Consumers of behavioral health care services are confronted with a bewildering array of practitioners with a multitude of graduate degrees, certifications/licensure and titles. This includes so called “vanity” credentials too often conferred based on a resume, a “work sample” and payment of a fee. The proliferation of credentials has been driven by the dissemination of […]
California — In September, California became the first state in the country to ban controversial therapy practices that attempt to change the sexual orientation of minors. The law bars mental health practitioners from performing so-called reparative therapy, labeled by professional psychological organizations as potentially harmful and by gay rights groups as dangerous and abusive. Connecticut […]
Massachusetts – The state has opened a 320-bed mental health facility in Worcester, the first to be built in the state since the 1950s. The Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital will let patients be active in activities and programs on a campus resembling home and neighborhood environments. California – State lawmakers have requested an audit […]
A $3 million investment to increase the number of approved internships available for doctoral psychology students was approved at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention held here the first week in August. The Council of Representatives voted 145 to 15 to approve a three-year program to offer competitive grants of up to $20,000 each to […]
It has been estimated that there are 12.3 million slaves in the world. The victims are mainly women and children who are forced to work in prostitution, agriculture or domestic work. Approximately 17,500 people get trafficked annually into the United States and 325,000 American children are currently at risk of sexual exploitation. Some of the […]
A study backed by the United Nations headquartered in New York City shows that 15 million babies were born prematurely in 2010 and the rate is increasing because of medical advances that permit even extremely premature babies to survive. Meanwhile, studies in Britain and Sweden found that people born very prematurely — a less than […]
This is the sixth edition of a classic work in the field of psychology and law. It is a compendium of ways that psychological testimony or expertise can be employed in criminal, civil or administrative courts, along with an expose of the procedures, strengths and weaknesses of each. In this sense, it is an invaluable […]
Inside the Mind of the President: Obama on the Couch by Justin A. Frank, M.D is an interesting read and will likely be hailed by many as an outstanding book for clearing the air on how the president thinks and makes decisions. There is little doubt even among his naysayers that Obama is an adept […]
The political action committee (PAC) overseen by the Association for the Advancement of Psychology (AAP) will be absorbed into a new PAC operated by the APA Practice Organization (APAPO) by the end of the year. Members and contributors to AAP were notified of the change in letters sent in July. Katherine C. Nordal, Ph.D., APA’s […]
Mayo Clinic has signed a two-year contract to oversee a statewide children’s mental health hotline in Minnesota to help physicians who do not have specialized training in prescribing psychoactive drugs. The physicians-only hotline will provide consultation with psychiatrists to fill the gap created by a lack of sufficient numbers of psychiatrists to meet the needs […]
