email protected].
Have you just published a book or article?
When you publish a book or an article, let us know so we can inform the MPA membership of your scholarship
and success. Send an email to the editor at [email protected] to let us know what you have had published.
9
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
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10
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
What is Evidence Based Practice in Psychology?
Jared Lyon Skillings, Ph.D., ABPP – Spectrum Health System
Health Service Psychologists (clinical, counseling, and
school) are faced with difficult questions on a daily, or
even hourly, basis. Some questions are broad, such as
What kind of intelligence test should I administer?, or
How frequently should this patient attend
psychotherapy to achieve the maximum benefit? Some
questions are specific, such as Would a cognitivebehavioral or a feminist psychotherapeutic approach be
better for a young, domestically abused Latina?, or
Which screening test is most effective for assessing
depression with diabetic patients?
resistance to EBPP particularly by older psychologists
(Aarons & Sawitsky, 2007). A recent article (Lilienfeld,
et al, 2012) highlighted six common reasons for
resistance, including misunderstanding about what
EBPP is, discomfort with reviewing the technical
psychotherapy literature, or even misconceptions about
human nature that prevent EBPP adoption. Anecdotally,
some psychologists may feel that they are being asked
to change practice patterns or become a technician
rather than clinician. Others are concerned about the
validity of the treatment outcome research.
Such questions are not only difficult, but they can be
exhausting for the psychologist in a busy clinical
practice. There are several ways to answer such
questions, including for instance, personal or
professional experience, following recommendations
from a present or former supervisor, or consultation
with colleagues. In the past 10 years, another
recommendation has been to examine the empirical
literature and apply the findings to your clinical
question. This method has become known as evidence
based practice (EBP).
From developmental and stages-of-change perspectives,
resistance to new ideas is expected. However, resistance
to EBPP is surprising in light of two facts: (1) EBPP
does not necessarily require a change in methods (i.e.,
content), but rather a change in the process of how to
answer clinical questions, and (2) psychology has been
grounded in empiricism since its inception.
EBP gained popularity in medicine about 20 years ago,
and it has now become a vital piece of the medical
culture (Straus, et al., 2010).
EBP has gained
momentum in professional psychology in the past 10
years, with notable progress after the APA Presidential
Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice in 2006. This
taskforce defined Evidence Based Practice for
Psychologists (EBPP) as “the integration of the best
available research with clinical expertise in the context
of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences”
(APA, 2006).
On initial reflection EBPP seems like a balanced
approach
to
decision-making,
encouraging
psychologists to review research, while considering
their own level of expertise and their patients’
characteristics. However, there has been notable
1. EBPP suggests a standardized process for answering
clinical questions. It does not require psychologists to
adopt any new treatment or assessment methods. EBPP
has three primary components, like a “3-legged stool”
(Spring, 2007). The first leg is empirical evidence,
which includes evaluation of efficacy/effectiveness of
psychology intervention and assessment methods. The
second leg is clinical expertise, which includes the
psychologist’s clinical skills and judgment to
understand the patient’s unique condition(s) and needs.
The third leg is the patient’s values and preferences,
which can greatly influence assessment or intervention
methods. All three of these components are important in
answering difficult clinical questions. Therefore, EBPP
is a process or an approach to clinical decision-making;
it advocates for evidence-based care, not particular tests
or psychosocial interventions.
2. The first leg of EBPP (the application of empirical
evidence to clinical questions) stimulates the most
resistance from practicing psychologists. This is
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The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
somewhat surprising, given that psychology has been
grounded in empirical evidence since Wilhelm Wundt
founded the first psychology laboratory in 1879. In fact,
one of the best examples of utilizing empirical data in
psychological practice is assessment instruments. The
first intelligence test developed in the early 1900s by
Binet & Simon was standardized (albeit, crudely by
today’s standards). Nowadays, great care is taken by
test developers to gather large, representative samples
and make administration instructions nearly foolproof;
nevertheless, psychologists should compare their
patient to the standardization sample to ensure the test
is appropriate (e.g., Can the items of this test be read
aloud to a visually-impaired patient, or not?). This is
EBPP. It is considering the empirical evidence, the
psychologist’s clinical skills, and patient characteristics
to make a reasoned judgment towards high-quality
patient care.
Finally, it is important to differentiate EBPP from two
related, but distinct, movements: the Empirically
Supported Treatments (EST) movement, and the
competency movement. EBPP is a more comprehensive
notion than both EST and competency movements.
Conceptually, EBPP considers the entirety of the
assessment or intervention process, as well as clinician
and patient/family characteristics. A psychologist with
an EBPP mentality will ask “What is the research
evidence that will lead to the best outcome for this
patient?” On the other hand, the EST movement focuses
only on interventions; EST research usually asks “Is
this treatment effective for this disorder/condition?”
This focus on treatment (and exclusion of clinician
factors) may be the reason that the pharmacology
industry has strongly encouraged the EST movement.
Thirdly, the competency movement (e.g., Fouad, et al.,
2009) focuses almost exclusively on clinician
characteristics and abilities. Competency research
focuses on clinician skill and its impact on treatment
outcome.
care, the APA Division 12 - Clinical Psychology
website includes a fairly comprehensive list of
psychological treatments, including a brief description
of each treatment, strength of the research support, key
research references, clinical resources, and training
opportunities.
References
Aarons, G. A., & Sawitzky, A. C. (2006). Organizational
climate partially mediates the effect of culture on work
attitudes and turnover in mental health services.
Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental
Health Services Research, 33, 289-301.
APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice.
(2006). Evidence-based practice in psychology. American
Psychologist, 61, 271-285.
Fouad, N. A., Grus, C. L., Hatcher, R. L., Kaslow, N. J.,
Hutchings, P. S., Madson, M., Collins, F.L., & Crossman,
R.E. (2009). Competency benchmarks: A model for the
understanding and measuring of competence in professional
psychology across training levels. Training and Education
in Professional Psychology, 4(Suppl.), S5–S26.
Lilienfeld, S.O., Ritschel, L.A., Lynn, S.A., Cautin, R.A.,
Latzman, R.D. (2012). Why many clinical psychologists are
resistant to evidence-based practice: Root causes and
constructive remedies. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(7),
883-900.
Spring, B. (2007). Evidence-based practice in clinical
psychology: What it is; why it matters; what you need to
know. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63, 611-631.
Straus, S. E., Richardson, W. S., Glasziou, P., & Haynes, R. B.
(2010). Evidence-based medicine: How to practice and
teach EBM (4th ed.). New York: Churchill Livingstone.
To comment on this article, contact
Jared Skillings, Ph.D. at
[email protected].
To learn more about evidence-based practice, there are
many free online resources.
Psychologists are
encouraged to review APA’s EBPP taskforce report.
Duke University has developed an online tutorial for
any health care professionals who wish to learn the
basics of evidence-based practice. For psychological
12
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
Notes of a Psychology Watcher
ADHD: Eyes Wide Shut
Steven J. Ceresnie, Ph.D.
Book Review: Hinshaw, Stephen P., and Scheffler,
Richard M. “The ADHD Explosion. Myths,
Medication, Money, and Today’s Push for
Performance.” New York: Oxford University Press,
2014.
slamming the medication treatment for this serious
psychiatric disorder. The following are some
headlines of these stories:
Myths about ADHD persist. Too many people
continue to believe it’s a cop out, an unvalidated
condition related to society’s penchant for
overmedicalizing defiance or a convenient label
intended to cover over social problems. These myths
destroy any hope of providing systematic
educational, behavioral, and medical care for the
youth, families, and adults who desperately need
help. Medications are still viewed suspiciously for
behavioral and psychiatric conditions, a position
unfortunately fostered by the ease of getting an
ADHD diagnosis and securing pills for performance
enhancement in too many quarters of society – and
by overreliance on medication as the only treatment
worth pursuing. To deal with ADHD better than we
do now, we must alter our attitudes as well as our
educational and healthcare practices (Hinshaw &
Scheffler, page 168).
“Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill.” Schwarz, Alan.
The New York Times, June 9, 2012.
This book, written by Stephen P. Hinshaw, Ph.D.,
Professor of Psychology at the University of
California, Berkeley, and Richard M. Scheffler,
Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Health Economics
and Public Policy in the School of Public Health and
the Goldman School of Public Policy at the
University of California, Berkeley, could not have
come at better time.
For the past two years, the media --- The New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal --- have been awash
with articles attacking the validity of ADHD, and
“Ritalin Gone Wrong.” Sroufe, L. Alan. The New
York Times, January 28, 2012.
“Drowned in a Stream of Prescriptions.” Schwarz,
Alan. The New York Times, February 2, 2013.
“A Nation of Kids on Speed.” Cohen, Pieter &
Rasmussen, Nicholas. The Wall Street Journal, June
16, 2013.
Now these exposes about ADHD are nothing new.
Some of these reports are critically examined in “The
ADHD Explosion,” with some surprising results.
Scientologists, where their founder L. Ron Hubbard
lectures us about the between-lives period, when
thetans are transported to Venus to have their
memories erased, have waged a 40-year war against
Ritalin; and against psychology and psychiatry, along
with sympathetic mental health clinicians through the
Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a LosAngeles based nonprofit organization formed by the
church in 1969 to investigate mental health abuses.
Scientologists have used their considerable fortune to
sue drug companies and the American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, among others.
When Scientologists announce their legal challenges
to protect children, the media shines a bright light on
these efforts. When all the lawsuits are dropped
because of no merit, not a word of their dismissals
reach the public (Wright, 2013).
13
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
Hinshaw and Scheffler’s book has four fundamental
messages:
(1) Although often ridiculed, ADHD represents a
genuine medical condition that robs people of
major
life
chances.
Its
economic
consequences are huge, totaling hundreds of
billions of dollars annually in terms of special
education services, juvenile justice and
substance abuse costs, plus low work
productivity and employment lapses in adults.
(2) Only diligent and thorough assessment can
distinguish ADHD from other mental health
conditions, chaotic home environments, or the
aftereffects of maltreatment. Yet, ADHD is
too often diagnosed in extremely cursory
fashion. This lack of careful evaluation,
fueling
both
overdiagnosis
and
underdiagnosis contributes to a national crisis.
(3) ADHD medications are effective in reducing
the condition’s core symptoms, at least in the
short run, but the most genuine gains are
achieved by combining medication with skillbuilding approaches.
(4) Rates of ADHD and medication treatment
vary dramatically across states (and, for
treatment, across the world), related to family
and cultural values, health care systems,
medical portrayals and advertisements, and, in
particular, variations in school policies linked
to demands for achievement and performance.
The authors list ten major goals for improving the
science and practice related to ADHD in the future.
Each of these goals roughly corresponds to a chapter
in the book:
(1.) Ensure that ADHD is recognized as
biological, cultural, and contextual in nature.
(2.) Demand that ADHD be diagnosed carefully
by professionals who know their business.
(3.) Ensure that ADHD be treated by clinicians
(and paraprofessionals) who are versed in
evidence-based interventions.
(4.) Set realistic national quotas for stimulants,
balancing the need for prescriptions for
legitimate cases of ADHD with the reality of
ever-greater diversion of the medications for
neuro-enhancement or pleasure.
(5.) Alter educational practices to promote more
individualized approaches.
(6.) Facilitate partnered systems of cure, and
coordinated payment mechanisms, across
insurers, schools, and employers.
(7.) Convey a different set of media images about
ADHD, emphasizing the reality of daily
struggles and triumphs.
(8.) Encourage information exchange across
scientists and clinicians internationally.
(9.) Continue to recognize that ADHD exists well
beyond white, middle-class boys, revealing
itself across gender, race and ethnicity, and
the age span.
10.)Recognize that fostering human potential,
reducing stigma and enhancing economic
productivity go hand in hand.
This book provides a corrective emotional and
cognitive experience through an even-handed
discussion about the controversies surrounding
ADHD. The authors make clear what is known about
ADHD, and distill the complexities about the
personal and social costs of people who suffer with
ADHD.
References
Wright, L. (2013). Going Clear: Scientology,
Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. New York:
Alfred A. Knopf.
To comment on this book review, contact Steven J.
Ceresnie, Ph.D., at [email protected]
14
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
Licensing Reform near in Michigan
Jeffrey Andert, Ph.D., ABPP
Chair, MPA Licensure Committee
Licensing Reform. We are on the verge of two
legislative and administrative changes which have the
potential to be the most significant changes in
licensing for Psychologists since the inception of the
Michigan Public Health Code in 1978. Relative to
other states, Michigan has held the distinction of
having the highest number of Master’s trained
practitioners in psychology without recognizing them
as equals with other Master’s trained mental health
professionals (MSWs and LPCs). We have also been
one of the few states without a continuing education
requirement for our profession. The two pending
developments address these respective concerns.
psychology as a Doctoral-level profession through a
change in title for Master’s-level licensure to
“Licensed Psychological Associate” (LPA) and 2.)
Parity for those trained with a Master’s degree in
psychology with other Master’s-level mental health
providers through the ability to practice
independently. Scope of practice is defined as
psychotherapy for LPAs versus the broader scope of
practice of psychology for LPs as well as continued
supervision of LPAs by LPs for psychological
testing. The bill allows current LLPs to be
“grandfathered” as LPAs or retain the LLP as they
prefer.
SB 273. As MPA’s elder stateswoman regarding all
psychology-related legislation, Dr. Judith Kovach,
points out that MPA has been working for 21 years to
resolve the problems with our two-tiered licensing
law. Confusion among the public regarding the
definition of “Psychologist,” the same scope of
practice for both levels of licensure, the permanent
supervision requirement for LLPs as well as the
inability of LLPs to advertise and practice
independently remained as unresolved issues over
that time. Legislative action was necessary to rectify
these concerns.
As a result of this effort, our lobbyists and the
support of a number of legislators, SB 273 was
passed by the Senate 34-3 on January 30, 2014 and
was referred to the House for consideration. The bill
will be reviewed by the House Regulatory Reform
Committee and may be heard for a House vote this
spring. Following passage, the Board of Psychology
will be charged with the responsibility of writing
Administrative Rules, which will elucidate the
implementation of the legislative changes. At least
one year is anticipated for this process to establish the
new licensure title.
The most recent action involved extensive
discussions over several years with stakeholders in
the psychology licensure definition. MPA and the
Michigan Association of Professional Psychologist
(MAPP), which represents the interests of Master’s
level practitioners, reached a compromise on draft
legislation in 2011 which was subsequently revised
and introduced in 2013 as SB 273. The essential
components of SB 273 are: 1.) Affirmation of
MPA requests our members contact their local State
Representatives to encourage their support of
SB 273.
Continuing Education Rules. While continuing
professional education requirements are common in
most professions and for psychologists across the
country, they have been a source of considerable
debate in Michigan for many years. MPA has
encouraged the Board of Psychology to adopt a
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The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
continuing education requirement for licensure.
Demonstration of continued education is viewed as a
means of promoting the highest standards of practice.
The Board of Psychology has consistently endorsed
continuing education. However, the initial plan to
adopt a model of Continuous Professional
Development with a personalized educational plan
was determined to be inconsistent with language in
the Code defining “Continuing Education.”
A
revision was developed which includes a range of
educational options for each licensing period. These
options include workshop attendance, teaching,
achieving diplomate status, and professional writing.
The Board of Psychology passed the CE
Administrative Rules in December, 2013. At this
time, Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) staff
are developing procedures for implementation,
including reporting requirements.
Future Directions. Each of these licensing changes
is the result of MPA’s commitment over many years.
Following the implementation of these new rules,
future MPA initiatives will assist in their success for
the benefit of our profession.
Adoption of the new LPA title will necessitate
education of the public regarding the qualifications
and independent practice status for our Master’s
trained colleagues. As with any new title,
negotiations will be necessary with health insurers to
obtain recognition. Promoting membership in MPA
by Master’s-level practitioners expands our role as
the professional association for all psychologyrelated practitioners. In turn, MPA’s experience in
advocating for psychology with insurance companies
can be of benefit in the process of promoting parity
for LPAs. MPA has a role in educating licensed
providers as well as the public regarding these
changes.
As an experienced provider of continuing education
in coordination with APA, the new CE rules provide
MPA additional opportunities for professional
development activities. MPA has the opportunity to
educate our members regarding these requirements
and provide a means of documenting continuing
education activities to meet licensure requirements.
Jeffrey Andert, Ph.D., ABPP, can be contacted at
[email protected]
Transforming Loss
James Windell
How does a therapist end up producing a documentary film?
There is no simple answer, according to Judith Burdick, M.A., L.L.P., a Bingham Farms therapist, who has
conceived and produced the film Transforming Loss. It was, she points out, a 20-year journey which started when
she was a 31-year-old widow whose husband was killed in a scuba diving accident. As the mother of two young
children, she had to find a way to grieve – and to heal.
The process led her to get an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and a Master’s
Degree in clinical psychology from The Center for Humanistic Studies in Detroit. As a therapist, she has
specialized in grief and loss work.
She recalls when she was first widowed that there were only a few books available to someone who had suffered a
significant loss. “I think I was given ten copies of When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” she recalls.
However, about four years ago she began to think about a film.
16
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
“There wasn’t a film I had ever seen that was like what I envisioned in my head,” she said in a recent interview. “It
would have been helpful to see the kind of film I began thinking about when I first became a widow. I was trying
to write a book, but it wasn’t coming together. But I began to think that a movie would be more powerful.”
She said as she thought about a film she knew what she wanted and she started looking around for the right team. It
took a year or two and all the while she was making contacts and learning. Between friends and various
connections she made, the project started to come together.
“I finally thought it should be about universal loss and how people transform loss,” she said, “as opposed to just
being about widows.”
The result is the 50-minute film “Transforming Loss,” which has been shown at various film festivals and has
garnered a few awards already. It will air on WTVS-TV on March 30, 2014 at 4:00 pm.
The film depicts six people who sustained significant losses of loved ones – husbands, wives, children, and
parents. “Some of these people were former patients,” Burdick says, “and I found others by reaching out and
talking to other therapists and friends. I was looking for people who had a great story to tell.”
Each of the people in the film – including a man who lost his wife and two sons when a drunk driver stuck them
and a mother of four whose husband committed suicide – talk about how they suffered a painful loss but then
transformed their loss into healing and have been able to move forward.
With Transforming Loss appearing in more places and now scheduled for a PBS-TV showing, Burdick is excited
about the prospect of reaching a wider audience and helping more people learn about the grief process and
showing them with the lives of real people what healing looks like.
“This film examines and demonstrates the many positive ways people cope with tragic loss through death,” Judith
Burdick says about her film. “These individuals have not only survived their profound losses, but have become
more than who they were before. As a part of the healing journey, they have all chosen to help others. This is the
gift and the hope depicted in the larger story.”
To reach Judith Burdick, you can reach her through her website www.TransformingLossDocumentary.com;
To comment on this column, you can contact Jim Windell at [email protected])
BOOK REVIEW
Also For Psychologists
Review of Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited
by Vladimir Nabokov (1966)
Reviewed by Jack P. Haynes, Ph.D.
This column is based on books that I have read and
that I review. These books are of particular interest
for psychologists, though they are not written by
psychologists nor are they specifically psychology
texts.
Another book that I have experienced of particular
merit and interest is the autobiography Speak,
Memory by the highly praised Russian man of letters
Vladimir Nabokov. Acclaimed by many as one of the
foremost 20th century authors, Nabokov’s
17
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
autobiography appears on more than one list of “best
books of the century.” The book was written in
English and is the 1966 final edition of his 1951
autobiography. It is based on 37 early years of
Nabokov’s life---from age three to age 40 when he
emigrated to the U.S.; his full life spanning from
1899 in St. Petersburg, Russia to his death in
Switzerland in 1977.
Several chapters of this beautifully written book are
essays published in various magazines during the
1940s, and organized into an autobiography in 1951
under a different title. Nabokov was not very well
known until his 1955 novel, Lolita, and the movie
version a few years later. He then was afforded time
and financial resources to revise his ’51
autobiography.
Nabokov was fascinated by chess, was an expert in
and apparently obsessed by butterflies, and he
enjoyed and employed puns and other literary
constructions which have provided critics with
challenges. One example of his playfulness is his
inclusion in Speak, Memory of a fictitious review of
the work by him -- Chapter Sixteen/the Appendix.
Nabokov grew up in Russian aristocracy in the later
days of the czars. He presents as having had a happy
childhood, and he focuses on beautifully described
and loving portraits of family, including governesses.
He talks of his schooling at Cambridge and later
struggles to succeed as a writer.
The memoirs are only roughly arranged
chronologically, and are not particularly linear. His
life is colorful, as are his descriptions, seen in his
statement, “A colored spiral is a small ball of glass,
this is how I see my own life.” After his family left
Russia because of the revolution, he lived in England,
Germany, and France, later fleeing to the United
States.
There are several themes that run through his
autobiography, which also run through his works.
These themes include a confessional mode,
aesthetics, memory and time, and freedom. Nabokov
seems very focused on time and its passage but seems
unresolved about it. He states that his true birthday
came at age four when he realized that his parents
predated him. At one point he talks about the prison
of time. At another point he states that he does not
believe in time. Nabokov appears to want to
transcend time through a focus on aesthetic bliss,
literature being a product of that bliss.
Nabokov displays an anti-Freudian bent, referencing
Freud in Chapter One as medieval and also as
crankish, and Freud’s followers as mystic. The
Freudian references are in passing but Freud and
Nabokov both seem to focus on desire, imagination,
and memory.
Nabokov seems resistive or
antagonistic to myths and systems which explain and
overwhelm individual experience. Nabokov appears
to view Freud as stifling the individuality of
experience which Nabokov seems to experience as a
determinism that is antagonistic to freedom.
I found Nabokov’s intensity, erudition, and
perceptions fascinating. His autobiography, like
several of his works, is complex and provocative, and
it could be read more than once with benefit.
You can comment on this article by contacting
Jack Haynes, Ph.D. at
[email protected]
18
The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
The Sustaining Members of MPA
John Braccio
East Lansing, MI
Mark Kane
Big Rapids, MI
Margaret Buttenheim
Ann Arbor, MI
Nancy Kulish
Birmingham, MI
Janet Fulgenzi
Saginaw, MI
John O'Leary
Birmingham, MI
Jack Haynes
Bloomfield Hills, MI
Ruth Rosenthal
East Lansing, MI
Dennis Jacobs
Bloomfield Hills, MI
Russell Scabbo
Alma, MI
Editor: James Windell, M.A.
Editorial Board:
Steven Ceresnie, Ph.D.
Jack Haynes, Ph.D.
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The Michigan Psychologist – 1st Quarter 2014
Carter Schumacher
Birmingham, MI
Carol Schwartz
Franklin, MI
Raymond Skurda
Mt. Clemens, MI
Christopher Sterling
Grosse Pointe, MI