Professional Background

I have been Licensed Psychologist for Independent Practice since 1983, helping many persons over the years to sort out the difficulties that life frequently throws in our path.

Over the course of the years I have been fortunate to have many professional experiences over a wide variety of settings and with many different clients. Each change has been accompanied by the opportunity to learn new things, as knowledge is never lost, just misplaced at times.

My experiences have included working as:

vocational rehabilitation counselor and vocational evaluator;
school psychologist;
program evaluator and applied biostatistician;
assistant professor of quantitative methods and psychology;
clinical psychologist in the public and private sectors working with persons with developmental disabilities, substance abuse and serious and persistent mental illness;
coordinator of disaster mental health services with experience in the design and implementation of two declared Stafford Act incidents for a county of 1.5 million in population;
forensic psychologist with the county government, involved in the assessment of public safety candidates, persons with serious mental illness involved in the criminal justice system, sex-offenders; and,
private practice as a clinical, consulting and forensic psychologist with a special interest in determination of competence, child custody assessments and civil / criminal mental health assessments.

I am grateful to all of the persons I have worked with and their families for helping me to understand the needs and of children, adolescents and adults persons with developmental disabilities (including Aspergers), serious mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, chronic medical conditions (including the invisible types that make coping difficult ) and all of the other vissitudes that life tosses in our direction.

My reputation is built on the principles of quality, reliability, accessability and most of all- honesty and integrity.

Certifications & Licensure

1999 NYS CQC Surrogate Decision Making Panel Member, Article 80 MHL

1999 Court Evaluator, Article 81 MHL

1998 Fellow, American College of Forensic Examiners

1996 Diplomate, American College of Forensic Examiners

1992 New York State Department Of Motor Vehicles, Drinking Driver Program

1991 Diplomate, American Board of Professional Disability Consultants

1991 New York State Workman's Compensation Board

1988 New York State Department of Social Services, Office of Disability

Determinations, Panel Psychologist

1986 New York State Office of Vocational and Educational Services to

Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), Panel Psychologist

1983 Psychologist, New York Article 153 Licensure # 007269

1979 Primary Certificate, Rational Emotive Psychotherapy

Institute for Advanced Study in Rational Psychotherapy, New York, New York

1978 School Psychologist, New York Article 143, Permanent Certification

Education

1981 Ph.D in Clinical and School Psychology, Awarded "With Distinction"
1978 M.A. in School-Community Psychology

1976                               M.S.Ed. in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling, "With Distinction"
1974                               B.A. in Psychology as major, with Business minor
                           All Degrees awarded by Hofstra University,Hempstead, N.Y.

Postdoctoral Training

1983-1984                      Associate Fellowship Training Program
                                       Institute for Advanced Study in Rational Emotive Psychotherapy
                                                Group Therapy Co-leader:                    Albert Ellis, Ph.D.
                                                Individual Case Supervisor:                  Albert Ellis, Ph.D.
Employment

1986 to present                Suffolk County Department of Health Services
                                           Division of Community Mental Hygiene
                                           Hauppauge, New York

07/00
Present
Director, Community Forensic Services
Transitional Case Management Program
Medication Grant Program
Mental Health Court
07/00 to 12/02 Administrative Oversight of Correctional Facility Mental Health Services
11/99
07/00
Coordinator, Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program (“Kendra’s Law”)
12/92
Present
Clinical Director, Suffolk County Disaster Mental Health Response Team
06/91
2002
Police and Public Safety Psychological Appeals Panel, Office of Employee Medical Review
07/86
11/99
Coordinator, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Services
1/86
7/86
Clinical Psychologist, Riverhead & Farmingville Clinics
1985 to present           Louis J. Gallagher, Ph.D. (Smithtown Consultation Center)
                                         Smithtown, New York
                                       Private Practice as a Clinical & Consulting Psychologist
9/82 - 8/86                    Department of Business Computer Information Systems and
                                                Quantitative Methods
                                       Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
                                        Assistant Professor of Quantitative Methods
07/78-12/86                  United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk
                                       Commack, New York
07/78 - 12/86         Progressively responsible positions reflecting increasing skills.
12/83 - 12/86                 Management Information Systems Analyst (Administration)
09/82 - 12/83               Staff Psychologist and Program Evaluator
01/81 - 09/82                 Assistant Psychologist and Program Evaluator
07/79 - 12/81                 Applied Behavioral Analyst and Program Evaluator
07/78 - 07/79                 Intern Psychologist
07/76-09/78                   The Rehabilitation Institute
                                          Mineola, New York
07/76 - 09/78                 Work Sample Evaluation Unit Project Director
07/78 – 05/82                Psychological Evaluation and Research Center
                                         Hofstra University
                                         Hempstead, New York
07/78 - 05/82                 Director, Eliminative Disorders Program