Licensing Board Ruling

I wrote Part One to a series I might finish and might not. I entitled the maybe-to-be-continued series, The News.

But, I don't know if I'll get around to the rest of the installments, however many there might be. I seem to excel at starting things I don't finish. I think I need a clone...and more energy. That said, there are projects and contributions I do finish.

The News, if I ever continue the series, is in regard to receiving the news from New York State about the Licensing Board's ruling on John M. Knapp, my former mental health therapist who specialized in cult-recovery on whom I filed an official complaint in late September 2010. It's a long, complex story...like most life stories. It is a narrative I never imagined I would experience...like so many life narratives.

Lately, as I've moved through each day, I've had the thought, "You are still alive...today. You have made it this far. That's quite an accomplishment." There are no guarantees that any of us will see the next moment. I think this reality must hit home more clearly as we humans age. I wonder if other animals have a similar sense?

The NYS Licensing Board made its ruling on January 14, 2014. I learned about the ruling on January 15, 2014. The ruling was made public by the State Board sometime during the week of February 10, 2014.

**The Ruling (link): John Knapp was found guilty of professional misconduct; including negligence, incompetence, on more than one occasion, and unprofessional conduct. His license was revoked.





As the news has gotten around, I've received some comments of "congratulation" from folks who have been aware of or were involved with the Knapp fiasco. I understand the "congratulatory" sentiments and appreciate them. But, for me, when I received the news, I did not nor do I now feel any sort of congratulatory sentiment. It wasn't "feel good" news. In fact, I felt dirty when I got the news. I wrote a blog piece the day I received the news expressing part of how I felt as the news settled in.

In this piece I'm typing at this moment, I had thought to try to share some of the emotions I've gone through in regard to this entire scenario...emotions involved probably for anyone that blows a whistle, as small as my whistle was in comparison to much bigger whistles.

But now, as I'm typing, I realize I won't get that far with this blog piece which I'll entitle Licensing Board Ruling. Perhaps the rambling thoughts about the series of emotions and thoughts that trickle through and avalanche upon a whistle blower will come out later. I would like to get them down on paper at some point, my thoughts without reading what others have written about whistle blowers.

I never wanted to be in a situation to blow a whistle. It's not fun...at least not for me and I doubt for anyone who blows a whistle.

Here is a link to a blog post written by Monica Pignotti, PhD, announcing Knapp's license revocation: Update: John Knapp’s NYS Social Work License Revoked.

~*~

**NY State changed its website some years after this post was written. As of 2024, the information regarding Knapp can be found at this link and clicking on "Enforcement Actions."

Screen shot from the new link: