DPH hearing: expert testifies counselor violated boundaries; prior unemployment ruling admitted as evidence

A public hearing before the Connecticut Department of Public Health on June 23, 2025 examined a complaint (docket no. 2023-1156) alleging that respondent Diane Penland, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, failed to maintain appropriate patient boundaries by exchanging flirtatious or social text messages with an inpatient client. Hearing officer Aiden Baum admitted multiple exhibits into the record, including a June 20, 2024 decision from an unemployment appeals referee, and heard testimony from the department’s expert, Jack Ryan.

The hearing matters because the department is considering licensing discipline for Penland, and the evidence and expert testimony address whether Penland’s conduct violated professional standards of care for addiction counselors. Attorney Linda Fazina, representing the Department of Public Health, told the hearing that the case centers on boundary violations in text messages and that license revocation would not be out of the question if violations are found. Attorney William Kellogg, for the respondent, said…