Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Counselor overstated qualifications, charges say - KY

Counselor overstated qualifications, charges say

If your custody evaluation was administered by G. Steven Alexander you should look into whether his opinions will now be reconsidered.

Excerpts:

Officials are looking into whether the charges against G. Steven Alexander could force them to reopen cases in which he testified, including child custody, domestic violence and guardianship cases.

"I intend to fight the charges, and I will not roll over and play dead," said Alexander, who is licensed as a clinical professional counselor in Kentucky.

Alexander acknowledged that he is not licensed by the state as a psychologist. He admits he has testified in court that he holds a doctorate in psychology. He said the degree came from Madison University in Gulfport, Miss., an online correspondence school, and that he wrote a dissertation for the degree but did not take courses.

Madison University is not recognized by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in Decatur, Ga., one of six regional academic accrediting organizations, said Belle Wheelan, president of the association.

Foust said the charges against Alexander raise questions about every case in which he testified and presented his resume. But Foust said it will be up to lawyers in those cases to ask to reopen them or have the verdicts or judgments set aside.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

We shoud not let the truth get in the way of a good story, however the following newspaper article might be of interest to the misinformed! Murray Ledger & Times Charges dismissed against counselor Alexander
By KRISTIN TAYLOR
Staff Writer
Local counselor Steven Alexander passed on pre-trial deals and maintained his innocence since being arrested last year on nine misdemeanor counts of practicing psychology without a license.
Special Judge Charles Ehlschide agreed Wednesday that Alexander was innocent on the first day of what was expected to be a two-day trial in Calloway District Court. The nine charges were dismissed before the prosecution rested its case.
“This process had to go to the extent we took it,” the judge told the jury.
Following a 90-minute closed-door meeting with both attorneys in his chambers, Ehlschide told the seven jurors the case was about two different perspectives. After reviewing a couple key state laws, Ehlschide said Alexander did what he had authority to do as one component of a three-person interdisciplinary team that provides information in disability hearings that determine whether someone needs a guardian.
“His perceptive was one thing, the judge's was another,” Ehlschide said of Alexander's work in the hearings over which Calloway District Judge Jeanné Carroll presided. Carroll was on the stand as a witness waiting to be cross-examined when the attorneys retreated to the judge's chambers for what would be the final argument.
The case hinged on two definitions: licensed professional clinical counselor and licensed psychologist. Although the psychologist description was longer, it overlapped with some of the evaluations and practices a counselor is allowed to perform.
“A rocket scientist with 12 degrees couldn't figure out the difference between a licensed counselor and a psychologist,” Alexander's attorney, Mike Ward, said after the charges were dismissed.
Ward said during the closed-door meeting with Ehlschide and Assistant County Attorney Jeff Roberts that the nine cases, which determined whether these people needed someone to legally manage their financial and personal affairs, involved mental illness. Because these cases involved mental illness, Ward said state law required a “qualified mental health professional” to be involved on the interdisciplinary team, which also includes a physician and social worker.
Alexander, 57, who lives in Murray, operated three locations of Alexander & Associates. Since his arrest, his damaged reputation and financial burden of his defense forced him to close his Murray and Fulton offices and cut back his Benton practice. He plans to slowly rebuild from here.

9:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why are such lies posted on the web. Alexander is a great counselor and the allegations against him were completely bogus. Look it up MEG, U-DUMB-ASS

11:43 PM  

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