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• Video: PAR's 40th anniversary celebration

  

  Forty years ago this week, Bob Smith started PAR on his kitchen table. There was just one product—scoring keys for the MMPI. Today, PAR carries approximately 500 print and digital products to help psychologists and other mental health professionals in their assessment process. Along the way, PAR has succeeded in more than just publishing quality assessment products to serve our Customers; PAR has created a culture of caring that extends to staff, our community, and the world at large. This weekend, in celebration of this milestone anniversary, PAR staff presented this video to thank Bob and Cathy Smith for everything they have done to make this a truly special place to work. We invite you to share our open letter to our founders.  

• Interactive courses, videos: Visit the Training Portal today!

  

  The PAR Training Portal give you a quick way to learn more about select PAR instruments. Whether you want to quickly get up to speed on a new measure, become more knowledgeable about a test you’ve used for years, or preview an instrument you are considering purchasing, the PAR Training Portal is a free, on-demand resource available 24/7.   There’s more than just interactive courses! We’ve added author videos, supplemental materials, and more!  It’s built with your time in mind! Start and stop, back up, or watch just the parts that interest you. The training portal is flexible—watch as many times as you want! We are always adding new material! If you haven’t stopped by in a while, there’s probably something new to see. Train an individual or a whole staff! Many schools and large organizations have used the portal ...

• The MMSE®/MMSE®-2™ Cognitive Impairment Screener Goes Mobile in New App

  One of the world’s most popular and trusted assessments of cognitive impairment is now available as a convenient app for smartphones and tablets. Like the paper-and-pencil version, the app can be used to screen for cognitive impairment, to select patients for clinical trials research in dementia treatment, or to track patients’ progress over time. The MMSE/MMSE-2 app includes a brief instructional video that walks users through the features of the app. In addition to the original MMSE, both standard and brief versions of the MMSE-2 are available, enabling health care providers to choose the version that will suit each client. Scoring is done automatically, and patient records can be uploaded directly to an electronic medical records (EMR) system or e-mailed to appropriate personnel. Equivalent, alternate forms of the MMSE-2 decrease the possibility of practice effects that can occur over serial examinations. The app also includes norms for the MMSE and the MMSE-2, by age and education level. The MMSE/MMSE-2 app is available to qualified health care professionals from the Apple® App StoreSM (for the iPhone® or iPad®) and from Google Play ...

• PAR Goes to NAN 2011

  Are you attending the National Academy of Neuropsychology’s 31st Annual Conference? PAR will be exhibiting during this year’s conference, so please stop by the booth to say hello. Several PAR authors will be presenting during the conference, as well. PAR author Randy K. Otto, PhD, ABPP will be presenting a CE course on Wednesday, November 16 at 1 p.m. entitled “Ethics in Forensic Psychological Practice.” Dr. Otto is coauthor of the Inventory of Legal Knowledge™ (ILK™). On Friday, November 18 at 1 p.m., PAR authors Sarah Raskin, PhD and Carol Buckheit, along with PAR project director Christina Sherrod, PhD, will be giving a CE workshop called “The Memory for Intentions Test™: Administration, Psychometric Properties, and Clinical Evidence.” Stop by and learn more about this measure. Bring any product questions to the PAR booth, where you can learn more about our products, speak to our Clinical Assessment Consultants about your testing needs, and place your orders. Remember, all orders made during NAN 2011 get a 15% discount plus free shipping and handling. See you in Marco Island!

• Therapy Goes Online…

  If you’re looking for a good laugh (and sometimes, at the expense of the profession), Showtime’s new comedy, Web Therapy , may be just what you are looking for to blow off some steam after a tough day. Starring Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who invented “web therapy,” the main character, who is sorely lacking in professional skills, makes her living by seeing clients via webcam. While this is a fictional account of one therapist providing services online (as Fiona’s unique brand of therapy would never pass any kind of ethics codes), the area of telepsychology is a growing one. Although supporters of telepsychology tout a provider’s ability to serve clients all over the world, those who question the practice bring up issues related to licensure issues, privacy concerns, and the general effectiveness of outcomes. Because the body of research on this practice is still evolving and best practices have not yet emerged, this year’s APA president, Melba J. T. Vasquez, PhD, has made a point to work on creating and adopting guidelines for telepsychology services. Do you provide services ...

• Understanding executive functions for parents and teachers

  

  This week’s blog was contributed by Terri Sisson, EdS, educational assessment advisor, national accounts. Terri spent more than 20 years in public schools as a licensed school psychologist. She is a past president of the Virginia Association of School Psychologists.    Many students with executive function deficiencies find their performance in both the home and classroom environments is negatively impacted. When I practiced in the schools, I wrote my recommendations with parents and teachers in mind, as these were the people who would read and use my recommendations. I found that if the intended audience understood executive functions and how they impact learning, they were more likely to be effective at implementing successful strategies.  Lauren Kenworthy, PhD, coauthor of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, 2nd Ed. (BRIEF2) and the Unstuck and on Target! curriculum, and her colleagues have created a free video series designed for parents and teachers that explains different executive function concepts and provides recommendations for intervention. Some videos are designed specifically for teachers and offer free training (with continuing education credits). For parents, informative videos and tip ...