PAR author Lisa A. Firestone, PhD will be presenting “Suicide: Treating the Self-Destructive Client” through live CE workshops in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey as well as an online during February and March. These workshops will be helpful for users of the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts™ (FAVT™) ,  the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts^™-Adolescent (FAVT-A^™), and the Firestone Assessment of Self-Destructive Thoughts^™ and Firestone Assessment of Suicide Intent^™ (FAST^™-FASI^™).

For more information or to register, visit The Glendon Association.

PAR author Dr. Lisa Firestone will be presenting two CE workshops through the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.

“Suicide: What Professionals Need to Know” will be held on December 2, 2011. This workshop provides an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of suicide and of the legal, ethical, and case management issues that arise when dealing with suicidal individuals.

For more information or to register for this session, click here.

“A Developmental Understanding for Assessing and Treating Violent Individuals” will be held on December 3, 2011. This workshop provides an in-depth understanding of developmental issues contributing to violence, the triggers of violence, assessment, case management, and treatment of violent or potentially violent adults and adolescents.

For more information or to register for this session, click here.

Dr. Firestone is the author of the Firestone Assessment of Self-Destructive Thoughts^™ and Firestone Assessment of Suicide Intent^™ (FAST^™-FASI^™), the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts™ (FAVT™) , and the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts^™-Adolescent (FAVT-A^™).

PAR author Thomas M. Brunner, PhD, will be presenting at the 15th Annual Conference on Critical Issues Facing Children & Adolescents. The conference is being held October 3-4, 2011, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Brunner will be presenting the keynote address, titled “Advanced Assessment of the Pulse of Youth Anger: A Core Symptom and Vital Sign of Our Times” and a workshop titled “Advanced Anger Assessment and Treatment Using the STAXI-2 C/A to Identify Anger Profiles.”

Dr. Brunner is the coauthor of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory–2™ Child and Adolescent (STAXI-2™ C/A).

For more information about the conference, click here.

The Self-Directed Search® has been used by more than 30 million people worldwide and has been translated into more than 25 languages. There are a number of career assessments on the market, yet the SDS continues to be extremely successful. What sets it apart? Recently, PAR had the opportunity to catch up with two SDS experts, Robert Reardon, PhD, and Janet Lenz, PhD, both from the Career Center at Florida State University and widely published in the career counseling arena. Reardon and Lenz have worked closely with SDS author John Holland as collaborators and authors of many SDS-related publications, including The Self-Directed Search and Related Holland Materials: A Practitioner’s Guide (PAR, 1998).

The SDS is based on Holland’s career theory, which argues that vocational choice is an expression of personality, and that by identifying certain personality characteristics and preferences, better career choices can be made. “People often feel overwhelmed about how to relate their self-knowledge to career options,” says Reardon. “The SDS gives them a way to intuitively and logically make that connection.” One of Holland’s most important contributions was his identification of the personality and environmental characteristics that have become known collectively as RIASEC: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. These factors form the basis of the SDS.

Reardon and Lenz have worked with the SDS for nearly 40 years, and they have seen it develop in response to career counseling research and new technology. “Our counseling service started using the SDS in 1973 because it included a self-help feature that we knew would be useful to our clients,” they explain. “Holland took note of what we were doing and was supportive along the way.”

Reardon and Lenz have been deeply involved in revisions of the SDS, and they have been key players in updates and revisions to many of the individual elements in the SDS product family, such as the interpretive report generated by the SDS software. But what keeps these products current and relevant? “The SDS is informed by both practice and research,” they explain, “and we continue to draw upon both to keep SDS materials current and relevant. For example, the revised Occupations Finder published in 2010 is very important because it now connects the SDS to the O*NET system of occupational information, which is online and updated constantly. Unlike many other assessments, the SDS embraces users—after all, ‘self-directed’ is in the title—and this user perspective helps to keep the SDS relevant.”

Today, using the on-screen administration, clients can complete the SDS electronically on a laptop computer, a tablet, or even an iPhone® or Android device. For college students and other clients living in this era of instant information, the SDS has kept pace by providing a fast, accessible, portable, and reasonably priced tool that can help them gain real insight into making good choices about career.

In the category of reliable, valid, theory-based instruments, the SDS is one of the most user-friendly, and it is very easy for practitioners to use with clients. “Some have described the SDS as simple,” say Reardon and Lenz, “but when fully interpreted and connected to Holland’s theoretical constructs (for example, congruence, differentiation, coherence, consistency, vocational identity), it provides a rich source of information for both clients and practitioners to discuss and incorporate into a plan for next steps. The information not only addresses self and option knowledge, but it provides diagnostic data about the client’s ability to move effectively through the career decision-making and problem solving process.”

As the SDS has evolved, it has always been research-based; through the years, more than 1,600 published studies have examined, evaluated, and supported Holland’s career theory. Reardon and Lenz have themselves collaborated in more than 35 publications related to the SDS and RIASEC theory. “Over time, our interest in the SDS has deepened as we learned more about the instrument, not only from our own research, but from hundreds of studies and articles that were published as more practitioners adopted the SDS and more researchers began to consider it.”

“One of the things we’ve seen from doing workshops with counselors all over the country is how many different settings and with how many different client populations the SDS has been used successfully,” say Reardon and Lenz. “It’s been rewarding to see how it has helped so many people become more effective career problem solvers.”
To learn more about the Self-Directed Search and other materials related to career intervention services and resources, visit the SDS product page on PAR’s Web site; to take the SDS online right now, click on http://www.self-directed-search.com/.

Recently, we asked PAR authors to send us their favorite recipes for a series of blogs. The first three are presented here.

“I’ve been eating this potato salad ever since I can remember. My dad, Dr. Ira Cohen, always made it for summer barbecues, picnics, and even my birthday parties in August. I became a professional chef about 8 years ago, but I’ve still never tasted a better homestyle potato salad recipe. Recently, I turned this recipe into an appetizer for a party that my company Gastronaut catered by hollowing-out steamed baby new potatoes and stuffing them with this salad. Making it finger food was probably the only way I could improve on my dad’s classic recipe. As with most family recipes, it should be seasoned to taste (and checked by my dad!), so feel free to play with the quantities, especially the vinegar and mayo. It should be well-coated and pretty soft. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!”

—Mirit Cohen

CEO, Gastronaut

 

Ira Cohen’s Potato Salad

5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes

3 large eggs, hard-boiled (To hard boil, bring eggs immersed in cold water to a boil, cover, turn off heat, and let sit for 6 minutes. Drain and plunge into an ice bath to cool.)

1 large or 2 medium-small yellow onions

2 large carrots

2 stalks celery

1½-2 cups mayonnaise

½ cup white vinegar

1 tbsp. dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix mayonnaise, white vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano in large mixing bowl.


2. Bring whole potatoes in their skins to a low boil and cook until tender. Drain, run under cold water, and peel—the skins should come right off.


3. Dice potatoes into 1-2” chunks and add to large mixing bowl.


4. Using the shredder attachment of your stand mixer, shred carrots and yellow onion, retaining the juice from the onion. Add to bowl of potatoes.


5. Finely dice celery into ¼” cubes and add to bowl.


6. Grate the hard-boiled eggs on a box grater or slice both ways in an egg slicer and add to bowl.


7. Mix all ingredients together with the oregano. Adjust to your taste with more salt, pepper, vinegar, and/or mayo.


8. Enjoy! It’s always a hit when my dad makes it.

Dr. Cohen is the author/coauthor of the PDD Behavior Inventory™ (PDDBI™) and the PDD Behavior Inventory™ Screening Version (PDDBI™-SV).

“I have too many favorite recipes to list, but here are three simple ones—one for each meal. All are very tasty and time-tested.”

—Bruce Bracken, PhD

Breakfast: Bruce’s Favorite Omelet

Dice equal proportions of flavorful ham, sweet onion (e.g., Vidalia), fresh broccoli spears, and mushrooms and sauté in butter until onions are translucent. Season mix with freshly ground pepper, salt, and, most importantly, yellow curry. Set mix aside. Pour three well-beaten eggs into buttered omelet pan and cover. Heat should be set to medium-low so the egg does not burn or dry out. When egg is firm, spoon curried vegetable and ham mix over half of the omelet, top with grated mozzarella cheese, and fold the remaining half over. Turn off the burner, recover pan, and let omelet set until cheese melts. Serve hot.

Lunch: Stuffed Avocado

Cut a ripe avocado in half, remove seed, and fill cavity with one of the following fillings:

• Soy sauce blended with wasabi


• Bruschetta


• Roasted tomato chipotle roja


• Soy sauce blended with anchovy paste

Dinner: Scallops and Spinach

Six pieces of applewood smoked bacon

2 lbs. scallops

2 large bags of fresh baby spinach

Parmesan cheese

1. Fry six pieces of bacon until crisp; set aside and pour off excess grease. When cool, crumble the bacon.


2. Dredge scallops in sugar and fry until lightly brown on both sides.


3. Simultaneously, steam the spinach. Place spinach (well-drained) on plate and top with scallops.


4. Sprinkle dish with parmesan cheese and crumbled bacon.

Dr. Bracken is the author/coauthor of the Clinical Assessment of Behavior™ (CAB™), the Clinical Assessment of Depression™ (CAD™), the Clinical Assessment of Attention Deficit–Adult™ (CAT-A™), the Clinical Assessment of Attention Deficit–Child™ (CAT-C™), and the Clinical Assessment of Interpersonal Relations™ (CAIR™).

“The following recipe is best served with basmati rice, whole cranberry sauce, and chilled Chardonnay.”

—Jeff McCrae, PhD

Creamed Chicken Dijon

2 cups chicken stock

1 split bone-in chicken breast

1 rib celery, chopped

4 sprigs thyme (or ¼ tsp. dry)

1 bay leaf

4 cloves

1 bunch Swiss chard (or spinach), ribs removed, coarsely chopped

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Salt and white pepper to taste

1. Bring stock, chicken, celery, thyme, bay leaf, and cloves to a boil, then simmer just until the chicken is cooked—about 25 minutes. (Turn the breast after 15 minutes if the stock does not cover it.)


2. Remove chicken, strain stock, and return to the heat; reduce to 1 cup liquid.


3. Steam the chard for 5-8 minutes. Salt lightly.


4. In another pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux; add the reduced stock and whisk until thickened. Simmer for five minutes. Add the mustard, then add salt and pepper to taste.


5. Bone the chicken and dice the meat; add to the sauce for a few minutes to reheat.


6. Serve over the steamed chard. Serves two.

Dr. McCrae is the coauthor of the NEO™ family of products.

PAR is pleased to announce the release of the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales™ (SEARS) by Kenneth W. Merrell, PhD, and the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales™ Scoring Program (SEARS-SP) by Kenneth W. Merrell, PhD and PAR Staff.

The SEARS is a cross-informant system for assess¬ing the social-emotional competencies of children and adolescents from multiple perspectives. Closely tied to the ideas associated with the positive psychology movement, the SEARS focuses on a child’s assets and strengths.

The SEARS system offers separate long and short forms for children, adolescents, teachers, and parents. The forms may be used for any combination of student, parent, and teacher assessment. All forms measure common constructs (e.g., self-regulation, responsibility, social competence, empathy), and also include items designed to capture the unique perspective of the rater.

Click here for more information on the SEARS and SEARS-SP.

PAR author Ira L. Cohen, PhD, will be presenting at the 15th European Conference on Developmental Psychology in Bergen, Norway. The conference is being held from August 23-27, 2011.

Dr. Cohen’s will be presenting a poster titled, “Arousal-Modulated Fixation on Flashing Light Patterns in At-Risk Four-Month-Old Infants is Associated with Autism Severity Scores in Childhood.”

Dr. Cohen is the author of the PDD Behavior Inventory™ (PDDBI™) and the PDD Behavior Inventory™−Screening Version (PDDBI™-SV).

For more information about the 15th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, click here.

PAR author David J. Schretlen, PhD, will be giving a workshop at the annual conference of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2011.  Dr Schretlen’s workshop, entitled “Threats to the Validity of Inference in Neuropsychology and Novel Methods of Practice to Help Overcome Them,” will encourage participants to consider fundamental questions about inference in clinical psychology:

• How do we decide when a neuropsychological examination is abnormal?
• What constitutes “impaired” test performance?
• When does a set of abnormal test scores represent a clinically meaningful pattern?

 

Dr. Schretlen will describe three basic approaches to clinical inference (pathological signs, deficit measurement, and pattern analysis) and examine the underlying logical assumptions, implementation, strengths, and threats to the validity of each inferential method.  Participants will examine the conceptualization and assessment of pathognomonic signs and cognitive deficits and will discuss the risky practice of sysgiving additional tests to clarify ambiguous findings.  Dr. Schretlen will describe what it means to “calibrate” test performance for demographic characteristics and estimated premorbid ability, and how this fundamentally alters the meaning of high and low test scores.  Participants will learn about the circumstances under which raw scores can be more informative than demographically calibrated scores.  Finally, Dr. Schretlen will argue that symptom validity testing differs from effort testing, and he will present findings from an experiment designed to assess cognitive effort among adults with no incentive to feign impairment and no evidence of symptom exaggeration.

Dr. Schretlen is Associate Professor of Medical Psychology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  He is the author of the Calibrated Neuropsychological Normative System™ (CNNS™) and the companion Software Portfolio (CNNS™-SP), which are designed to assist clinicians and researchers in their interpretation of the tests that make up the normative system.  To learn more about how to improve the precision of neuropsychological test interpretation with the CNNS and to see a list of tests calibrated by the CNNS, visit www.parinc.com.   

PAR author Ira L. Cohen, PhD, will be presenting during the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention in Washington, DC taking place from May 26 through May 29, 2011.

Dr. Cohen’s poster presentation, “Arousal-Modulated Fixation on Flashing Light Patterns in At-Risk Four-Month-Old Infants is Associated with Autism Severity Scores in Childhood,” is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 26, 2011, from 8 to 9 p.m. in Columbia Hall at the Washington Hilton.

Dr. Cohen is the author of the PDD Behavior Inventory™ (PDDBI™) and the PDD Behavior Inventory™−Screening Version (PDDBI™-SV).

For more information about the APS Annual Convention, click here.

 

1. Why did you choose to enter the field of psychology?

I was 8 years old when I decided that I wanted to be a psychologist. I had come across a series of books my sister had about human nature in which the term was often mentioned. While I did not really understand what being a psychologist meant at the time, things in the books such as pictures of the brain and visual illusions made a lasting impression on me. During high school I developed an interest in the etiology and treatment of substance abuse in adolescents. While my career path eventually led largely away from that topic, it cemented my dedication to a career in psychology.

 2. What made you decide initially to develop the TEC?

During the development of the BRIEF-A, Peter Isquith, Gerry Gioia, and I had engaged in discussions about assessment and functional neuroimaging of executive functions. We became interested in the idea of developing an instrument that would involve executive function tasks often used in neuroimaging studies but that had not been standardized for use as a clinical measure.

 3. What would you like to tell people about the TEC that they may not know?

It took 7 years from the initial discussion about developing a new measure to publication of the TEC. A great deal of time was spent developing the measure, trying different parameters, selecting stimuli, making other adjustments and changes to the task and reports based on pilot testing, analyzing data, and writing and editing the manual. It was a true labor of love.

 4. What would you like to tell people about yourself that they may not know?

I have been studying executive functions, using a variety of methods (neuropsychological measures, ERPs, fMRI, questionnaires) for the past 20 years. I love writing and mentoring scientific papers. I am a trilingual Canadian from Montreal Quebec who speaks English, French, and Hungarian (the latter being my parents’ native language).

 5. How do you spend your free time? (hobbies, books are you reading, movies you enjoy, pets, etc.)

I most enjoy spending time with my two sons and other family members. Other than that, reading history and historical fiction related to Europe, tourism, watching movies (lots of kid-friendly fare, but also romantic comedies and sci-fi, as well as just about anything that has to do with historical events pre-1919), listening to hard rock and heavy metal music, and following the National Hockey League (go Habs!).