Eleven Texas psychologists disciplined: fines, reprimands and one revocation

November 4, 2010

In May 2010, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists took the following disciplinary actions: 

• Assessed an administrative penalty of $1,000 on Linda Cameron, Ph.D. and required her to completed nine hours of continuing education in ethics.  Cameron failed to update informed consent during the course of providing psychological services when transitioning from individual to group therapy and engaged in a one-time breach of patient confidentiality in an e-mail. 

• Assessed a $1,000 administrative penalty on Nilsa S. Colon Ortiz, Ph.D.  Ortiz failed, for the third time, to provide the Board with timely proof that she obtained the minimum 12 hours of continuing education in psychology for the preceding year in which she was licensed.

• Reprimanded Joseph M. Peraino, Ph.D. for failure to respond in a timely manner to a written request for records and failure to maintain records for services.  In addition to reprimand, Peraino must take and pass the jurisprudence examination.  He was also assessed an administrative penalty of $1,500. 

• Assessed an administrative penalty of $500 on Heather L. Queener, Ph.D. for failure to report a legal action against her to the Board.

• Reprimanded Quentin I. Yancey, M.A., Licensed Specialist in School Psychology.  Yancey pleaded guilty to an intoxication offense.  In addition to reprimand, Yancey was assessed an administrative penalty of $1,000 and must obtain six hours of additional continuing education relating to substance abuse.

In August 2010, the Board took the following disciplinary actions:

• Assessed psychologist Jeffrey Siegel, Ph.D. an administrative penalty of $1,000.  The reason given is that Siegel, in a forensic report, omitted a statement of limitation regarding unavailable records and inability to schedule interviews due to court order.

• Reprimanded psychologist Richard Trent, Ph.D. and assessed a administrative penalty from him of $750 for failing to report legal action against him to the Board and for failing to state that he had been arrested on his annual renewal application form.

• Assessed Stanley Brein, M.S., Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP), an administrative penalty of $2,000 because he exceeded the scope of licensed practice by conducting an administrative review of a co-worker without the person’s knowledge or consent, and offered recommendations in a report signed as an LSSP.

• Assessed Harvey G. Davisson, Ph.D., an administrative penalty of $500 for failing to report a civil action against him to the Board.

• Revoked the license of Robert Marr Dunson III, Ph.D., LSSP, for violation of multiple rules of the Board, including failure to report a felony indictment and other legal actions, and failed to respond to notices of administrative actions including hearing at the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

• Assessed Melody M. Potter, Ph.D., a $3,000 administrative penalty.  Potter’s forensic testimony at trial in a child custody case contained insufficiently substantiated opinions.  She was additionally required to completed and additional 12 continuing education in forensic psychological services, 3 hours in evidence-based decision making and 6 hours in ethics. 

Source: Disciplinary Actions: May 2010 and August 2010 Board Meeting, Texas State Board of Examiners in Psychology.