School Psychologist

What do School Psychologists do?

School Psychologists Work With Students to:

  • Provide counseling, instruction, and mentoring for those struggling with social, emotional, and behavioral problems

  • Increase achievement by assessing barriers to learning and determining the best instructional strategies to improve learning

  • Promote wellness and resilience by reinforcing communication and social skills, problem solving, anger management, self-regulation, self-determination, and optimism

  • Enhance understanding and acceptance of diverse cultures and backgrounds

School Psychologists Work With Students and Their Families to:

  • Identify and address learning and behavior problems that interfere with school success

  • Evaluate eligibility for special education services (within a multidisciplinary team)

  • Support students' social, emotional, and behavioral health

  • Teach parenting skills and enhance home–school collaboration
    Make referrals and help coordinate community support services

School Psychologists Work With Teachers to:

  • Identify and resolve academic barriers to learning

  • Design and implement student progress monitoring systems

  • Design and implement academic and behavioral interventions

  • Support effective individualized instruction

  • Create positive classroom environments

  • Motivate all students to engage in learning

School Psychologists Work With Administrators to:

  • Collect and analyze data related to school improvement, student outcomes, and accountability requirements

  • Implement school-wide prevention programs that help maintain positive school climates conducive to learning

  • Promote school policies and practices that ensure the safety of all students by reducing school violence, bullying, and harassment

  • Respond to crises by providing leadership, direct services, and coordination with needed community services

  • Design, implement, and garner support for comprehensive school mental health programming

School Psychologists Work With Community Providers to:

  • Coordinate the delivery of services to students and their families in and outside of school

  • Help students transition to and from school and community learning environments, such as residential treatment or juvenile justice programs