The general meeting of the New Jersey State Board of Psychological Examiners was held at the Board office, 124 Halsey Street, Newark, New Jersey. The meeting was called to order at 9:30 A.M by Dr. Friedman, Chair.

PRESENT:

Nancy E. Friedman, Ph.D., Chair
Loretto A. Brickfield, Ph.D., Vice Chair
Evelyn A. Orozco, Ph.D., Secretary
Patricia A. Farrell, Ph.D.
T. Stephen Patterson, Ph.D. Government Member
Kenneth G. Roy, Ed.D.

ABSENT:

Alan M. Groveman, Ph.D.

ALSO ATTENDING:

J. Michael Walker, Executive Director
Carmen A. Rodriguez, Deputy Attorney General, Counsel to Board
Wanda Ginn, Administrative Staff
Carmella Volz, Assistant to the Executive Director

REVIEW OF MINUTES:

Upon motion made by Dr. Patterson and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board voted to approve the public session minutes of March 3, 2008, with corrections. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

CLOSED SESSION AND RETURN TO OPEN SESSION

The Board voted to unanimously go into closed session for discussion of the oral examinations. The Board returned to open session.

CREDENTIAL COMMITTEE REPORT:

TEMPORARY PERMIT–NOT TO EXCEED THREE YEARS

The following candidates were unanimously approved for a three-year permit for the supervised practice of psychology:

Jennifer Sweeney, Ph.D. Deirdre O’Malley, Psy.D.
Nancy Thoms, Psy.D. Jacqueline Massa, Ph.D.
Angela Toto, Ph.D. Christine Hatchard, Psy.D.

TEMPORARY PERMIT–NOT TO EXCEED ONE YEAR

The following candidates were unanimously approved for a one-year permit for the unsupervised practice of psychology:

Kathy Howley, Ph.D. Yahaira Marquez, Ph.D.
Shawn McCall, Psy.D. Jennifer Bradford, Ph.D.

LICENSED BY EXAMINATION

Upon motion made by Dr. Brickfield and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the following candidates qualified for licensure. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Darin Schiffman, Psy.D. Aubree Alexander, Ph.D.
Maxin Belkin, Psy.D. Jason S. Fleming, Psy.D.
Andrea Johnson Yost, Psy.D. David Brandwein, Psy.D.
Donna Crabtree, Psy.D. Shawn M. McCall, Psy.D.
John E. Macri, Ph.D. Sharon Marigliani, Ph.D.
Andrew McNulty, Psy.D. Anice George, Ph.D.
Mordechai Zeiger, Ed.D. Debra L. Roquet, Psy.D.
Joel Ingersoll, Ph.D.

FAILED ORAL EXAMINATION

Upon motion made by Dr. Brickfield and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the following candidate did not qualify for licensure. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Edward Callaghan, Ph.D.

DEFERRAL OF ORAL EXAMINATION

Upon motion made by Dr. Brickfield and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board voted to defer final consideration of the oral examination of the following candidates pending submission and approval of two (2) papers. One, outlining the information a psychologist can share with a third-party payor (insurance company) under the Act Concerning the Disclosure of Patient Information by Psychologists (a.k.a. New Jersey Peer Review Law) and the second paper outlining the rules concerning sexual involvement with patients. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Jennifer E. Spring, Psy.D.
Karen G. Way, Ph.D.

CORRESPONDENCE

Jeffrey W. Adams, Psy.D.

Dr. Adams wrote requesting an extension of his three-year supervised temporary permit that expires on May 7, 2008. Dr. Adams stated that he did not pass his oral exam in January 2007. Dr. Adams further stated that he is in the final stages of completing his new work sample for submission and requested that his permit be extended to allow him to continue seeing clients. Upon motion made by Dr. Orozco and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board voted to extend Dr. Adams’ temporary permit for an additional year contingent upon him submitting his work sample within six months. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Maura Gomez, Ph.D.

Dr. Gomez wrote requesting an extension of the 90-day limit to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Gomez stated that she does not have a case to present since she is currently not working. Dr. Gomez further stated that she intends to return to work within the next month. Upon motion made by Dr. Farrell and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board voted to extend Dr. Gomez’ temporary permit for an additional year and give her one year to submit her work sample for the oral examination contingent upon her work sample being in the Board office on or before April 7, 2009. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

George A. Zeo, Psy.D.

Dr. Zeo wrote requesting an extension of the 90-day limit to submit his work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Zeo did not give a reason as to why he needs an extension to submit his work sample for the oral examination. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Farrell, the Board voted to request that he provide reasons for his request for an extension of the 90-day limit to submit his work sample for the oral examination. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Jacqueline Calle, Psy.D.

Dr. Calle wrote requesting an extension of her three-year supervised temporary permit that expires on May 8, 2008. Dr. Calle stated that she has just been notified that she has passed the E.P.P.P. written examination and has 90 days to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Calle further stated that the extension of her temporary permit would allow her to continue seeing her clients while she completes the licensure process. Upon motion made by Dr. Brickfield and seconded by Dr. Farrell, the Board voted to extend Dr. Calle’s temporary permit for an additional year, now expiring on April 7, 2009. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Yvonne Hansen, Ph.D.

Dr. Hansen wrote requesting a second extension of the 90-day limit to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Hansen states that an additional 30 days would allow her to complete revisions to her work sample. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board voted to give Dr. Hansen the additional 30-day extension she requested to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Hansen was advised that her work sample is due in the Board office on or before April 17, 2008. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Jonathan Pastor, Psy.D.

Dr. Pastor wrote requesting an extension of the 90-day limit to submit his work sample for the oral examination which was due in the Board office on or before March 18, 2008. Dr. Pastor stated that he has been working extra hours at the Washington Heights Community Service in New York State because they are currently under-staffed; therefore, he is requesting an additional month to submit his work sample for the oral examination. Upon motion made by Dr. Farrell and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board voted to give Dr. Pastor an additional 60-day extension to submit his work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Pastor was advised that his work sample is due in the Board office on or before May 18, 2008. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Carole M. Beyer, Ed.D.

Dr. Beyer wrote requesting an extension of her three-year supervised temporary permit that expires on April 26, 2008. Dr. Beyer stated that she was recently informed that she passed the E.P.P.P. written examination and is currently working on her work sample for submission. Dr. Beyer further stated that the extension of her permit would allow her to continue practicing at Neuropsychological and Counseling Associates. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board voted to extend Dr. Beyer’s temporary permit for an additional year contingent up her submitting her work sample in the Board office on or before August 26, 2008. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Erica Minde, Psy.D.

Dr. Minde wrote requesting an extension of her three-year supervised temporary permit that expired on November 20, 2007. Dr. Minde, currently on maternity leave, stated that an extension of her permit would allow her to finish preparing for the E.P.P.P. written exam and the oral exam. Upon motion made by Dr. Orozco and seconded by Dr. Farrell, the Board voted to extend Dr. Minde’s temporary permit an additional year from November 20, 2007 contingent upon her taking the E.P.P.P. on or before August 30, 2008 . Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Jennifer Carlin-Mathis, Ph.D.

Dr. Carlin-Mathis wrote requesting an extension of the 90-day limit to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Carlin-Mathis stated that she had several presentations due, to which her writing time has been devoted. Therefore, she could not devote sufficient time to preparing her work sample for submission. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Farrell, the Board voted to give Dr. Carlin-Mathis an additional 90-day extension to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

BariLynn Marshall-Heslin, Psy.D.

Dr. Marshall-Heslin wrote requesting an extension of the 90-day limit to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Marshall-Heslin stated that she has taken and passed the E.P.P.P. written examination on December 20, 2007. Dr. Marshall-Heslin further stated that after the birth of her child in April 2007, she terminated her job at the Youth Development Clinic to devote her time to child care responsibilities. In September 2007, she resumed seeing patients on a limited basis under the direct supervision of Dr. Dovel and Dr. Rivera-Marano. However, she has not obtained cases that are comprehensive enough to be suitable for a work sample. Upon motion made by Dr. Patterson and seconded by Dr. Roy, the Board voted to give Dr. Marshall-Heslin an additional six-month extension to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Jessica W. Kornwasser, Psy.D.

Dr. Kornwasser wrote requesting an extension of the 90-day limit to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Kornwasser stated that she has completed a significant portion of her work sample but would not be able to submit it by March 27, 2008. Dr. Kornwasser further stated that she recently lost the services of her childcare provider. This has limited her ability to see patients at the present time. Upon motion made by Dr. Orozco and seconded by Dr. Patterson, the Board voted to give Dr. Kornwasser an additional 60-day extension to submit her work sample for the oral examination. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Andrew Jin Lee, Psy.D.

Dr. Lee wrote requesting an extension of his three-year supervised temporary permit that expires on April 7, 2008. Dr. Lee stated that he is currently in the process of studying for the E.P.P.P. written examination which he plans to take in May 2008. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board voted to extend Dr. Lee’s temporary permit for an additional year expiring on April 7, 2009. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Gerald Voelbel, Ph.D.

Dr. Voelbel wrote requesting an extension of his three-year supervised temporary permit that expires on April 7, 2008. Dr. Voelbel stated that the reason he has not taken the E.P.P.P. written examination before the expiration of his temporary permit is because he did not feel prepared. Dr. Voelbel further stated that he feels that he would be prepared to take the E.P.P.P. written examination by May 31, 2008 and hopefully submit his work sample by August 31, 2008. Upon motion made by Dr. Orozco and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board voted to extend Dr. Voelbel’s temporary permit for an additional year, contingent upon him taking the E.P.P.P. written examination on or before May 31, 2008 and submitting his work sample by August 31, 2008. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Robert L. Villanella, Ph.D.

Dr. Villanella wrote requesting an extension of his one-year unsupervised temporary permit that expired March 29, 2008. Dr. Villanella stated that his oral exam, scheduled on January 14, 2008, was canceled by his oral exam committee because his work sample was inappropriate and he was asked to revise it. Dr. Villanella stated that he is currently in the process of revising his work sample as requested. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Oroczo, the Board voted to extend Dr. Villanella’s temporary permit for an additional year contingent upon submission of his revised work sample on or before May 31 , 2008. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Donald N. Rosenberg, Ph.D.

Dr. Rosenberg wrote requesting an extension to submit his work sample for the oral examination. Dr. Rosenberg stated that he is still interested in obtaining a license to practice psychology in the State of New Jersey. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board voted to inform Dr. Rosenberg that a review of his licensing file indicates that he does not have a time limit in which to submit his work sample for the oral examination. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Donna Lynn Rukin, Ph.D., #3965

Dr. Rukin wrote requesting guidance from the Board with regard to patient records she maintained as an independent contractor in a private psychiatric office for 10-12 years. Dr. Rukin stated that as of January 2008 she opened her own private practice and took her patient files with her from the psychiatric office. The doctor at that psychiatric office is insisting that Dr. Rukin return the patient files. She believes she must maintain the files for at least seven years to be in compliance with the regulations. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board voted to inform Dr. Rukin that she should seek legal advice from her own attorney concerning this issue. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

Neil Litinger, Ph.D., #1983

Dr. Litinger wrote requesting clarification with regard to New Jersey’s criminal history background check, the information obtained and how it’s maintained by the Board. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board directed the Executive Director to work with the Healthcare Reporting Unit to develop a written response and inform Dr. Litinger that information received from a criminal history background check is handled by the Board as any other confidential matter in closed session and that there is no statute of limitation on the collected data. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

James V. Hetzel, Esq.

Mr. Hetzel submitted for the Board’s review a redacted copy of the agreement which was discussed at the Board’s March 3, 2008 meeting. Mr. Hetzel is seeking guidance as to whether the compensation methodology included in the agreement violates the Board’s regulations against fee splitting. The Board was hesitant to respond to a hypothetical situation, however, upon motion by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Oroczo, the Board voted to inform Mr. Hetzel, that after reviewing the redacted agreement, it does appear to be fee splitting. Voting in favor of the motion: all. (NOTE: Because new information became available, this matter was reconsidered by the Board at its May 5, 2008 meeting.)

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Regulations Committee

Executive Director Walker reported that the Regulations Committee met on March 27, 2008. The committee continues to work on proposed regulations concerning approved degree-granting programs and residency requirements, display of license and other issues. He has been informed that the guidlines for custody/visitation evaluations incorporation into the regulations is progressing.

REPORT ON PERMIT CONFERENCE HELD ON APRIL 7, 2008–DR ROY

Jane Gooen-Piels, Ph.D.

Dr. Gooen-Piels took and failed her oral examination administered on February 28, 2008 and is currently working under a one-year unsupervised temporary permit issued on May 2, 2007. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Orozco, the Board voted to extend Dr. Gooen-Piels’ temporary permit for one additional year contingent upon her submitting her new work sample to the Board office on or before August 31, 2008. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

REVIEW OF EXEMPTION FORM (RENEWAL)

St. Clare’s Hospital

The Board reviewed a continuation of exemption status request from Kathleen Gronet. Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 45B-6 (a)3, after review of the information provided in the continuation request and upon motion made by Dr. Orozco and seconded by Dr. Roy, the Board determined that St. Clare’s Hospital continues to qualify as an exempt facility. Ms. Gronet will be reminded that, in order to continue exempt status, the agency is required to confirm annually that it continues to meet the qualifications for exempt status. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

PUBLIC DISCIPLINARY MATTERS

I/M/O Irit V. Felsen, Ph.D., #3756

Ronald Zirin, Ph.D., Dr. Felsen’s Board approved therapist, submitted his report on her psychotherapy. Dr. Zirin reported that Dr. Felsen has fully participated in the therapeutic process and has made significant progress. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board accepted the report as informational. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

I/M/O George Ackley, Ph.D., #3028

Dr. Ackley signed the Offer of Settlement In Lieu of Filing a Formal Disciplinary Complaint. In the opinion of the Board, Dr. Ackley appeared to use language that was evaluative in nature in a letter to the Court, in violation of the February 7, 2005 Consent Order in which he voluntarily agreed to cease and desist from performing child custody evaluations. Dr. Ackley has consented to cease and desist from failure to release client records, to pay a penalty of $500.00 and was admonished for violating the prior Consent Order.

I/M/O Christopher Wright, Ph.D., #1947

The Board reviewed the final report submitted by Dr. Lentchner with regard to Dr. Wright’s supervision. Dr. Lentchner stated that Dr. Wright has utilized this opportunity to become more aware of his counter-transferential reacations, while also sharing discussions of techniques and strategies for his caseload of patients. Dr. Lentchner further stated that Dr. Wright has gained from this experience and should return to unsupervised practice at this time since he has satisfied the two (2) year supervision requirement pursuant to the Consent Order filed by the Board on March 6, 2006. Upon motion made by Dr. Roy and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board voted to send letters to Dr. Wright and Dr. Lentchner indicating that all requirements of the filed Consent Order have been satisfied. Additionally, the Board accepted Dr. Lentchner’s final report as informational. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

I/M/O Samuelle Klein-Von Reiche, Psy.D., #3246

DAG Rodriguez reported that the Board had issued Dr. Klein-Von Reiche a proposed Consent Order in an effort to settle this matter. However, Dr. Klein-Von Reiche refused to sign the Consent Order. The matter was referred to the Division of Law for initiation of disciplinary action. Upon motion made by Dr. Brickfield and seconded by Dr. Orozco, after additional review, the Board voted to transmit this matter to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for determination of the contested issues in the Administrative Complaint filed by the Board and the Answer to the Complaint by Dr. Klein-von Reiche. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

I/M/O Irit V. Felsen, Ph.D., #3756

Rosalind Dorlen, Psy.D., Board approved supervisor for Dr. Felsen reported that Dr. Felsen continues in weekly supervision of her psychological practice. Dr. Dorlen states that her ongoing supervision of Dr. Felsen’s cases in her clinical practice has a major goal of helping her understand the concepts of the therapeutic framework, boundaries, boundary crossing, and boundary violations. The supervisory focus includes careful attention to the transference, countertransference, and basis for ethical dicision-making when engaging in psychotherapy with difficult cases, particularly those with personality and character-disorders. Dr. Dorlen further stated that Dr. Felsen will be moving to Switzerland with her entire family and will temporarily close her practice for about a year, beginning July 2008. Upon motion made by Dr. Orozco and seconded by Dr. Brickfield, the Board accepted the report as informational. Additionally, the Board requested that a letter be sent to Dr. Felsen advising her that her supervision time will be put on hold while she’s in Switzerland and will resume upon her return. Voting in favor of the motion: all.

REVIEW OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION

Assembly, No. 511–Makes it a crime of the third degree to practice psychology without a license and prohibits certain unlicensed employees of nonprofit community agencies, academic institutions, government institutions and agencies, and business organizations from using the title "psychologist." Upon motion made by Dr. Farrell and seconded by Dr. Roy, the Board noted that N.J.S.A. 45:14B-5 currently limits the use of the term "psychologist." However, the Board is concerned that this current proposal would limit the practice of psychology in such settings. Voting in favor of the motion: Drs. Roy, Farrell, Brickfield, Friedman and Orozco. Dr. Patterson opposed.

Respectfully submitted,

____________________
Evelyn A. Orozco, Ph.D.
Secretary

APPROVED BY:

________________________________
Date: Nancy E. Friedman, Ph.D.
Chair

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