John Joseph Gianforte is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator in private forensic mental health practice in Shreveport, Louisiana.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Louisiana, and his Master of Science Degree in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern Louisiana State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He completed his internship under Dr. Ronald Goebel, Ph.D. at the VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana and in Dr. Goebel’s private practice conducting neuropsychological testing using the Hallstead-Reitan Neuropsychological test battery and other forms of mental health evaluations.
His private practice focuses primarily on couples counseling, especially highly distressed couples, and forensic mental health evaluation and treatment of both adults and juveniles as well as treatment of those persons with trauma histories, mental health management difficulties, and behavioral issues. He also provides court testimony and attorney consultation.
Experienced mental health professional with 40 years of service in mental health service delivery including administration of a large non-profit community based mental health center. High level of training, expertise, and experience in use of multiple therapeutic interventions including Cognitive Behavior Therapy, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Neurolinguistic Programming, Hypnotherapy, and Assessments and Appraisals. Forensic work including expert court testimony.
Individual, Group, and Marriage and Family Psychotherapy
Experienced in the evaluation and treatment of substance use disorders – Adolescents and Adults
Experienced in the evaluation and treatment of Youth and Adults Adjudicated of Sexual Behavior Problems.
Forensic Behavioral Health Evaluations
Expert Court Testimony: In Louisiana (Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, East and West Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Webster, Parishes); In Texas (Harrison County).
President and CEO of a CARF accredited non-profit community based mental health center offering standard and intensive outpatient mental health, substance use, and psychiatric services to severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents and chronically mentally ill adults.
Responsible for program development, fiscal development and oversight, staff development and supervision, clinical supervision, development and implementation of Risk Management, Quality Assurance, and Utilization Management Systems for consumers funded under a variety of funding sources including Medicaid, Medicare, various state and federal contracts, and private insurance.
One of two agencies to pilot the implementation of what is now the State of Louisiana Mental Health Rehabilitation Program.
Developed and successfully piloted the first in-home mental health program for severely emotionally disturbed children and youth using the Homebuilders model.
Developed and implemented a mental health and substance abuse screening program for all youth detained at the Juvenile Detention Center in Shreveport, Louisiana through a grant from the Caddo Parish Commission (January 2006 – June 2008).
Developed and implemented the first Suboxone maintenance program in Northwest Louisiana.
Certified by the State of Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) as a provider of the Assessment and Treatment Program for Youth with Sexual Behavior Problems utilizing the Best Practice Model adopted by the OJJ (2010 – Present).
Served on various Commissions and Boards
Therapist in a state funded drug treatment and rehabilitation program. Responsibilities included individual, group, and family counseling; intake evaluations and treatment planning; necessary administrative tasks to comply with federal government guidelines for substance abuse programming; mental health evaluations; public relations.
Lead clinician in developing one of the first diversionary programs offered in the State of Louisiana through the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Master of Science in Clinical Psychology (1980)
Honors: National Honor Society in Psychology (3.8 GPA)
Thesis: The Effects of Cognitive Skills Training vs. No Cognitive Skills Training on Learning of Forehead Microvolt Reduction in Electromyographic Biofeedback.
One-year Clinical Internship administering and interpreting psychological test including the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology (1976)
Louisiana Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
Louisiana Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
Louisiana Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
Louisiana Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
National Board of Forensic Mental Health Evaluators (NBFE)
Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA) (2020 – Present)
Association for Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) (2020 – Present)
President | Louisiana Association of Behavioral Health Providers (April 2014 – March 2020)
Louisiana Association of Child Care Agencies (LACCA) (1984 – 1989)
State Wide Coordinating Council for the Children and Adolescent Service System Project (CASSP) in the State of Louisiana (1991 – 1992)
Louisiana Advisory Committee on Licensing of Childcare Facilities and Child Placing Agencies (1989 – 1992)
Louisiana Coordinating Council on the Prevention of Drug Use and Treatment of Drug Use by appointment of the Governor (1991 – 1992)
Louisiana Department of Social Services, Office of Community Services Statewide Committee for the Development of Outcome Measures for Residential Treatment Facilities (1988 – 1989)
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Mental Health Statewide Task Force for design and implementation of Mental Health Rehabilitation Services (1999 – 2001)
Louisiana Department of Social Services, Office of Community Services Statewide Continuum of Care Task Force (1999 – 2000)
Louisiana Coordinated System of Care Reform Initiative (January 2010 – March 2012)
Served on Leadership, Service Array, Administrative Infrastructure, and Provider Development and Training Work Groups
Chaired the work group charged with developing recommendations for the Statewide Utilization Management System
Advisory Board, Louisiana Advocacy Center (December 2012 – May 2016)
Magellan of Louisiana Provider Credentialing Committee (September 2013 – November 2015)
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health Transition Team for the Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Healthcare under Bayou Health of Louisiana (January 2014 – May 2015)
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health Workgroup on the Reform of the Medicaid Behavioral Health Home and Community Based System of Care (December 2018 – 2022)
Louisiana Counseling Association (January 2020 – Present)
Louisiana Center for Evidence to Practice (2018 – 2020)
National Board of Forensic Evaluators (NBFE) (2020 – Present)
MacArthur Foundation Models for (Juvenile Justice System) Change Initiative in Caddo Parish, Louisiana (2006 – 2008)
Ann E Casey Foundation Juvenile Detention Reform Initiative in Caddo Parish, Louisiana (2008 – 2012)