Arizona social workers disciplined

May 11, 2012

On May 18, 2012 the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners issued the following disciplinary actions:

Denied the licensed master social worker application of Timiadi D. Egodi. The Board’s report states that Edogi’s employer had repeated concerns about Edogi’s inappropriate behavior at meetings and trainings, incomplete and inaccurate clinical paperwork, insubordination behaviors and inappropriate treatment of clients. The employer received multiple client complaints where the clients did not want to work with Edogi. One client complained that Edogi had promoted a product to the client to purchase and to promote the product.  Edogi submitted multiple travel claims where she failed to have verifiable documentation of work related purposes. In May 2009, Edogi was suspended without pay for 40 hours regarding travel claims submitted with inaccurate and missing documentation to support significant travel expenses. In May 2011, the employer filed a series of charges against Edogi related to her conduct in five cases (one of which involved the abuse death of a one-year-old child). Following the investigation the employer involuntarily terminated Edogi. While the Board was reviewing her LMSW application, Edogi failed to notify the Board of her former employer’s termination, as required.

Placed licensed clinical social worker Michelle Ruttinger on probation with terms and conditions. Ruttinger worked for a behavioral health care agency from September 2004 to December 2006. In February 2006, she received a written warning from her employer regarding performance issues and was thereafter involuntarily terminated. She began working for another agency in September 2006. From January 2007 through June 2007, she was noted to have performance issues. That agency terminated her employment in late June 2007. She began working for another agency in August 2008 and was noted from December 2008 through January 2009 to have performance issues. This agency involuntarily terminated Ruttinger as well.

Issued an Interim Consent Agreement on licensed clinical social worker Rebecca E. Southwick, suspending her license. According to the Board’s report, Southwick submitted an application for clinical independent social worker in which she disclosed a history of behavioral health issues. Her application was approved but it later came to the Board’s attention that Southwick had “significant employment performance issues” that resulted in at least one resignation and at least three terminations from behavioral health employment agencies. Southwick however failed to disclosed these on license renewal applications and employment applications.

Source: Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners disciplinary action report, updated June 7, 2012.

 

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