Giving Psychology Away

JOHN TAYLOR KENT, PH.D.

Psychological Consultant

Retired psychologist, multidimensional, high energy, client centered, goal directed clinician with broad-based experience in diverse settings with experience with families, children and adults.

Professional Skills/Knowledge

  • Psychological Assessment
  • Individual & Family Therapy
  • DSM-IV Differential Diagnosis
  • Suicide & Emergency Intervention
  • Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment
  • Parent Training
  • Quality Assurance
  • Stress & Pain Management
  • Team Building & Executive Coaching
  • Neuropsychological Screening & Remediation

Professional Experience

2001 to 2006 Department of Corrections. The State of Arizona. Psychologist II. Arizona State Prison Complex-Eyman (ASPC-E). Provided general psychological services at Special Management Unit II (SMU II), a level five lock down unit included Death Row and at Cook Unit an open yard for sex offenders. Arizona State Prison Complex-Florence (ASPC-F). Development and implementation of psychological testing procedures for diagnostic clarification complex-wide at ASPC-F. Providing psychological services in the oldest facility in the State in maximum-security at Central Unit within "The Walls" and at Cell Block 6, on an open yard at North Unit and a controlled movement yard for sex offenders at South Unit. Included time-limited therapy, assessment and emergency intervention, staff training, contributed to intake assessment procedures, liaison certifying DOC sites for Department of Health & Human Services Loan Repayment Program, member of the Quality of Work Life 21st Century (QWL 21) Focus Group and HIV Treatment Committee, contributed quarterly to Quality Assurance reviewing.

2000 to 2001 Public Health Service. Indian Health Service. Fort Defiance Indian Hospital, Arizona. GS-13 Clinical Psychologist with Staff Medical Privileges. Providing a broad range of services working primarily with Navajo (Diné) in generic outpatient services, inpatient consultations, treatment for Pain Management, on-call emergency intervention, implemented performance improvement (PI) programs for the Mental Health Clinic, and developed Pain Management Program hospital-wide meeting the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organization (JCAHO) requirements.

1996 to 2000 Region III Mental Health/Mental Retardation Commission. Tupelo, Mississippi. Psychological Resident. Working with an outpatient generic population including chronically mentally ill (CMI) and Group Home residents providing all but inpatient psychiatric services in a multimodal and multidisciplinary community mental health clinic serving seven counties in rural Northeast Mississippi including:

  • Region III Mental Health Center. Working with a broad range of clients and professionals in a multidisciplinary setting. Psychological testing, report writing, assessment, differential diagnosis, consultation, forensic evaluations, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) assessments, pre-screening examinations for involuntary commitment. Intake interviews and therapy. Court ordered Outpatient

    Commitment Plan (OCP) administration, treatment and oversight. DUI treatment and risk management. Suicide prevention and emergency intervention. Referrals for psychiatric medication evaluation, inpatient and emergency room services as necessary. Training and orientation of staff, practicum students and interns. Consultation with State and local service providers including the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Families and Children's Services for the counties, Vocational Rehabilitation and Allied Enterprises, Youth Courts, inpatient private and State hospitals for inpatient referrals and discharges. Coordinate services for Employee Assistance Program (EAP) contracts. Implementation of State mandated standards for service and records keeping meeting Medicaid requirements and the standards of professional care. Conduct psychological evaluations for the Mississippi Department of Disability Determination Services (DDS).
  • Harbor House residential Chemical Dependency Program (CDP). Triage dual-diagnosed patients and Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) court ordered patients regarding suitability for treatment. Referrals for medical detoxification and psychiatric stabilization. Provide general psychological services including psychological testing and interpretation, individual and co-therapy, client centered and consultee centered consultation with staff for inpatient residential and aftercare treatment in a 12-step program for alcohol and substance abuse disorders.
  • The Center for Children. Psychological assessments, report writing, neuropsychological testing and remediation, intake interviews and therapy for children, adolescents, families, couples and adults including Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) patients. Conduct psychological evaluations for the Mississippi Department of Disability Determination Services (DDS). Training staff and interns in psychological testing and report writing.

1996 Kuskokwim Native Association Counseling Center. Aniak, Alaska. Psychology Intern and Village Counselor in the upper Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska. Developed policy and procedures and designed and implemented standard paperwork to comply with Medicaid requirements for the State of Alaska. General psychological services for adults, adolescents, children and families, chronically mentally ill (CMI), and chemically dependent. Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) tribal services. Emergency intervention. Worked primarily with Inupiat, Athabascan and Aleut Native Americans.

1996 Bethel Community Services. Bethel, Alaska. Rehabilitation Coordinator. Supervised staff of eleven for two group homes with 36 beds for chronically mentally ill (CMI) and developmentally disabled (DD) adults and the Learning Resources Center outreach day treatment program. Program development, individual and group counseling. Worked with Yupik, Chupik, Athabascan and other Native Alaskans.

1995 Lutheran Social Services Transitional Living Program. Anchorage, Alaska. Manager of seven bed transitional program home for homeless men including employment outplacement, and building and grounds maintenance. Worked with Tlingit and other Alaskan Native Americans.

1994 The Department of Personnel for the State of Nevada, Carson City. Research Psychologist. Job analysis, test construction and validation of Employment Specialist and Employment Security Specialist series written examinations. Assembled panels of subject matter experts (SMEs). Constructed forced choice questions (four part multiple choice) for the Western Region Item Response Bank (WRIRB). Researched questions and answered inquiries regarding selection tests and procedures. Analyzed proposed computer employee selection system and recommended against execution saving the State $5,000,000 in implementation and potential litigation costs.

1994 The Department of Human Resources for the County of San Diego, California. Personnel Analyst. Local Labor Market Salary and Benefit Survey. Analysis of the Catastrophic Leave Program (CLP) demonstrating savings of $135,000 and recommended expanding the CLP program. Labor union negotiation participant, Affirmative Action (AA) Outreach, published unclassified jobs list, development and implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions for the County.

Psychologist Licenses (Retired)

Professional Associations

  • American Psychological Association (APA). Member since 1992.
  • Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT). The premier group for empirically established Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) treatment. Past Member.
  • International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP). Known as "The Conscience of Psychiatry." Past Member of the Advisory Council.

Education

1994 Ph.D. Psychology at United States International University (USIU), San Diego in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Clinical Psychology. In 2001, USIU merged with California School of Professional Psychology-San Diego (CSPP-San Diego) to become Alliant International University (AIU).

1992 MA Psychology at United States International University, San Diego.

1990 BA Psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).

1983 BM Bachelor of Music in Film Scoring Composition at Berklee College of Music, Boston.

1974 BA English at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington and Florence, Italy.

Publications

The Kent Test for Sociopathy

Dissertation: The Effects of Tempo in Programmed Environmental Music upon EMG Muscle Tension (1994). Research experiment conducted in consultation with 3M Sound Products, chaired by the late distinguished Professor F. J. McGuigan, Ph.D. at his International Institute for Stress Management Laboratory.

Community Service

2000 to 2003 Member of the Standing Review Committee for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. Grant reviewer for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) knowledge development.

1997 to 2000 Chairman of the Disaster Mental Health Committee for the Northeast Mississippi Charter of the American Red Cross. Volunteer recruitment and training, development of policy and procedures, debriefing of staff and brief emergency intervention, mental health liaison with local service providers.

1999 to 2002 Guest providing psychological expertise on radio talk shows with call in audiences in Window Rock, Arizona for the Navajo Nation and in Tupelo, Mississippi for "Speak Your Peace" on Clear Channel.

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