This final post in this series has to do with a long psychological vocational assessment performed by Jeffrey Karp on May 30, 2014. It is 15 pages long. I choose only to select the last few pages since they illustrate the oppressive nature of such assessments.
On page 13, Mr. Karp wrote the following:
Mr. Harris’s psychological test profile highlighted chronic maladjustment. In particular he may be characterized as rigid and over controlled in social situations, withdrawn, antagonistic, likely paranoid, negativistic, moody, overly sensitive, unreliable, and critical.
On page 14, he wrote:
The above diagnostic formulation is consistent with Dr. Morier’s (December 18, 2012 and March 28, 2012)….
On the basis of the present assessment any treatment must address Mr. Harris’s paranoid personality and perfectionism; however, resistance to treatment and/or early withdrawal is likely. Nevertheless, further psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy should be attempted.
On page 15, he recommended:
- The present assessment provides further support for referral to CAMH or a psychologist in private practice with experience treating Paranoid Personality Disorder.
- A psychiatric referral for a medication consultation.
- Continued case management to monitor his progress and support greater socialization. A collaborative approach in this regard would be most beneficial.
- Mr. Harris may also benefit from taking on volunteer work or coursework (via distance education) as a form of behavioral activation and to promote vocational rehabilitation.
- If Mr. Harris paranoia shows signs of amelioration, further vocational rehabilitation may prove warranted (e.g., a psychovocational reassessment and possible retraining or return to work supports).
The assessment is signed by Mr. Karp, with the title “Psychologist” and the following:
Practice in Clinical, Rehabilitation and Police Psychology
It is interesting that Mr. Karp considers my perfectionism to be a problem. Let us look at some of the factual errors in his assessment (there are many issues in the assessment, but I will confine myself to facts that illustrate the level of accuracy of the reporting:
- Page 3:
Background Information
Mr. Harris reportedly relocated to Ontario from Winnipeg, Manitoba on August 31, 2014.
The assessment date is May 30, 2014. It was August 31, 2013, not 2014.
- Page 4:
Mr. Harris is single and has not been in a serious relationship since January 2014.
I do not remember the exact date, but the last serious relationship was certainly a few years before January 2014 and even January 2013. Where Mr. Karp obtained this date is anyone’s guess.
- Page 4:
Previously, he was in a common law relationship from July 10, 1987 until becoming legally married in November 14, 1996.
The marriage was July 10, 1987–and the divorce date was November 14, 1996.
- Page 5:
[Put into quotes–supposedly quoting me: “I saw an urologist here, Dr. Barkin, and did a cystoscopy. There were no visible signs of cancer in the right kidney, although it’s not functioning.”
All my cystoscopies have been to determine whether the bladder cancer that I had in 2009 had returned; Mr. Barkin performed a cystoscopy to determine that. My right kidney suffered damage in 2008 or 2009 because the urine backed up into it due to the bladder cancer tumor. Mr. Barkin had me undergo a scan or, perhaps, an ultrasound (I forget which), to determine renal damage and functioning. The results showed that my right kidney no longer functioned (it had shrunk in size).
- Page 6:
He [Fred Harris] added: I was falsely accused by Child and Family Services 20 to 25 times.”
There are two possibilities here. I undoubtedly mentioned that, after having been falsely accused of sexually abusing Francesca for a second time in 1997 and being under investigation by Winnipeg Child and Family Services (WCFS). I contacted the supervisor of Jackie Davidson, the worker for WCFS, who investigated the allegations of sexual abuse; I wanted to know how many times my ex-wife could falsely accuse me of sexually abusing Francesca before It was the supervisor who stated that the WCFS would probably not do anything after 20 to 25 false accusations of sexual abuse. It had nothing to do with “physical abuse.” This is one possibility.
The second possibility is that Mr. Karp confused my references to the many times that Francesca’s mother had physically abused her (see for example A Worker’s Resistance to the Capitalist Government or State and Its Representatives, Part Nine) and attributed to me the claim that I was falsely accused of physically abusing Francesca “20 to 25 times.”
- Page 12:
Mr. Jenkins also completed a number of psychometric tests….
My name is Mr. Harris, not Mr. Jenkins. Although it was probably a secretary who made the mistake–it is Mr. Karp’s report, and it is his responsibility to assure its accuracy.
- Page 12:
This 56-year old male was referred for a psychovocational assessment….
On page 2, it is accurately reported that I was 57 at the time of the assessment–not 56.
- Page 12:
Conclusions/Opinions
This 56-year old maleSame problem 12 as in 7.
Surely, in a professional assessment, you would expect accuracy. But only for those with “perfectionist” tendencies, which are negative qualities, Mr. Karp implies. Scientists, however, know that accuracy is essential for the scientific endeavour.
I leave the reader to draw her or his own conclusions about the accuracy of Mr. Karp’s psychovocational assessment.
In any case, it is evident that Mr. Karp’s assessment does not express any perfectionist tendencies.
Searching on the Web, I found the following ( https://painanddisability.ca/staff-members/jeffrey-karp/):
Dr. Karp is a registered psychologist in the province of Ontario (Certificate #4623). He is duly qualified to practice clinical, rehabilitation, and police psychology, which includes psychological, psycho-vocational, fitness to work, fitness for duty, substance abuse, and psychoeducational assessments. He graduated with a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in 2007 and in 1989 he completed an MA in counseling psychology at Simon Fraser University. He completed an internship in vocational rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin in 1990.
As a rehabilitation counselor and more recently as a psychologist, Dr. Karp has over 20 years’ experience in rehabilitation, with particular expertise in vocational rehabilitation, disability management, and fitness for work. In the past he has provided assessment and psychotherapeutic support to injured workers in an outpatient hospital-based rehabilitation setting and offered psychological assessments and psychotherapy in private practice.
Dr. Karp has specialized training as a Substance Abuse Expert Evaluator and has completed training through the Forensic Psychology Program of Alliant University in Psychological Pre-Employment Screening and Fitness for Duty in Law Enforcement. He is also a member in good standing of the Ontario Psychological Association and the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology.
When we look at what the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology is, we read the following ( https://www.policepsychology.org/About_SPCP):
The Society for Police and Criminal Psychology is an eclectic professional organization that encourages the scientific study of police and criminal psychology and the application of scientific knowledge to problems in criminal justice. It focuses on law enforcement, judicial, and corrections elements in criminal justice. Members of the Society study the full range of human behaviors, motivations, and actions within the framework of the criminal justice system. Consequently, the Society encourages input from psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, lawyers, police officers, corrections personnel, and other professionals concerned with the criminal justice system.
…
The Future
The interests of the Society of Police and Criminal Psychology are broad in scope. Our members play many roles in law enforcement and criminal justice and come from all over the world. We are proud of our inclusive and eclectic philosophy, and believe that through our combined efforts we are well positioned to lead our field in research and the application of practical solutions in police and criminal psychology. The Society supports the development of Police Psychology as a recognized specialty area, and the development of educational opportunities in the field.
Political Implications
- Mr. Slusky, the psychologist in Winnipeg, agreed with the psychiatrist, Dr. Gisele Morier, that I suffered from “paranoid personality disorder.” Mr. Karp did the same. We can expect a network of “professionals” to reinforce each other in judging the mental health of individuals–on the assumption that our society is somehow rational.
- The social-democratic left generally fail to consider the extent to which this network of individuals and professions reinforces the fundamental structure of the power of the class of employers and the associated economic, political and social structures of exploitation and oppression.
- The underestimation of the extent to which there exists a network of individuals and professions that serve, ultimately, the interests of the class of employers thereby overestimates the ease with which social change can occur without a decided strategy for addressing such institutional, ideological and individual oppression.
- What is needed is open and systematic critique of such individuals, professions and institutions.
- This requires that the radical left discuss such issues and formulate measures and organize to counteract these oppressive individuals, professions and institutions.
- It also requires the radical left critique the social-democratic or reformist left since such reformers are blind to the oppressive nature of such institutions.
The Abolitionary 