I returned to Saskatoon from Sacramento, California in 2022 after employment from 2018 to 2022 as an independently licensed clinical psychologist in California. I am licensed in California as a clinical psychologist however I am not currently licensed in Saskatchewan as a Practicing Psychologist. I am currently working towards licensure as a licensed psychologist with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists.
In California I was a staff clinical neuropsychologist, staff prison psychologist and staff disability psychologist which all provided outstanding learning environments. I am licensed as a fully independent clinical psychologist with the California Board of Psychology (PSY#29801) and this license has remained in good standing since 2018.
I was employed as an independent contractor and employee of Northern California Forensic Psychological Services Inc from 2021 to current. Prior to employment in California I was a provisional registered psychologist at the Wascana Rehabilitation Center in Regina Saskatchewan from 2010-2014. I was also previously employed as a temporary clinical psychologist in the State of Kentucky from 2009-2010 while living in Ashland, Kentucky nestled within the lovely foothills of the Appalachian mountains.
Altogether I have had 11 years employment as a clinical psychologist or provisional psychologist and my experiences have been very diversified. I have enjoyed working in Canada and California as a staff clinical neuropsychologist using the Boston Process approach along with flexible batteries of shorter and longer durations. I have had the opportunity to train with many skilled experienced clinical neuropsychologists and neuroscientists. I am very familiar with the French/American localization school in neuropsychology and would say that it is one of my specialties. Not many clinical neuropsychologists are trained in brain-behavior relationship localization these days despite previously being the sine que non of the specialty.
I was often routinely provided with patients by attending physicians at neurological hospitals and dementia wards in Monterey and Salinas, California. These medium-sized hospitals had upwards of 100-250 residents which I was responsible for along with other professional staff. I had the opportunity to use a bed-side neuropsychological evaluation with a paper and pencil format and/or completely digitally administered exam on an iPhone 7. This included a modifications of the (CERAD) Consortium to Establish a Registry in Alzheimer Disease batteries which could be administered in 30-60 minutes.
I also performed psychosocial interventions with clients/patients such as sitting on their deck adjacent the hospital veranda listening to the ocean. The central coast of California is one of the most beautiful areas of the world with its tall stands of Redwood forests, pristine beaches, golf courses and hiking trails.
I received both Social Science Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and National Sciences Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding in the form of doctoral and post-doctoral funding at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. I also completed pre-doctoral internships commensurate with Canadian Psychological Association.
The 3000-plus hours for the internships were recognized by the California Board of Psychology. California has among the largest numbers of practicing clinical psychologists in the United States of America and it is among the most selective, sought after and prestigious credential there. These internship hours equal or exceed the quality of training requirements of many locations of internship tracks within the Canadian Psychological Association.
In Philadelphia I was provided with National Institute of Health (NIH) post-doctoral funding at the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania from 2004-2005 in Philadelphia. I received Canadian Institute of Health Research operating funding from the Department of Neuro-ophthalmology at the University of British Columbia from 2006-2007 in Vancouver. Some of the skills learned in California involved both using the DSM-5 and ICD-11 in tandem to classify cases with digital prioritizers. I also had to complete a full case load on a daily basis using quick, efficient, and efficacious evaluations with large databases as tools.
From 2010-2014 I was a provisional clinical psychologist at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina Canada. At that time I was also externally employed with Pearson Canada from 2011-2013 as an official examiner for the standardization project for the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V). I was responsible for independently finding, recruiting and scoring large samples of test protocols for young children as young as 2 and up to age 16 in Regina, Saskatchewan using digital test administration protocols.
I also completed training through the California Commission on POST Police Officer Standards and Training in December of 2021. The POST program has been instrumental in the State of California for the screening, identification and selection of forensic psychologists seeking further advanced training because of their display of specific operational qualities. The POST suite of staff, psychological protocols, personality tests and interviews are widely viewed as at the forefront of identification and selection of forensic staff in California and the United States of America. This usually involves intense training as well as diversified sequential field placements.
I have had ample experience assessing, evaluating and treating dangerous populations such as maximum security prisoners convicted of such offenses as burglary, rape and murder at California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. I have understanding of the safety issues associated with working with maximum security inmates. This would include working with high-ability maximum security inmates such as physicians that are in special custody. Working with such populations has taught me the importance of good documentation, consultation and informed consent to address safety issues. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and other State and Federal government agencies have additional external confidential resources for staff experiencing intimidation or threats of violence.