State revokes Fresno (California) psychologist Kristin Hibbard's license; arrested for burglary

January 4, 2010

California revoked the license of Kristin Hibbard, Ph.D.  According to Board documents, from 2006 to December 2008, Hibbard treated a patient who had been injured at work and was subsequently referred to Hibbard for counseling in anger management and depression.  

In November 2008, the patient received a worker’s compensation settlement in excess of $150,000.  In early December, the patient and his wife went to Hibbard’s office for his regular appointment, during which Hibbard requested that the patient sign a power of attorney giving her and another individual control over his worker’s compensation award.  The patient did not want to do that, at which point Hibbard became angry and yelled at him.  The Board’s document further states that Hibbard requested the wife to leave, threatening to have the patient involuntarily committed if she did not.  

The patient ultimately signed the power of attorney over to Hibbard and the other individual.  The patient and his wife later discovered that Hibbard had withdrawn $24,000 of the the patient’s money.  When confronted about this by the patient’s wife, Hibbard is reported to have stated, “I don’t have to talk to you….  It’s not his money anyway.”  The patient and his wife then contacted the Fresno Police Department.  

Further, Hibbard was arrested on December 25, 2008 in the burglary of her mother’s home.  Though Hibbard assured the Fresno police that she lived in the house, none of her keys fit the locks; the mother reported to police that Hibbard did not have permission to be there, did not live there and that she had changed all the locks after Hibbard broke into the house around Thanksgiving 2008.  

Hibbard was thus charged by the Board with dishonest, corrupt or fraudulent acts and was served a copy of the Board’s accusation and other documents, to which she failed to respond.  She is also required to reimburse the Board $13,506.51 for the costs of investigating the case against her.
 
Source: Accusation in the Matter of the Accusation Against Kristin Hibbard, Ph.D., Psychologist’s License No. PSY-19414, Case No. 1F-2009-198384, filed July 23, 2009 and Default Decision and Order, effective November 20, 2009.