Florida psychologist Paul M. Inkeles’ license suspended following cocaine-heroin overdose

February 11, 2008

On February 11, 2008, the State of Florida Department of Health (DOH) issued an Order of Emergency Suspension of License on psychologist Paul M. Inkeles, Ph.D. According to the DOH’s information, Dr. Inkeles was found to be unable to practice psychology with reasonable skill and safety due to an overdose of heroine and cocaine in January 2008. Dr. Inkeles had been under a monitoring and treatment program with the Professionals Resource Network (PRN, the impaired practitioners program for the Board of Psychology) and had successfully completed his contract with them in January 2006. In August 2006, he filed a motion to restore his visitation privileges with children, citing that he had been free of “hard-core” drugs from August 2006 to the then-present. His ex-wife provided information to the PRN regarding cocaine and other drug paraphernalia in his home, as well as scabs on his arms in areas where a person would inject drugs. He was contacted by PRN several times but failed to respond. In May 2007, the DOH determined that probable cause existed to believe that Dr. Inkeles was unable to practice with reasonable skill and safety and ordered him to undergo a mental and physical examination, which he failed to attend. An amended order was also delivered. He failed to attend that scheduled examination as well. On January 24, 2008, Dr. Inkeles overdosed on heroin and cocaine at home while his 10- and 13-year-old children were visiting him. He was subsequently involuntarily committed. The DOH additionally cited as grounds for emergency suspension: His conduct to be an endangerment of his children; his being a danger to himself and others; his possession of illegal drugs and paraphernalia; his long history of polysubstance abuse and repeated relapses; his failure to stay in recovery despite his promise to do so in order to maintain 50-50 custody of his children and his refusal to submit to a mental and physical evaluation as ordered by the DOH.¹