MINUTES OF MAY 18, 2007

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS BOARD OF EXAMINERS

APPROVED JUNE 15, 2007

 

The meeting was called to order by R Dufrene at 10:30 a.m.  A roll call was taken and a quorum was present.

 

Guests: 

Mike Gootee

                                                                                                                                                 

Board Attorney Present:

S Adams

 

Members present:                                             Staff present:

 

R Dufrene, Vice-Chair                                      E Boeneke                                                                                         

L Falcon, Secretary                                          M Crayton

T Moore                                                          S Walker

A Williams

A Cole                                                             Absent:                                    

L Pearlmutter                                                    V Triplett

J Williams                                                         G Bockrath

                                                                        C Gagnon                    

 

                                                                       

Agenda

 

T Moore moved to accept the agenda as amended. Seconded by A Cole. Approved, no abstentions.

 

Board Minutes

 

L Pearlmutter moved to approve the minutes from April 20, 2007 Board meeting as amended. Seconded by J Williams. Approved, no abstentions.

 

Financial Report

 

J Williams moved to approve the financial report from April 2007, Board meeting.  Seconded by T Moore. Approved, no abstentions.

 

                                                                                                           

AdHoc Committee on Complaints/Disciplinary Affairs – June Williams, Roxane Dufrene

 

 

LPC/LMFT 02/03-7         Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated.

 

LPC/LMFT 05/06 -7        Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated

 

LPC/LMFT 06/07-1         Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated.

 

LPC/LMFT 06/07-3         Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case being investigated.

 

LPC/LMFT PA 06/07-5   Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated.

 

LPC/LMFT PA 06/07-7   Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case being investigated.

 

LPC/LMFT 06/07-8         Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated.

 

LPC 06/07-9                    Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated.

 

LPC/LMFT 06/07-10       Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated.

 

LPC 06/07-11                  Complaint against LPC/LMFT for Unprofessional Conduct.  Case is being investigated.

 

Nothing new to report

 

R Dufrene moved to approve the report on Complaints/Disciplinary Affairs. Approved. No abstentions.

 

AdHoc Committee on Licensure and Supervision - C Gagnon, A Williams, A Cole

 

A Williams reported that 40 folders were reviewed for LPC

 

13  Approved for LPC License

21  Registered for Supervision

  5  Changing Supervisor

  1  Supervision Denied

 

A Cole reported that 4 folders were reviewed for LMFT

 

2  Approved for LMFT

2  Approved for Supervision

 

A Williams moved to accept the report on licensure/supervision for LPC/LMFT. Approved, no abstentions.

 

AdHoc Committee on Privileging - C Gagnon

 

In the absence of C Gagnon, A Williams reported there was one approval for privileging.

 

AdHoc Committee on Correspondence - L Falcon

 

The Board reviewed several items of correspondence and directed staff as to appropriate responses.

 

AdHoc Committee on Rules – A Cole, L Falcon, V Triplett, C Gagnon, T Williams

A Cole was appointed Chair of the Rules Committee.  After Board discussion, A Cole made a motion to have an abbreviated board meeting in June and spend the rest of the time discussing the rule changes.  Seconded by T Moore. Approved, no abstentions. P Ceasar will be available for the meeting.

 

Report of Marriage and Family Therapy Advisory Committee - A Cole

 

The MFT Committee discussed whether to adopt the AMMFT Supervision Handbook or develop our own. No decision was made.

 

One provision for approval as a board-approved LMFT Supervisor for applicants who applied before June 30, 2005, was that they could by-pass the 36 hours of supervision of supervision if they had a degree in marriage and family therapy or its equivalent as determined by the Advisory Committee. The Committee set equivalency standards and asked applicants to submit documentation of this equivalency. There are several folders of applicants who have not submitted documentation. A Cole will compose a letter setting a deadline for this documentation. More details on this issue are available in the May Committee Minutes.

 

The Committee continues to work on a document writing the requirements for academic equivalency as clearly as possible. We need a clear document to cut down on the amount of time that Committee members and staff time are spending answering questions about this issue.

 

Complete Minutes are available for the May meeting. We plan to begin posting these minutes on the website.

 

Report of LAMFT Liaison - L Pearlmutter

 

Nothing new to report

 

Report of LCA Liaison - J Williams

The main issue is still Trispan denying Medicare coverage of mental health services to some providers. This issue will be discussed later in the agenda under Trispan.

 

Unfinished Business

 

Letter from LPC/LMFT

T Moore presented a draft of the letter to an LPC/LMFT to the Board for their approval.  After discussion the Board agreed for T Moore to mail the letter with G Bockrath’s signature.

 

LPC/LMFT Renewal Report

 

The 946 renewals were mailed and so far 322 have renewed.

 

Supervision - Supervision Task Force

 

Nothing new to report

 

Impaired Professionals

 

Nothing new to report

 

Scanner, Laptop Computer

 

Nothing new to report.

 

Mental Health Consumers Rights

 

The Mental Health Consumers Rights has been approved by Mark Wright with State Purchasing. E Boeneke will need to go back to the printer to get a new printing estimate.

 

Trispan

 

M Gootee, of the LCA Governmental Affairs Committee, updated the Board regardingTrispan and its denial of Medicare coverage to LPCs and other mental health providers. Trispan has requested that agencies conduct audits and refund Trispan any money for services provided by unapproved providers over the last four years.  M Gootee discussed the letter Trispan wrote to S Adams and also the memorandum Tripsan sent as a Reminder of Medicare Coverage of Psychotherapy Services.  LCA is working to resolve this issue. LCA and LAMFT will be working together, with the main concern of both organizations to protect the public.

.

 

PowerPoint - R Dufrene

 

R Dufrene will be working with T Moore to add LMFT to the PowerPoint presentation.  We still need to send a letter to the University Department Heads to schedule PowerPoint presentations.

 

Letter to Civil Service

 

The letter to Civil Service was mailed March 19, 2007, with a copy to Dr. Frederick Cerise, Secretary, Department of Health and Hospitals. E Boeneke went to meeting with Office of Youth Development(OYD) to discuss the Professional Counselor requirements. C Gagnon was available by conference call and Ben Mercer with Civil Service also will be talking to C Gagnon at a later date regarding changes.

 

LCA Conference

 

The Board will have the LPC update at the conference, but no other presentations.

 

Role of a Person on Governing Body Entity

 

Tabled for another meeting since several Board members were absent.  This is the title of a document written by CLEAR (The Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation).  S Adams also wrote a paragraph specific to this Board. L Falcon suggested that we could use the CLEAR document in an orientation for new Board members. L Pearlmutter suggested that the CLEAR document might be useful as background material for the strategic planner who will be at our August retreat.

 

 

Consultant to Discipline Committee – Part time salary

 

A Cole made a motion to pay M Crayton $14.00 an hour as a part time employee. Seconded by T Moore. Approved, no abstentions. A Cole made a motion that the Executive Director be given the power to hire/fire employees and to keep the Board informed.  Seconded by J Williams. Approved, no abstentions. The Board agreed to pay the new full time employee a starting salary of $30,000 with a 4% cost of living raise on July 1, 2007.

 

New Business

 

House Bills/Senate

 

Board members were given copies of legislative bills that E Boeneke received from  Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) that might be of interest.

   

June Newsletter

 

Clarification of MFT Ethics

Supervision Deadline for Katrina Interns out of state

 

Ad Hoc Committees

 

Table to another meeting

 

J Williams made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Seconded by T Moore. Approved by the Board. 

 

Adjourned 2:30 pm.

 

Calendar: Next meeting will be June 15, 2007, 10:30 am at the Board office. 

 

Respectfully submitted by

Lin Falcon  (signature on file)

Secretary, Licensed Professional Counselors Board